How can nursing students use patient advocacy research to improve their clinical practice?

1 What is patient advocacy research?

Patient advocacy research is a type of research that focuses on the experiences, perspectives, and needs of patients and their advocates in health care settings. It aims to generate evidence and knowledge that can inform and improve patient advocacy practice, policy, and education. Patient advocacy research can cover various topics, such as ethical dilemmas, communication barriers, cultural competence, patient empowerment, and patient satisfaction.

2 Why is patient advocacy research important for nursing students?

Patient advocacy research is important for nursing students because it can help them develop a deeper understanding of the issues and challenges that patients and their advocates face in health care settings. It can also help them learn from the best practices and strategies of other nurses and advocates who have successfully advocated for their patients. By reading and analyzing patient advocacy research, nursing students can gain insights and skills that can enhance their clinical practice and professional development.

3 How to find and access patient advocacy research?

Nursing students can easily find and access patient advocacy research with the help of various sources and databases. For example, PubMed, a free online database, provides access to over 30 million citations and abstracts of biomedical and health-related literature. It also offers filters and tools to narrow down the search results. CINAHL, a subscription-based database, offers over 5 million records of nursing and allied health literature. It has advanced search options to refine the search results. Lastly, Google Scholar is a free online search engine that provides access to a wide range of academic literature, including links to full-text articles, citations, and related works.

4 How to evaluate and critique patient advocacy research?

Evaluating and critiquing patient advocacy research is a crucial skill for nursing students, as it can help them assess the quality, validity, and relevance of the research for their clinical practice and learning. To do this effectively, nursing students can use various frameworks and criteria. For example, the PICOT framework can help identify and formulate the key elements of a research question, such as population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and time. Additionally, the CASP tools can appraise the quality and rigor of different types of research studies. Finally, the PRISMA checklist can assess the reporting and transparency of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

5 How to apply and integrate patient advocacy research into clinical practice?

Nursing students strive to apply and integrate patient advocacy research into clinical practice, as it can help them improve patient outcomes and satisfaction, as well as their own competence and confidence. To do so, they can reflect on their own experiences and values as patient advocates in comparison to the research findings and recommendations. Additionally, they should discuss and share the research findings and implications with peers, mentors, and supervisors to receive feedback and guidance. Furthermore, nursing students can develop and implement action plans based on the research evidence and their own learning needs and objectives. Finally, they should evaluate and monitor the impact of their actions and interventions, making adjustments as needed.

6 How to stay updated and informed on patient advocacy research trends?

Staying updated and informed on patient advocacy research trends is essential for nursing students, as it can help them keep up with the latest developments and innovations in the field of patient advocacy. It can also help them identify and address emerging issues and challenges that may affect their patients and their advocacy practice. To stay up-to-date, nursing students can rely on various resources, such as journals, newsletters, and podcasts. For instance, The Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Nursing Ethics, Nursing Inquiry, and Patient Education and Counseling are some of the most relevant journals for nursing students. Moreover, The Patient Advocate Newsletter, The Patient Experience Journal Newsletter, and The International Journal of Patient-Centered Medicine Newsletter are useful newsletters for nursing students. Additionally, The Patient Advocate Podcast, The Empowered Patient Podcast, and The Nurse Keith Show are interesting podcasts for nursing students.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?