Advocacy: The Heart of Nursing

Nursing Advocacy entails acting on behalf of others and Chapter Seven promotes advocacy as the driving force of nursing. Advocacy can occur in the form of being a voice for an individual or by supporting a larger cause. Nurses are expected to maintain quality health care services, preserve public access to health care and ensure health equity. Whistle-blowing is presented as a more drastic form of advocacy that is only to be used as a last resort. Six specific actions are suggested for nurses to seriously consider before whistle-blowing. Nurses are not likely to advocate for a person or group of people that they have a bias toward. Cultural safety and affirmative action are recommended to end discrimination. There are some negative consequences associated with advocacy like that of being morally silenced. The Chapter ends with a Case in Point where a student nurse chooses to be the voice for the client.

Keywords: Advocacy, Autonomy, Affirmative action, CNA Code of Ethics Part II, Cultural safety, Determinants of health, Ethic of care, Ethic of justice, Florence Nightingale, Health equity, Homelessness, Informed consent, Indigenous peoples, Moral silence, Moral residue, Mental illness, Paternalism, Parentalism, Stereotypes, Social justice, Whistle-blowing.