Consumer-Centric Advocacy: Its Connection to Nursing Frameworks

The concept of advocacy is redefined here as consumer-centric advocacy and its essential attributes are identified. Theoretical linkages between advocacy and selected nursing models are described. Specifically, the construct of advocacy is considered as it is operationalized within the theoretical frameworks of King, Newman, Orem, and Rogers. The health care system in the United States is in a state of unrest and undergoing nearly continuous change and reorganization. This reorganization has been hastened by tightened resources within the health care financing system, a growing number of elderly and indigent needing care, and the advent of care intensive disease processes such as AIDS and substance addicted newborns. In addition, the general public has become better informed concerning health and is seeking new approaches to the delivery of health care services. As changes in the health care system continue to occur, the role of nurses, the largest group of health care providers also is changing. In a system in which there is both a shortage of registered nurses and a growing demand for their services, nurses must develop strategies to maximize their impact on the health care system to meet the needs of consumers as well as protect their own professional integrity. The development of such strategies within nursing frameworks may be facilitated by closer scrutiny and clarification of the nurse's traditional role as advocate.