Practices on Activities Concerning Patient Advocacy Among Nurses of Phichit Hospital

Abstract

    Practices on activities concerning patient advocacy were nursing activities for protecting patient’s right.  These activities were important for legal aspect, efficiency of nursing practices and hospital accreditation.  The purposes of this study were to study level and problem of practices on activities concerning patient advocacy among nurses of Phichit hospital. The population was 235 professional nurses.  Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the investigator with content validity index of 0.96 and Chronbach’s alpha of 0.82. Mean and percent were used for data analysis.The results of study were: The total score of practices on activities concerning patient advocacy among nurses of Phichit hospital was at high level (m = 103.82).  The score of each part were also high including provision of information (m = 26.49), service and support in decision making (m = 25.14), protection (m = 27.31), and patient representation (m = 24.78)  The problems in practices on activities concerning patient advocacy perceived by nurses of Phichit hospital regarding organization was the guidelines for practicing on activities concerning patient advocacy in Phichit hospital were not clear in some dimensions.  For nurses part, they thought that their works were overload and they did not have an opportunity to practice on activities concerning patient advocacy in every single item.  For patients part, nurses thought that patients and family requested for patient right in the wrong ways because of the misunderstood of patient advocacy concept.

The results of this study could be used for planning to transform the practices on activities concerning patient advocacy among nurses of Phichit hospital.