RN Patient Advocacy Candidates:  Getting to Know You 

Your interest in this new role of RN Patient Advocates clearly demonstrates that you are a leader, passionate about patient advocacy, and an RN able to grasp the larger picture and willing to change the care dynamic patient by patient. 

RN Patient Advocates, PLLC, has created the national Learning Intensive that will provide you with expertise in the Patient Advocacy Process © as well as in depth knowledge of the business, legal, insurance and marketing skills you will need to begin your own private practice as an independent RN Patient Advocate.  There is a 7 month online component followed by a 7 day residential component – immersion learning.  Completion of this program will ensure your place in the new paradigm of clinically based patient advocacy services.  You will be at the forefront of an emerging healthcare field as well as a new model of professional nursing– a pioneer setting the standard and paving the way for other qualified, experienced RNs to follow. 

Upon acceptance into the RN Patient Advocacy Learning Intensive, you will be granted membership in our National Network of RN Patient Advocates free of charge. This membership status will continue through the Learning Intensive and for 3 months afterwards.  This Network is dedicated to supporting the work of independent RN Patient Advocates (iRNPAs) across the nation – through communication pathways and monthly educational programs that cover both clinical advocacy topics as well as business support programs.  You will be linked with RN Patient Advocates across the nation.  Through every individual RN Patient Advocate’s work as well as through the combined efforts within The Network we can begin to realize our goal of changing the quality of healthcare in the US – patient by patient. 

Please take some time to carefully answer the following questions so we can get to know you better.  Because there is very limited enrollment, we encourage you to sign up early.  The small size of the class (30) ensures the opportunity for personal attention to each participant and maximizes your learning potential.

**Please respond at your earliest convenience.  Send your answers to learning@patientadvocates.com. You can answer the questions right on this form, taking as much space as necessary to express your ideas and thoughts. 

Questionnaire
Name:                                                                             

Phone number(s):          

Email:   

Address:   

How did you hear of this program?                                   

Years as an RN:

States where licensed:

License number(s):

Major practice areas:

Specialties/certifications:

1.	What draws you to this new practice model? 
2.	What are the major areas of need that you envision you would like to address?
3.	What is your professional mission/goal as an iRNPA:
4.	Are you now or have you ever been involved in litigation in your professional role?  If so, please take a moment to explain. 
5.	This Learning Intensive prepares you for a new career, utilizing all of your knowledge and skills.  Is this a point in your life when you can begin this new career?

Section One:  Patient Advocacy/Professional Development

1.	Are you willing to be a pioneer in this new role?  What does being a professional pioneer mean to you?

2.	 In your opinion, what needs can best be addressed by an independent RN Patient Advocate?

3.	Please describe your motivation to be an RN Patient Advocate in light of the needs you described in Question #2.

4.	As you envision the role of an independent RN Patient Advocate, what qualities would you consider to be critical elements of the role?

5.	An ability and desire to function independently of an institution is a cornerstone of the role of an independent RN  Patient Advocate.  Does any part of your experience lend itself to this transition to independent practice?   

6.	How comfortable would you be in the role of an independent professional within the health care system as you know it today?  What opportunities and obstacles do you foresee?

7.	An RN Patient Advocate acts assertively, not aggressively.  We are all familiar with facing a difficult situation with a physician, hospital or other health care provider.  Please describe what abilities and skills  you have that could enable you to act assertively in these situations.

8.	It is the responsibility of an RN Patient Advocate to enable her/his patients to make informed choices regarding their health care – treatment options, physicians, therapists, etc. How does your experience lend itself to helping patients learn how to sort out the many treatment options available?

9.	According to the National Academy of Medicine, in a report published in September, 2015, there are 12 million misdiagnoses annually in the US.  Why do you think this is happening?

