Nursing advocacy-a review of the empirical research 1990--2003.
This paper provides an overview of the empirical research literature on nursing advocacy. It offers a description of the contexts, methods and issues of validity and reliability used in studies of nursing advocacy, as well as advocacy definitions, activities and consequences as results of those studies. The review focuses on empirical articles retrieved from the CINAHL and MEDLINE databases published between 1990 and 2003. It draws attention to complexity the concept of advocacy, difficulties in operationalisation, and concentration on reactive advocacy from nurses' perspective. There is a lack of research on patients' perspectives of nursing advocacy in general hospital settings.
Vaartio
Heli
H
Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Lemminkaisenkatu 1 20014 Turku, Finland. heli.vaartio@sydvast.fi
Leino-Kilpi
Helena
H
D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D036262:Empirical Research; D019513:Feminism; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D016294:Models, Nursing; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009742:Nursing Theory; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing; D036301:Qualitative Research; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards