Description
Patient advocacy can be defined as ensuring that our patients receive the best and most appropriate care (medical, physiological, environmental) to optimise a positive outcome. There are many areas regarding patient advocacy that can be considered as part of a professional health team. As a veterinary nurse we are often the patients’ advocate whilst they are in our care. It is the actions that we perform every day that can enhance the individual patient care and in turn move towards a more positive outcome. Our patients rely on us to ‘speak up’ for them. We need to not only understand the patient, its condition and its treatment required but also implement through nursing plans to achieve ultimate care. Our key focus areas will cover: (1) planning; (2) implementation; (3) evaluation; and (4) communication.
