Client advocacy in nursing: when your report changed nothing
A nurse advocate makes sure the client's need reaches someone who can act. Call again with the facts, use the right resource, and go up.
- A report that changed nothing is not finished.
- Call again with the facts. If nothing changes, go up.
- Use the right resource: an interpreter, the team, the social worker.
Client advocacy in nursing means that you make sure the client's need reaches someone who can act on it. When a report changes nothing, you assess again, call again with the facts, and go up to your charge nurse if needed. This guide follows one afternoon with three clients.
A report that changed nothing is not finished
It is 14:00. Your client had bowel surgery two days ago. An hour after her pain medication, she still rates her pain at eight out of ten. You reported it an hour ago, and nothing changed.
A tired colleague says: “You already told the doctor once. Don't call again, she can wait till morning.” You do not wait until morning. An advocate makes sure that the client's need reaches someone who can act on it.
Assess again, and call again with the facts
- Pain: 8 out of 10.
- One hour after the dose.
- No better than before.
If nothing changes, go up
If the answer still changes nothing, you go up to your charge nurse. You document each step: what you saw, who you told, and what they said.
Use the right resource
| The need | What you do |
|---|---|
| A 12-year-old boy translates teaching about a new blood thinner for his grandfather | A child should not carry that. Ask for a professional interpreter. |
| A client who lives alone goes home tomorrow and cannot pay for his dressings | It is not yours to solve alone. Tell the team today, and bring in the social worker before he leaves. |
This lesson is part of a longer story: client advocacy and confidentiality in nursing. Follow your agency's policy for how to escalate a concern.