Health advocacy role performance of nurses in underserved populations: A grounded theory study
Date
2023
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nursing Open
Abstract
Aim: Nurses' health advocacy (HA) role requires them to speak up for patients, clients,
and communities in relation to healthcare. Various studies report the importance of
the HA role of the nurse in healthcare. However, nurses' performance in this role is
not clear yet. The present study aims to identify and explain how nurses perform their
HA role in underserved populations.
Design: Qualitative grounded theory by Strauss and Corbin.
Methods: Data were gathered from three regional hospitals in Ghana with 24 regis tered nurses and midwives as participants through purposive and theoretical sam pling techniques. Face-to-face in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted
from August 2019 to February 2020. The data were analysed using Strauss and
Corbin's method and Nvivo software. The reporting follows Consolidated Criteria for
Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines.
Findings: The HA role performance theory emerged from data with role enquiry, role
dimension, role context, role influence, role reforms and role performance as building
blocks. Data analysis showed that the main concerns of the nurses during their daily
practice were mediating, speaking up, and negotiating. Among others, the intervening
conditions were clientele influence and interpersonal barriers, whereas the outcome
was a balance between role reforms and role performance.
Conclusion: Although some nurses proactively initiated biopsychosocial assessment
and performed the HA role, most of them relied on clients' requests to perform the
role. Stakeholders should prioritise critical thinking during training and intensify men toring programmes in the clinical areas.
Relevance for Clinical Practice: The present study explains the process by which
nurses perform their roles as health advocates in their daily activities as nurses. The
findings can be used to teach and guide clinical practice for the HA role in nursing and
other health care fields. There was no patient or public contribution.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
grounded theory, health advocacy, nursing theory, underserved populations