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Patient Advocacy in Nursing: Barriers, Facilitators and Potential Implications1

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Patient Advocacy in Nursing: Barriers, Facilitators and Potential Implications1 1 Reflexão http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0104-07072017000100014 ADVOCACIA DO PACIENTE NA ENFERMAGEM: BARREIRAS, FACILITADORES E POSSÍVEIS IMPLICAÇÕES1 Jamila Geri Tomaschewski-Barlem2, Valéria Lerch Lunardi3, Edison Luiz Devos Barlem4, Rosemary Silva da Silveira5, Aline Marcelino Ramos6, Diéssica Roggia Piexak7 1 Artigo extraído da tese - O exercício da advocacia do paciente pelos enfermeiros: uma perspectiva foucaultiana, defendida no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem (PPGEnf) da Universidade Federal do Rio Grade (FURG), em 2014. 2 Doutora em Enfermagem. Docente do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG). Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] 3 Doutora em Enfermagem. Docente do PPGEnf/FURG. Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] 4 Doutor em Enfermagem. Docente do PPGEnf/FURG. Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] 5 Doutora em Enfermagem. Docente do PPGEnf/FURG. Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] 6 Mestranda do PPGEnf/FURG. Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] 7 Doutoranda do PPGEnf/FURG. Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] RESUMO Objetivo: realizar uma reflexão acerca das barreiras, facilitadores e possíveis implicações do exercício da advocacia do paciente pelos enfermeiros. Resultados: essa reflexão resulta de uma leitura minuciosa da literatura internacional acerca da advocacia do paciente, acrescida de estudos nacionais e internacionais acerca do sofrimento moral e suas relações com o exercício da advocacia. Conclusão: as barreiras diante do exercício da advocacia do paciente são notórias, pautando-se na própria estrutura organizacional das instituições de saúde e nas relações de poder entre equipes médica e de enfermagem, desafiando e desencorajando os enfermeiros a agirem de acordo com seus conhecimentos e consciências, implicando, muitas vezes, em situações reconhecidas como de sofrimento moral. DESCRITORES: Advocacia em saúde. Enfermagem. Ética em enfermagem. PATIENT ADVOCACY IN NURSING: BARRIERS, FACILITATORS AND POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS ABSTRACT Objective: to promote reflection upon the barriers, facilitators and potential implications of patient advocacy on the part of nurses. Results: this reflection results from a thorough reading of the international literature addressing patient advocacy along with Brazilian and international studies addressing moral distress and its relationship with patient advocacy. Conclusion: the barriers imposed on patient advocacy are well-known and such constraints are based on the organizational structure of health institutions and power relationships established between doctors and nurses, challenging and discouraging nurses from acting in accordance with their knowledge and conscience, often leading to a condition known as moral distress. DESCRIPTORS: Health advocacy. Nursing. Nursing; ethics. Texto Contexto Enferm, 2017; 26(3):e0100014 Tomaschewski-Barlem JG, Lunardi VL, Barlem ELD, Silveira RS, Ramos AM, Piexak DR 2/7 DEFENSA DEL PACIENTE EN ENFERMERÍA: BARRERAS, FACILITADORES Y LAS POSIBLES IMPLICACIONES RESUMEN Objetivo: realizar una reflexión sobre las barreras, facilitadores y las posibles consecuencias del ejercicio de la defensa de los pacientes por enfermeras. Resultados: esta reflexión resulta de una lectura exhaustiva de la literatura internacional en defensa de los pacientes, como estudios nacionales e internacionales acerca de la angustia moral y su relación con la práctica de la defensa de los pacientes. Conclusión: los obstáculos al ejercicio de la defensa de los pacientes son notorios, basándose en la estructura organizativa de las instituciones de salud y de las relaciones de poder entre los equipos de médicos y enfermeros, desafiando y desencorajando los enfermeras para actuar de acuerdo con sus conocimientos y conciencia, resultando a menudo en situaciones consideradas como sufrimiento moral. DESCRIPTORES: Defensa de la salud. Enfermería. Ética en enfermería. INTRODUÇÃO fermeiros vivenciam o sofrimento moral quando re- conhecem que necessitam advogar pelos pacientes, Durante as últimas décadas, a advocacia do porém por pressões externas, tornam-se incapazes paciente tem sido um tema de muito debate na de prosseguir com essa ação.15 enfermagem, sendo considerada um componente ético essencial para a prática dos enfermeiros.1 Em- Assim, considera-se que o exercício da ad- bora a advocacia do paciente seja descrita como um vocacia do paciente possa constituir uma resposta ideal para a prática de enfermagem, seu significado, aos constantes