Discussion Prompt #1
- Specifically define the role of the registered nurse in patient advocacy. Describe situations in which nursing advocacy can assist patients within the healthcare environment. Defend why nurses are, or are not, adequately prepared, in prelicensure education, to act as patient advocates.
Discussion Prompt #2
- The ANA Code of Ethics currently emphasizes the word “patient” instead of the word “client” in referring to nursing care recipients. Do you agree with this change? Why or why not? Review the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements found in Appendix B of your Butts text.
- 1 page each
How to Solve Discussion Prompt #1 Specifically define the role of the registered nurse in patient advocacy. Describe situations in which nursing advocacy can assist patients within the healthcare environment. Defe Nursing Assignment Help
Introduction:
As a medical professor, I am responsible for creating college assignments and answering the questions of medical college students. In this task, I will provide answers to two discussion prompts related to the registered nurse’s role in patient advocacy and the ANA Code of Ethics’ emphasis on the word “patient.”
Answer to Discussion Prompt #1:
The role of a registered nurse (RN) as a patient advocate is to support the patient’s rights, interests, and preferences in healthcare decisions. An advocate is a person who speaks on behalf of another person. In nursing, patient advocacy means ensuring that the patient’s needs, preferences, and values are respected and communicated to the healthcare team.
Nursing advocacy can assist patients in various healthcare situations. For example, when a patient is unable to communicate or make decisions for themselves, the nurse can advocate for the patient’s best interests. Advocacy can also help patients who face discrimination or are mistreated within the healthcare environment.
In my opinion, nurses are adequately prepared to act as patient advocates during prelicensure education. The nursing curriculum is designed to teach students ethical principles, communication skills, and critical thinking, which are essential for patient advocacy. However, ongoing professional education and training are necessary to ensure that nurses maintain advocacy skills throughout their careers.
Answer to Discussion Prompt #2:
I agree with the ANA Code of Ethics’s emphasis on the word “patient” instead of the word “client” when referring to nursing care recipients. The term “patient” inherently implies that the person is receiving medical care and has a health condition that requires treatment. On the other hand, the term “client” could refer to a broader range of people, including those seeking non-medical services such as financial or legal advice.
Furthermore, nursing care is primarily aimed at promoting health, preventing illness, and treating diseases. Therefore, using the term “patient” reinforces the nursing profession’s focus on medical care and underscores the responsibility that nurses have to restore and maintain their patients’ health.
In conclusion, the ANA Code of Ethics’s emphasis on the word “patient” is appropriate, and nurses should continue to use and promote the term in their nursing practice.
