Patient advocacy: a concept analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify the ill-defined concept of patient advocacy and develop a model.


METHODS
An eclectic concept analysis was used in the study.


RESULTS
Results of the analysis reveal that advocacy has three essential attributes: valuing, apprising and interceding. Antecedents to advocacy include a vulnerable population and a nurse willing to take on the responsibility for advocacy. The consequences of acting as a patient advocate can be potentially negative or positive for patient and nurse. On their own, the attributes are one of a number of helping strategies.


CONCLUSIONS
Advocacy is a contemporary nursing issue comprising three essential attributes. Individually, each of the attributes is a helping strategy used in nursing. Only when all three attributes are present can advocacy be said to be realised.
Baldwin
Moyra A
MA
Chester College of Higher Education, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral. m.baldwin@chester.ac.uk
D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009729:Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D006113:United Kingdom