problemas morais vivenciados pela alcance e implicações ainda não estão claramente enfermagem nos ambientes de cuidado à saúde, definidos, o que pode ocasionar ambiguidades e especialmente, pela possibilidade de realizar en- dificuldades no seu exercício nos diferentes am- frentamentos em seus ambientes de trabalho que bientes de saúde.1-2 culminem em potenciais benefícios aos pacientes A advocacia do paciente revela-se como um e à profissão. conceito amplo na enfermagem, ações dos enfer- Desse modo, considerando que, muitas ve- meiros aplicáveis a diferentes situações e contextos zes, os enfermeiros podem não realizar suficientes relacionados à advocacia têm sido exploradas na enfrentamentos em seus ambientes de trabalho, literatura.2-4 Assim, as ações dos enfermeiros na comprometendo o exercício da advocacia do pa- advocacia do paciente podem ser definidas como ciente, propõe-se uma reflexão acerca das barreiras, parte integrante de seus esforços para promover facilitadores e possíveis implicações desse exercício, o interesses de seus pacientes, assegurando que visando fornecer subsídios para o desenvolvimento estejam cientes de seus direitos e que tenham aces- de estratégias que contribuam para a efetivação da so às informações para tomada de decisões, bem advocacia nos diferentes ambientes de atuação da como defendendo seus direitos, auxiliando-os a enfermagem. Portanto, objetivou-se refletir acerca obter cuidados de saúde necessários e garantindo das acerca das barreiras, facilitadores e possíveis a qualidade do cuidado.1,5-9 implicações do exercício da advocacia do paciente Ainda, o papel da enfermagem na advocacia pelos enfermeiros. do paciente revela, em sua essência, uma relação Essa reflexão resulta de uma leitura minuciosa direta com a moral, sendo possível verificar na da literatura internacional sobre a advocacia do advocacia do paciente a atividade fundamental da paciente, acrescida de estudos nacionais e inter- enfermagem, mas que, em contrapartida, apresenta nacionais abrangendo o sofrimento moral e suas muitas barreiras em seu exercício, impossibilitando relações com o exercício da advocacia do paciente. que os enfermeiros desempenhem esse papel de Para refletir-se sobre as barreiras e facilitadores da maneira que satisfaça seus ideais.10-11 advocacia, são evidenciados os principais obstáculos Em estudos nacionais e internacionais, já foi que podem impedir os enfermeiros de realizarem identificado que o exercício da advocacia do pa- o seu papel de advogados, bem como os principais ciente, em situações de conflitos éticos, pode gerar pontos de apoio para que os enfermeiros exerçam a alívio para os trabalhadores de enfermagem, ou advocacia. As reflexões acerca das principais impli- diferentemente, maior intensidade de sofrimento cações da advocacia do paciente trazem um resgate moral quando o profissional de enfermagem não do conceito de sofrimento moral, evidenciando-o consegue desempenhar esse papel de maneira que como principal implicação do exercício da advocacia corresponda aos seus ideais.5,11-14 Desse modo, os en- para os enfermeiros. Texto Contexto Enferm, 2017; 26(3):e0100014 Advocacia do paciente na enfermagem: barreiras, facilitadores... 3/7 BARREIRAS E FACILITADORES PARA O Esses conflitos podem trazer riscos aos enfer- EXERCÍCIO DA ADVOCACIA meiros, como perder o emprego ou serem rotulados com uma imagem negativa, contribuindo para que O exercício da advocacia confronta-se com inú- se sintam inibidos para exercer poder e advogar pe- meras barreiras que podem impedir os enfermeiros los direitos do paciente nos seus ambientes de traba- de realizarem plenamente o seu papel de advogados lho.1,20 É possível perceber que os enfermeiros estão do paciente, além de contribuírem para que não imersos na aversão ao risco, na cultura do silêncio e percebam suas atribuições como defensores e para na conformidade em detrimento do conflito ou con- que tenham dificuldades para tomar decisões no seu fronto. Essas características constituem importantes 16-17 trabalho. Entre as principais barreiras encontradas obstáculos a serem observados e superados para a para o exercício da advocacia do paciente na enfer- efetivação da advocacia na enfermagem.20 magem, podem ser destacadas: a equipe médica, Tais barreiras podem ser ultrapassadas pe- falta de tempo, elevada carga de trabalho, falhas de los enfermeiros, especialmente, através da busca comunicação com o paciente ou equipe de saúde, e ampliação do conhecimento, mediadas pelas falta de conhecimento, impotência do enfermeiro, capacitação e qualificação profissional e por meio medo de assumir riscos e conflitos, falta de autono- de programas de educação permanente, o que mia, frágil exercício de poder para tomar decisões e poderá possibilitar o fortalecimento da autonomia falta de suporte por parte da instituição.1,17-26 dos enfermeiros
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