Every nurse is a patient advocate

We should appreciate our nurses throughout the year, but we take time especially in May to recognize them during National Nurses Month. This year's theme is "You Make a Difference," extolling their knowledge and expertise as they work to ensure that everyone has access to quality health care.

It is truly a calling, often inspired by a mother, aunt or other family member who was a nurse. The average RN completes demanding pre-nursing courses such as chemistry, biology, math, anatomy and human development before starting a degree program. Those who survive sit for the NCLEX, the national nursing exam, which has only an 85 percent pass rate. These days, an RN is often supplemented by a BSN - the Bachelor of Science in nursing - which takes additional schooling.

These are trying times to be in the nursing profession, so I have nothing but admiration for nurses who are staying the course in hospitals, doctor's offices and home health care. At the same time, I don't blame the ones who are exiting the profession. A survey last year cited staffing shortages as the top reason, followed by lack of work-life balance, mental health challenges and lack of appreciation.

What's changed, besides the grueling working conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic? There are more patients than ever, thanks to expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act. This is a good thing, of course, but many of those patients come with complicated chronic conditions that may have gone untreated for years.

Patients are heavier, too, which increases the risk of nurses sustaining workplace injury. Since the pandemic, also, patients seem to feel they're entitled to heap abuse on well-meaning health care providers.

Despite all of that, nurses (and I'm including licensed practical nurses and certified nurse assistants) never stop advocating for their patients. They spend the most time at the bedside, so they are the eyes and ears. They are the link between the patient and the physician.

In a 2019 study, RNs described patient advocacy as promoting patient safety and quality care, which includes protecting patients, being the patients' voice, provision of quality care and interpersonal relationship as well as educating patients.

Those are a few of the topics we'll be covering at the first Chicago Patient Advocacy Conference, to be held June 16 at Abbington Distinctive Banquets in Glen Ellyn. The all-day event is open to both nursing professionals and the public. (For information, visit https://northshorern.com/pac.)

I hate to see nurses leaving the profession for careers in other industries because we need to keep their knowledge and expertise working on behalf of patients. What can be done to keep nurses in nursing? There are several solutions but these seem to me to be the most helpful.

• Pay: Salaries have steadily risen; the range typically falls between $62,000 and $80,000. But RNs in Illinois still learn 5 percent less than the national average.

• Recognition: When they report feeling supported, heard and valued, nurses are more likely to stay on the job.

• Education: There's always something new for nurses to learn, so they should be given the time (and tuition reimbursement) to learn them. They should be encouraged to share knowledge with their colleagues to develop leadership skills.

• Freedom from bullying: Stressful situations can cause people to take it out on others. Whatever its source - from patients, doctors or even fellow nurses - bullying only stops when it's a top priority of administration.

• Work-life balance: You can't arrange child care, doctor's appointments or other obligations if you don't know what your schedule is.

It was my advocating for a patient who was not recovering well from surgery back when I was a critical care nurse in a hospital that led to my current career as a professional patient advocate. I was suspended after questioning a doctor's judgment, and it gave me time to think about what kind of nursing I wanted to practice.

So I became a private patient advocate. And I stayed in nursing.

We can't afford to lose the training and experience nurses possess. That's why I encourage those who are thinking about abandoning the profession to consider other pathways, such as private patient advocacy.

Nurses who transition into patient advocacy come equipped with intimate knowledge of the health care system, hospital policies and procedures and, most of all, the desire to protect their patients.

• Teri Dreher is a board-certified patient advocate. A critical care nurse for 30+ years, she is founder of NShore Patient Advocates (www.NorthShoreRN.com). Her new book, "How to Be a Healthcare Advocate for Yourself & Your Loved Ones," is now available on Amazon. She is offering a free phone consultation to Daily Herald readers; call her at (847) 612-6684.