Advocacy Strategies
Advocacy involves speaking on behalf of those who may not have the opportunity to express their needs and requirements before the key decision-makers. Nurses play a critical role in advocacy as they are the healthcare professionals who spent more time with patients than any other healthcare professional in a healthcare setting (Downs & Fiore-Lopez, 2022). They also advocate for their colleagues’ rights to make the workplace favorable. Advocacy Strategies Essay Paper
All nurses are leaders in one way or another. To effectively perform their advocacy role nurses must develop strategies that would create a positive change in the workplace. As a nurse leader, I would employ 6 key advocacy strategies to enhance develop a positive change in my organization; I would create a strong workplace culture, encourage colleagues to participate in different advocacy programs, set advocacy goals or performance targets, establish communication best practices, appoint a representative to lead advocacy program, and develop metrics to measure progress towards set goals.
After laying down that foundation I would ensure there is a collaboration with other interprofessional teams and encourage feedback from patients to establish if the strategies I employed influence patient outcomes or customer satisfaction. Research shows that nurse satisfaction has an influence on patient outcomes (Morse & Warshawsky, 2021). Advocating for the needs of those below you as a leader helps motivates and encourages them to give in their best. Having the best working environment motivates employees more than even the pay and a nurse leader must advocate ensuring that colleagues work in a safe and favorable environment. Advocacy Strategies Essay Paper
In conclusion, all nurses are advocates and a nurse leader has more advocacy roles to ensure there is a positive change in the organization. We are all agents of change so we must take the lead role of advocating for the needs not only of the patients but colleagues
References
Downs, S., & Fiore-Lopez, N. (2022). Getting Comfortable With the Uncomfortable: Nurse Leader as Advocate—One Leader’s Story. Nurse Leader, 20(1), 37-42. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1541461221002275
Morse, V., & Warshawsky, N. E. (2021). Nurse leader competencies: Today and tomorrow. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 45(1), 65-70. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/wk/naq/2021/00000045/00000001/art00011