Socioecological Analysis of a Nursing Advocacy Skills-Building Activity

Abstract

Background: Advocacy is an expectation of the nursing profession. Nursing curricula should include opportunities for advocacy skills building at multiple levels of potential effect. Analyses of student performances during these advocacy exercises provide insight into how well students understand the multifactorial nature of most public health issues. Method: A socioecological model was used to evaluate nursing students' advocacy responses to food-insecurity scenarios during a guided online discussion activity aimed at advocacy skills building. Results: Student recommendations were categorized as individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy interventions, with subcategories at each socioecological level. Conclusion: Recommendations are given for future educational research specific to advocacy skills building. Implications for nursing education at each socioecological level also are discussed. [ J Nurs Educ . 2023;62(9):509–515.]