10.	How do you foresee an RNPA might best address this area of need?

11.	It is essential for the Advocate to have a knowledge base in and an ability to teach the full range of options – including Functional and  Integrative Medicine paradigms, Systems Biology and the Human Microbiome - along with the familiar tracks of traditional western medicine with its pharmaceuticals and surgery.  Do you have an active interest in these expanded treatment modalities? 

12.	Why, in your opinion, have these advanced medical approaches developed globally and, to a lesser extent, in the US?  

13.	Please describe your knowledge base in these expanded diagnostic and treatment modalities.  What would be your plan/approach to enriching your knowledge?  

14.	How well developed are your computer skills and, if necessary, would you be willing to improve them to facilitate your work as an RN Patient Advocate?

15.	How well developed are your skills in internet data mining/research for valid medical information?  Does this kind of research interest you?

16.	What are some of the data banks that might be most helpful to you?

17.	As an RN Patient Advocate you will need functional team building skills with all healthcare providers who interact with your patients. Please tell us about your team-building interest and abilities.  How might you best facilitate the team process as an RN Patient Advocate?

18.	From an RN Patient Advocate’s position, briefly describe the role of patient/family/community education.

19.	An RN Patient Advocate must be a highly skilled communicator (ex. crisis manager, educator, advocate).  What are your strengths as a communicator?  What skills need further development?

20.	Excellent communication skills include professional writing.  Have you had the opportunity to develop this skill?

21.	The primary focus of health care reform at this time is on access (the quantity of health care available to individuals).  An independent RN Patient Advocate focuses on the quality of health care.  What are your thoughts on improving the quality of individual patient care?

Section Two:  Business Skills/Development

1.	An independent RN Patient Advocate maintains a private practice. Are you willing to develop the necessary business skills to maintain a successful practice financially?  Have you had the opportunity to develop any of these skills in your career?

2.	What are your thoughts about charging for your services?  Have you ever had occasion to do this outside of the institutional setting?  What do you think your skills/knowledge are worth to your clients/families?

3.	There are ongoing financial obligations in order to create your own practice.  Are you able   to support yourself through a 6 month transition?  What plans do you have for this transition?  Is it possible for you to work part-time at this stage? ( Experience has shown us that it is not possible to work full time and create this new practice on the side.)

4.	Are you comfortable with the thought of marketing yourself to potential clients?  Are you willing to learn?  How do you think you might best employ this skill?  Is marketing synonymous with sales?

5.	As a pioneer in this field, you will need to address the public on many levels, including marketing your advocacy practice, speaking as an expert in this field, and working to increase health literacy in your own community.  This latter role has proven to be one of the most successful marketing techniques of an RN Patient Advocate.

a)	Are you comfortable with public speaking?  Have you had occasion to develop this skill in your career?

b)	Are you prepared to learn community-based marketing skills to develop your practice?

Section Three:  Team Development/Values

1.	Once you have completed the RN Patient Advocate Learning Intensive, you will be eligible to continue as a member of the National RN Patient Advocate Network (aka The Network) for professional, clinical and business support.  You can access the active online community of The Network at the RNPA Cafe.  Are you willing to participate as a member of The Network even as you function independently as an RN Patient Advocate?  

Please explain the following:
a)	 What support would you expect from this National Network of RN Patient   Advocates?

b)	What level of involvement would you foresee for yourself in the National Network?

c) Would you be willing to be an active participant in our monthly continuing education      programs? 

2.	We are developing the RN Patient Advocate program as a national nursing initiative to improve healthcare in the United States, and to further the expansion of the professional parameters of nursing.  You would be a professional pioneer and have the opportunity to contribute to this development. What benefits will you derive from this?  

Thank you so much for taking the time and energy to complete this questionnaire.  Please mail it to learning@patientadvocates.com.  We will review your material and get back with you within a week to schedule your personal phone interview. 

I certainly look forward to speaking with you.

Karen Mercereau, iRNPA
Executive Director/RN Patient Advocates, PLLC
karen@patientadvocates.com

© 2023 Karen Mercereau