Investigating Patient Advocacy Among Muslim Nurses: A Qualitative Study

Background and Objectives: Providing a clear and practical definition of advocacy would help nurse increase their involvement in advocacy and preserving the patients’ rights. This study deepens the understanding of the features of advocacy among Muslim nurses. Methods: This study was conducted using the qualitative content analysis approach. The data were gathered through conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with a purposeful sample of 18 nurses and they were analyzed using the thematic analysis approach. Results: The main characteristics of patient advocacy include protecting the religious aspect of care (avoiding treatments that are contrary to the religious beliefs of patients, and paying attention to religious issues in the care of unconscious patients), providing dignified care (being non-judgmental, providing patient comfort using methods appropriate to their religion, maintaining patients’ privacy, and respecting patient’s cultural and religious values), and giving hope to the patient (reminding patient’s sources of strength and hope, and paying attention to the patient’s concerns). Conclusion: In this study, the main characteristics of patient advocacy from the point of view of Muslim nurses have been determined. The results of this study will help Muslim nurses to understand more deeply what they should do to help their patients.