Barriers to practicing patient advocacy in healthcare setting

Abstract

Aim To explore barriers to practicing patient advocacy in healthcare setting. Design This study used a qualitative research approach to arrive at the study result. Methods Twenty‐five Registered Nurses were purposively selected. Semi‐structured interviews were used to collect data and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results The main theme identified was lack of cooperation between healthcare team, care recipients and the health institution which included the health institution and work environment, ineffective communication and interpersonal relationship, patients' family, religious and cultural beliefs. Unsuccessful advocacy resulted in increased complications, death, negative consequence on the health institution and nursing as a profession. This study has significantly created awareness of the need for an improved patient advocacy to enhance the quality and safety in the care of patients.

Quality of Nursing Care in Saudi Arabia: Are Empathy, Advocacy, and Caring Important Attributes for Nurses?

“…Nevertheless, several factors hinder nurses from exercising this significant role. They include a lack of nurse autonomy, poor relations between hospital management, caregivers, nurses, uncooperative patients, and ineffective communication between nurses and patients (Nsiah, Siakwa, & Ninnoni, 2020). Additionally, poor patient advocacy can cause unavoidable health complications and death.…”

The effect of nursing ethics education through narration and lecture methods on patient advocacy by nurses in Iran in 2017: A quasi-experimental study

“…In addition, patient advocacy is a strategy to help patients with serious problems and absence of patient advocacy has negative consequences such as increased hospital-acquired infections, mortality, and impolite and disrespectful attitude to patients (7,10,11). Ample evidence indicates that many patients are at risk of preventable injuries and death.…”

“…The effective role of patient advocacy realized by nurses can potentially reduce communication errors, increase patient safety, improve patient care quality, and empower nurses (4,6,7,12,13). Furthermore, evidence shows that a small proportion (10%-15%) (7,14) of nurses and other treatment staffs are concerned about patient advocacy, exposing patients to a very high level of vulnerability (4,11,13). However, many theorists in nursing argue that advocating the patient by the nurses is important and that all healthcare facilities should serve this purpose (7,11).…”

“…Furthermore, evidence shows that a small proportion (10%-15%) (7,14) of nurses and other treatment staffs are concerned about patient advocacy, exposing patients to a very high level of vulnerability (4,11,13). However, many theorists in nursing argue that advocating the patient by the nurses is important and that all healthcare facilities should serve this purpose (7,11). Patient advocacy has both positive and negative consequences for nurses, including a sense of being valuable, improvement of self-concept, job satisfaction, motivation, and creating a good public image of nurses, as well as negative consequences that prevent them from performing this role (6).…”

“…The workplace has also been described as an influential factor for patient advocacy, in nonsupportive and unsafe workplaces and/or environments where there is a possibility of conflict with colleagues and doctors, nurses support patients less frequently, and if they decide to support patients, they are likely to feel isolated (15). Lack of advocacy from nursing managers, time, and communication constraints (3,4,8,15) as well as lack of knowledge about law and nursing ethics (11) are major barriers to patient advocacy. Furthermore, the mastery of medical knowledge over nursing values and knowledge, the lack of awareness of legal consequences, the alliance of the treatment team for silence, and not giving information to patients are factors affecting the nurses' supportive roles and prevent them performing their supportive roles satisfactorily (9).…”