Conclusion
Advocacy in nursing is recognized as a worthy activity and, according to professional codes of ethics, a moral imperative. As a valued and expected activity in nursing, the concept of advocacy warrants further discussion and clarification of the role of nurses as patient advocates. Relational ethics presents a moral perspective that assists in expanding our understanding of nurses’ enactment of advocacy in practice. Further research is essential to the continued development of our understanding of advocacy. In particular, research employing a greater variety of empirical methods would assist in achieving a more comprehensive understanding of advocacy in nursing. As the role of nurses evolves with respect to direct patient-care, research could reveal new insights about the particular nature of advocacy in nursing