Advocacy: Empowered Nurses

Empowered nurses are usually engaged nurses. Involvement with committees presents opportunities for the employee to effect decision-making within the facility. It is up to the leadership team to empower its employees by allowing them to be a part of that process. This empowerment helps engage staff by forming a "web of inclusion". (Wooten & Crane, 2003, p. 1) Staff now feels like they are part of the process instead of just given directives.

 There are even more compelling reasons to empower nurses. Powerless nurses are ineffective nurses. Powerless nurses are less satisfied with their jobs and more susceptible to burnout and depersonalization. If we empower nurses, this would cause a big change in healthcare and will produce better patient outcomes and deliver excellent nursing care. 

 

Advocacy in the healthcare setting encompasses direct service to patients and their families or caregivers, and promotes prevention of diseases and access to healthcare. Nurses as being a vital part of the healthcare team have always been active in supporting many different causes in the healthcare field by utilizing effective methods and strategies to stand up for their patients in order to promote patient safety and the best quality care experience, speaking out for a moral good of the society, and collaborating with individuals who is in need of support in exercising their right and preference in healthcare.

Nursing advocacy has had a long tradition going as far as the Crimean War during Florence Nightingale's period. She had advocated safer hospital conditions for patients, and better learning opportunities and education for nurses. She sought to influence individuals, medical groups, the government, and policymakers for the continuous improvement of health conditions for sick and vulnerable patients. Florence Nightingale considered advocacy as Nursing's integral mission.

Nurse leaders must also take into the account of encouraging clinical nurse empowerment to help nurses become effective and efficient members of the healthcare team. Effective advocacy strategies that nurse leaders and managers may employ to aid their nurses in becoming empowered should be including the importance of adequate staffing levels, promoting a healthy work environment, appreciating and recognizing the nurses' achievements, and staff development and continuing education. In order to improve staffing, nurse leaders must advocate for safe staffing ratios and utilize metrics and benchmarking practices in order to identify staffing needs and outcomes. Through this, nurses become more confident caregivers and have an improved clinical productivity, since staff burnout and medical errors may be reduced. Creating a healthy work environment that provides a safe environment for patients and their caregivers, and the healthcare workers should also be the nurse leaders' focus. Effective interdisciplinary communication and collaboration are needed in order to accomplish promoting an environment founded in professionalism, trust, and respect. It is also significant to provide a clear job description for all staff, allow the right individuals to do the right job through proper delegation, promote huddles or quick meetings in order to discuss concerns of the healthcare staff and issues may be addressed immediately, and nurse leaders must remain engaged and present for their staff. Nurse leaders who also support their staff's education opportunities aid them in realizing the nurses' educational goals and help them accomplish it. They provide nurses with opportunities for professional development and continuing education, and allow for adjustments in their schedules to accommodate all these opportunities. Lastly, nurses should also be recognized and rewarded in all their important contributions to the healthcare environment. Bringing up the achievements of their staff to the attention of supervisors and the higher level management also a huge impact in making their knowledge and professional skills known. Mentoring nurses is also a method of recognition, as this can assist them in developing their clinical, administrative, managerial, and educational skills.