4- The ability to successfully support a cause or interest on o
4- The ability to successfully support a cause or interest on ones own behalf or that of another requires a set of skills that include problem solving, communication, influence, and collaboration (Tomajan, 2012). Effective communication is essential in effective advocacy. Tomojan describes a 60 second approach in effective communication when it comes to advocating for a solution to a problem. This sixty-second approach includes the following: -Share your name, where you work, and the department you are representing -Describe the issue you are addressing -Put a human face on your request. Paint a word picture or tell a story. -Describe what you would like the person or group to do -Distribute a fact sheet describing your request and including your contact information Using this approach will grab your audiences attention and provide all the necessary information in a short amount of time. Reference: Tomajan, K. (2012). Advocating for Nurses and Nursing. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing,17(1). doi:10.3912/OJIN.Vol17No01Man04 5-Thank you for sharing. All I can say is wow. Put a human face on your request. Paint a word picture or tell a story. That is so very deep and relatable. This is definetly an advocacy strategy that can create change in the workplace. Great job? Have you ever used an advocacy strategy to create change? If so, when and what was the impact of that. I am interested in hearing how you may have change your facility. Thank you again for sharing some of your findings and insight with the class. Good luck in the rest of the program. 6-A good advocacy strategy is connecting patients to resources. I find this to be one of the most important advocacy strategies that I tend to use on a daily basis. Helping patients find resources inside or outside the hospital to support their well-being can be extremely beneficial to them. Be aware of resources in the community that you can share with the patient such as financial assistance, transportation, patient or caregiver support networks, or helping them meet other needs. 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. As health care systems continue to evolve, patients are relying more and more on guidance from nursing advocates. I was fortunate enough to attend a conference. At this conference many nurse spoke on different topics and I was able to attend a classs specifically about nurse advocacy and ways to get better at this skill. The class was filled with useful tips and insight. The one thing that stuck out to me the most was the resources. When patients leave the hospital, they no longer have nurses and doctors by their side 24/7 telling them what to do. They need to know where to find the help that they need. Educating them on topics and giving them resources is thought to be one of the best things you can do for a patient upon discharge. I agree with this whole heartedly. (2018). Nursing Advocate: 5 Ways to Be a Better Advocate. Rx Nurse. Retrieved fom: https://www.nursesrx.com/nurse-news/nursing-advocate-five-ways-to-be-a-better-advocate-for-patients/
