الفهرس 
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Abstract
The term advocate originated from the Latin ‘Vocare’ meaning ‘to call’ or Latin ‘Advocatus’ meaning ‘one who is summoned to give evidence’.The role of advocacy originated in the legal system where lawyers spoke on behalf of their clients in court, and this can be seen as involving verbal acts of persuasion and justified arguments further, defining advocacy as stating a case to influence decisions, getting better services, being treated equally, being included, being protected from abuse, redressing the balance of power and becoming more aware of and exercising rights (Cohen & Ezer, 2013).
Every day, the policy and legislative environment in which nurse’s practice is changing. Psychiatric nurses need to be knowledgeable about current policies and legislation affecting mental health care. However, knowledge is not enough. Nurses must mobilize and become advocates for the needs and rights of this vulnerable population. They must focus their knowledge about mental health services and advocate for quality and equitable access to care for all individuals (Hanks, 2013).
Advocacy became an ethical ideal based on the notion that nurses know patients better and in a different, more intimate way than other health care professionals because they provide continuity of care. Seen not only as a legal requirement, advocacy became an ethical obligation in which nurses speak for patients (Hanks, 2013).
Aim of the study:
This study aimed to assess nurses’ knowledge’s and experience toward psychiatric patient’s advocacy.
Research question:
what are nurses’ knowledge and experience toward psychiatric patient’s advocacy?
Research design:
This is a descriptive design.
Research setting:
This study was conducted at inpatient wards of El- Abassia Governmental Hospital for Psychiatric Mental Health, which is affiliated to general secretariat of mental health in Egypt. About 600 psychiatric mental health nurses were working in the hospital. Data had been collected in three female wards (ward 1contained 6 nurses, ward 2 contained 6 nurses and ward 3contained 5 nurses) and also data collected in four male wards (ward 1 contained 14 nurses , ward 2 contained 13 nurses , ward 3 contained 14 nurses and ward 4 contained 13 nurses).
Subject of the study:
Study sample:
The sample included of mental health nurses at the inpatient department of El-Abassia Governmental Hospital for Mental Health. total number was 70 of mental health nurses by a purposive sample technique.
Tools of data collection:
The tools used for the study consist of an interviewing questionnaire and observation checklist.
I- Interweing questionnaire:
The interview questionnaire was designed by the researcher based on related literature review consists of two parts:
Part 1: Socio-demographic sheet:
A personal interview sheet for nurses:
- It was constructed by the researcher after reviewing literature in this field; the researcher designed the sheets of tool. This section included brief personal profile questions about the participant’s nurses (age, gender, marital status, educational level, years of experience, training courses about psychiatric patient’s rights ).
Part 2: quesionnairs about nurses’ knowledge toward psychiatric patient rights and advocacy:
It was constructed by the researcher after reviewing literature in this field. This section included nurses’ knowledge toward psychiatric patient’s advocacy, consists of (16) items about psychiatric patient’s rights concerning ( legal aspects, patient’s needs , and patient’s care) and (4) items about nurses knowledge toward psychiatric patient’s advocacy.
II- Observation checklist :
It was constructed by the researcher after reviewing literature in this field. This checklist was to measure nurses’ experience toward psychiatric patient’s advocacy, consists of (23) items concerning ( patient needs , patient care and family needs ) about nurses experience toward psychiatric patient’s advocacy.
The main finding of the present study reached to the following conclusion:
The majority of nurses were females.
A slightly more than two third among nurses were married.
More than one third among nurses were secondary diploma nursing from the total study in level of education.
More than one third among nurses were more than 10 years of experience of total study.
A half of total nurses were had training courses about psychiatric patients’ rights.
More than half were had modreate knowledge about psychiatric patient’s rights.
Less than three quarter were had low knowledge about psychiatric patient’s advocacy.
Less than two thirds were had low experience about psychiatric patient’s advocacy.
There were low nurses knowledge and experience toward psychiatric patient’s advocacy.
Statistically relations:
• Relation between nurses’ demographic characteristics and level of knowledge regarding psychiatric patient’s advocacy. The result found that there were statistically significant relation between age (years), level of education, years of experience and training courses, with p-value (<0.05).
Relationship between nurses’ demographic characteristics and level of experience regarding about psychiatric patient’s advocacy. The result found that there were statistically significant relation between age (years), level of education, years of experience and training courses, with p-value (<0.05).
Relationship between nurses’ knowledge and experience toward psychiatric patient’s advocacy, with p-value.
Positive correlation and significant between nurses’ knowledge and nurses experience toward psychiatric patient’s advocacy (r= 0.854, with p-value <0.001** HS).
Conclusion of this study are:
This study has contributed to the knowledge based on assessment for nurses’ knowledge and experience toward psychiatric patient’s advocacy. Nurses have been advocated for patients since many years ago, and having nursing advocacy as a professional role, advocacy educational programs, and supports from their employers for doing this role. There is a low nurses’ knowledge and experience toward psychiatric patient’s advocacy.
Recommendations of the study were as follow:
1) Teaching of advocacy skills in the hospitals in which an in-service training programs for mental health nurses on knowledge about nurse’s advocacy of the psychiatric patient occured.
2) Health team members develop a case study and role play activities and serve as facilitators for classes designed to help nursing staff responds to situations about advocacy skills.
3) Nurses need more support from supervisors and may need to add education in this area to the curriculum of trainees in psychiatric nursing.
4) The role of the nurse as a dvocate of psychiatric patient’s rights should be highlighted in the curriculum.
5) Support nurses from the medical team and provide opportunities and resources that facilitate the process of psychiatric patient’s advocacy.