How to Advocate for Your Patients

As a Pediatric Home Care Nurse, you not only have a responsibility to care for children but also advocate for them. Through patient advocacy, nurses have the power to impact patient outcomes and experiences. 

What Does it Mean to Be an Advocate as a Pediatric Nurse? 

Advocacy addresses social inequalities among individuals and groups. Patient advocacy as a pediatric nurse means promoting and improving the health and healthcare of all children and their families through education, collaboration, and by defending patient rights. Children are one of the most vulnerable kinds of patients who deserve to feel safe, protected, and heard in healthcare and beyond. 

How to Advocate for Pediatric Patients & Families

Listen Actively

To fully understand their patients, nurses need to listen to all concerns, questions, and preferences coming from the patient and their family. Medically fragile children may face complex emotional and physical needs and pediatric nurses need as much personal and medical information as possible to offer the right care.

Educate Patients & Families 

Pediatric patients face unique challenges where developmental, cognitive, emotional, and social factors could affect their ability to understand or communicate their issues. Nurses have the responsibility of providing clear information to their patients and their families about their medical conditions, treatment options, concerns, and potential risks. When patients and their families are educated on medical conditions and given the right information to understand their options, they can make more informed and empowering decisions. 

Promote Cultural Sensitivity 

With patient advocacy, it’s important to respect a patient’s cultural background. Pediatric nurses should practice cultural sensitivity to build strong relationships with patients and their families. Cultural sensitivity includes the following practices: 

• Being aware of your own biases
• Listening actively 
• Asking questions
• Being open to new perspectives
• Respecting differences
• Being mindful of personal space
• Avoiding stereotypes

Strengthen Nursing Skills

Medicine and medical technology continue to evolve. Pediatric nurses should keep up to date with advancements to offer the best care possible for their patients. Nurses should educate themselves beyond the classroom by researching the latest evidence, guidelines, and best practices to help strengthen their skills. 

Collaborate with the Healthcare Team

Pediatric Home Care Nurses can have a team of clinicians that help provide care for each patient. A patient needs all team members to be on the same page, advocating for their health. This means sharing all the relevant information about a patient, providing feedback, and seeking input from other team members. It’s important that a healthcare team provides consistent, evidence-based, and patient-centered care. 

Thrive SPC Advocates for Patients Every Day

Thrive Skilled Pediatric Care is a respected national pediatric care provider in seven states, leading the way in compassion-based care that considers the entire universe surrounding medically fragile children. We participate in industry-wide work groups that focus on advocacy and how to be a resource for pediatric patients. Join the Thrive SPC team, and together we will be even stronger advocates for medically fragile children so they can grow and flourish to their full potential.