Concept Analysis

Sample Answer

. Select the Concept and Define the Purpose

Concept: Advocacy Purpose: To clarify the meaning of "advocacy" in nursing and distinguish it from similar concepts, providing a foundation for its use in research, education, and practice.

2. Identify the Uses of the Concept

In nursing literature and practice, advocacy is used to describe a nurse's actions to:

Speak on behalf of a patient who cannot speak for themselves.

Support a patient's choices and decisions.

Protect a patient's rights and dignity.

Mediate between the patient and other healthcare providers to ensure the patient's voice is heard.

Challenge policies or practices that are not in the patient's best interest.

For example, a nurse advocating for a patient might:

Question a medication order they believe is unsafe.

Ensure a patient with a language barrier has access to an interpreter.

Support a patient's decision to refuse a treatment after they have been fully informed.

3. Determine the Defining Attributes

These are the characteristics that are always present when the concept of advocacy occurs.

Taking Action: Advocacy is not passive; it requires active engagement and intervention.

Protection of Rights: The primary goal is to safeguard the patient's autonomy, dignity, and access to quality care.

Vulnerability of the Patient: Advocacy is often necessary when a patient is in a vulnerable state, either due to illness, lack of knowledge, or a power imbalance within the healthcare system.

Moral Courage: The nurse must be willing to take a stand, even if it means challenging authority or established norms.

Empowerment: The ultimate aim of advocacy is to empower the patient to make their own informed decisions.

4. Construct a Model Case

A model case is a real or hypothetical example that includes all the defining attributes of the concept.

Scenario: Mrs. Jones, an 85-year-old patient with dementia, is scheduled for a surgical procedure. Her family has concerns about the risks due to her age and cognitive state but feels pressured to agree. The nurse, recognizing the family's distress and the patient's inability to express her wishes, sits down with them and the surgeon. The nurse facilitates a discussion, asking questions to ensure the family fully understands the risks and benefits. She validates the family's concerns, stating, "It's understandable to feel this way, and your input is critical." The nurse's intervention empowers the family to ask for a second opinion and ultimately decide against the surgery, a decision that aligns with the patient's previously expressed values.

This case demonstrates advocacy through taking action (facilitating the meeting), protecting rights (the right to be informed and make a decision), recognizing the patient's vulnerability, displaying moral courage (challenging the standard procedure), and ultimately empowering the family to act on the patient's behalf.

5. Identify Antecedents and Consequences

Antecedents are events or factors that must occur before the concept.

Patient vulnerability: A patient is physically or emotionally compromised.

Power imbalance: The patient feels they have less power than the healthcare team.

Informed consent is at risk: The patient or family doesn't fully understand a treatment plan.

Nurse-patient relationship: A trusting relationship exists.

Consequences are events or outcomes that occur after the concept.

Improved patient outcomes: The patient's needs are met, and harm is prevented.

Increased patient satisfaction and trust: The patient and family feel respected and heard.