Nurse Patient Advocacy Policy Critical Thinking Essay

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The Antecedents and Consequences of Decision-Making and Critical Thinking on Healthcare Policy and Patient Advocacy
Although some aspects of critical thinking and effective decision-making such as inquisitiveness and open-mindedness are inherent and natural to each individual, other antecedents to critical thinking such as possessing background knowledge and experience require time to develop. As the debate over nature versus nurture continues, most authorities agree that a combination of both is most influential in shaping people’s critical thinking abilities. To learn more, the purpose of this paper is to systematically discuss the antecedents and consequences of decision-making and critical thinking and their impact on healthcare policy and patient advocacy. Following this discussion, a summary of the findings is provided in the paper’s conclusion.

Review and Discussion


Antecedents of Decision-Making and Critical Thinking


Effective decision-making and critical thinking are vital antecedents for nurses to positively influence healthcare policy change and responsibly serve as patient advocates.
Nurses must carefully observe patients’ needs, accurately assess health issues, and use evidence-based practices to make decisions in complex situations. In this regard, Lee and Oh (2020) emphasize that, “Critical thinking is considered to be a crucial element for clinical decision-making by nurses” (p. 1).
Not surprisingly, nurses have been encouraged, if not specifically trained, to develop their critical thinking skills in ways that will promote objective inquiry, open-mindedness, and cognition (Kaldal et al., 2023). For instance, Lee and Oh report that, “Affective dispositions such as being open-minded, inquisitive, and seeking truth can stimulate an individual towards using critical thinking through a reasoning process” (p. 2). The consequences of these antecedents include timely and informed healthcare policies and nursing practice that are better configured to improve public health through safely meeting diverse care needs, overcoming healthcare disparities, and compassionately engaging patients as partners in evidence-based care aligned with their…

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…engagement.

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A strong correlation existed between nurses’ cognitive understanding of advocacy importance and their attendant behavioral intentions to actively advocate. In summary, when feeling empowered in their setting and compelled by patient need, many nurses displayed receptive patient advocacy outlooks and indicated willingness to intervene through appropriate channels (Alanezi, 2022).

Conclusion


The research showed that through careful observation of patient needs and system limitations, nurses hone analytical skills to identify problematic healthcare delivery trends requiring policy changes that improve health outcomes, costs, access, and equity. By leveraging decision-making expertise and evidence-based assessment of solutions, nurses have an ethical duty to give patients an informed, empowered voice advocating for patient-centered, compassionate policies and treatment delivery models aligned with their values. The research also showed that the same antecedent of critical thinking such as inquisitiveness and open-mindedness compel many individuals to pursue careers in the helping professions including most especially nursing. This also means that many nurses are already “hard-wired” for effective critical thinking and….....

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"Nurse Patient Advocacy Policy Critical Thinking" (2024, January 28) Retrieved June 5, 2026, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/nurse-patient-advocacy-policy-critical-thinking-2182293

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"Nurse Patient Advocacy Policy Critical Thinking" 28 January 2024. Web.5 June. 2026. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/nurse-patient-advocacy-policy-critical-thinking-2182293>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

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"Nurse Patient Advocacy Policy Critical Thinking", 28 January 2024, Accessed.5 June. 2026,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/nurse-patient-advocacy-policy-critical-thinking-2182293