Every nurse has the opportunity to make a positive impact on their patients and the nursing profession on a daily basis through the use of advocacy (Tomajan, 2012, Abstract section). Advocacy plays a significant role in nursing and must be demonstrated to give patients a voice when they are unable to express themselves to protect the patient’s safety and well-being. Throughout the novel A Nurse’s Story, Tilda Shalof actively demonstrated advocacy regarding her patients, which enhanced her qualities as a nurse. Advocating for a patient improves the quality of their stay at a health care facility and increases the likelihood for the patient to utilize health care services in the future. It is important for nurses to work together as a team to
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Templeton, who is suffering from an incurable lung disease in the intensive care unit. Tilda experiences difficulties with delivering optimal care to her patient due to Mrs. Templeton’s son being responsible for his mother’s care plan. He insists that everything will be done in order to save his mother’s life but, when Tilda is confronted by a stubborn and demanding family member, she is unsure about how to provide care for her patient. Tilda understands that Mrs. Templeton is passing away due to her age and lung condition and believes that she should not have to suffer during her death. After observing Mrs. Templeton agonize in pain, she advocates for her patient and communicates with Mrs. Templeton’s son that the ventilator, intravenous, feeding tubes, and the catheter are irritating Mrs. Templeton. Tilda is concerned that it is cruel to have a feeding tube located in her windpipe when her lungs are not capable of perfusing. However, when Mrs. Templeton’s son rebels against her concerns, she is left feeling weak due to acting against his wishes. However, Tilda demonstrated advocacy in a positive way because she was displaying patient-centered care when her patient could not speak for herself. Tilda felt it was her responsibility to advocate for her patient because Mrs. Templeton was suffering and experiencing unnecessary pain while trying to keep her alive. “Nurses should protect patients’ right to dignity by advocating for appropriate use of interventions in order to minimize suffering, intervening if other people fail to respect the dignity of the patient, and working to promote health and social conditions that allow patients to live and die with dignity” (Potter & Perry, 2014, p. 128). Tilda actively displayed advocacy while caring for Mrs. Templeton because she intervened when Mrs. Templeton’s son failed to respect the dignity of his mother during her death. When approaching a situation, it is
Templeton, who is suffering from an incurable lung disease in the intensive care unit. Tilda experiences difficulties with delivering optimal care to her patient due to Mrs. Templeton’s son being responsible for his mother’s care plan. He insists that everything will be done in order to save his mother’s life but, when Tilda is confronted by a stubborn and demanding family member, she is unsure about how to provide care for her patient. Tilda understands that Mrs. Templeton is passing away due to her age and lung condition and believes that she should not have to suffer during her death. After observing Mrs. Templeton agonize in pain, she advocates for her patient and communicates with Mrs. Templeton’s son that the ventilator, intravenous, feeding tubes, and the catheter are irritating Mrs. Templeton. Tilda is concerned that it is cruel to have a feeding tube located in her windpipe when her lungs are not capable of perfusing. However, when Mrs. Templeton’s son rebels against her concerns, she is left feeling weak due to acting against his wishes. However, Tilda demonstrated advocacy in a positive way because she was displaying patient-centered care when her patient could not speak for herself. Tilda felt it was her responsibility to advocate for her patient because Mrs. Templeton was suffering and experiencing unnecessary pain while trying to keep her alive. “Nurses should protect patients’ right to dignity by advocating for appropriate use of interventions in order to minimize suffering, intervening if other people fail to respect the dignity of the patient, and working to promote health and social conditions that allow patients to live and die with dignity” (Potter & Perry, 2014, p. 128). Tilda actively displayed advocacy while caring for Mrs. Templeton because she intervened when Mrs. Templeton’s son failed to respect the dignity of his mother during her death. When approaching a situation, it is