Many nurses think of advocacy as the most important role we play in patient care. We need to remember that to best serve patients, we must have our own house in order. That house includes the other healthcare professionals with whom we and our patients interact, as well as the organizations providing those services and the policies and legislation that influence them. Show How can oncology nurses advocate for patients every day? Here are some examples.
While we function as advocates for patients, many of the tasks we do become automatic and we can forget they are really about advocacy. When we are short-staffed or tired, our ability to advocate becomes compromised. Advocacy for patients doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Every patient’s care is affected by the environment in which their care is provided, and the individuals providing that care. This means nurses need to have the time to be able to do these things and to become aware of patient needs, communicate, and follow through. The nurse needs to come to work not exhausted or burned out. A safe patient load is necessary, as well as support and backup from other staff in the facility. Administrators must understand our role as advocates for patients, so they can provide adequate staffing levels and an environment that allows us to fully care for our patients. When the administration does not understand, it is part of our advocacy duty to inform them. In my next post I will explore how nurses also play important roles as advocates for their own profession, and within the greater healthcare space where we exist, intertwined with physicians and other healthcare professionals who ultimately serve patients. Related Articles As Nurses, We Must Advocate for Ourselves Advocating for a Better Healthcare System
Posted on April 2, 2020 by
Photo ©GettyImages At times of crisis, healthcare workers (e.g., nurses, advanced practice nurses, physicians, nursing assistants, etc.) continue to provide care, despite ever challenging work demands, including higher influx of critically ill patients, increased work stress, and a frequent need for overtime. These work demands can compound already challenging work schedules (i.e. 12-hour shifts, night shifts), making it more difficult to obtain regular shift breaks and enough time off between shifts for adequate recovery. All of these work factors (i.e. physical, emotional, and/or mental demands) combined with insufficient sleep, contribute to fatigue.1-3 Healthcare workers experiencing fatigue can jeopardize their own health and safety, such as increasing their susceptibility to infectious diseases,4 needlesticks,5 work-related muscle injuries,6 and burnout,7 as well as committing patient care errors.8,9 Nurses providing care during disasters or emerging disease epidemics10,11 have reported sleeping less, experiencing intense levels of fatigue, decreased well-being, and depression. It can be difficult to step away when the healthcare system is flooded with people needing care. During these periods, fatigue among healthcare workers may be impossible to avoid. So how can employers and healthcare workers balance the high demands for health care with the need to protect workers from fatigue? Workers and managers must actively share the responsibility to control the risks of injuries and incidents associated with fatigue through personal and workplace strategies, as well as a fatigue risk management system.3,12 For example, one step is to recognize healthcare worker sleep is critical for the delivery of quality health care. Workers and managers should try to plan for 7 or more hours of sleep in addition to recovery time each day, as needed to maintain alertness and health. Fatigue management is a shared responsibility that requires planning and ensures organizations the sustainability of healthcare services during times of public health crises, as well as protects the health and safety of workers and their patients. Practical Fatigue Management Tips:13,14For healthcare workers-
For managers-
Additional Resources:The NIOSH Training for Emergency Responders program provides additional education for preventing fatigue during emergency and critical needs situations. The training takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. For individuals working evening or night shifts, additional education specific to working evening and night shift can be found in NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours, Part 2, Module 9 (approximately 12 minutes to complete). For a more comprehensive training program, the NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours, is available for all nurses and nurse managers. The entire training takes approximately 3.5 hours to complete with continuing education credits available upon completion.What strategies have you and/or your employer put in place to manage fatigue risks? This blog is available in Portuguese and Japanese. This blog is part of a series hosted by NIOSH to commemorate nurses during the Year of the Nurse. Other blogs in the series include: Year of the Nurse Nurses’ and Other Health Professionals’ Wellness and Safety Resource Update Surgical Smoke Inhalation: Dangerous Consequences for the Surgical Team Safety Culture and Health Care Work Ability among Older Nurses The Unique Occupational Environment of the Home Healthcare Worker Can Exoskeletons Reduce Musculoskeletal Disorders in Healthcare Workers? Preventing Needlesticks and Sharps Injuries: Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act Celebrating Nurses Beverly Hittle, PhD, RN, is a post-doctoral fellow with the Division of Science Integration at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. She also is on faculty at the College of Nursing, University of Cincinnati, with expertise in nurse health and safety. Imelda Wong, PhD, is the Co-Chair for the Work Hours and Fatigue Workgroup and an Industrial Hygienist/Epidemiologist at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Science Integration. Claire Caruso, PhD, RN, FAAN, is research health scientist and Co-Chair for the Work Hours and Fatigue Workgroup in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Science Integration. References:
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