Introduction
In the job market, the experienced workforce always outdoes the freshly graduated individuals. To make them more competitive, the graduates indulge themselves in programs such as internship and advocacy. These programs assist them to acquire the necessary skills so that they can compete in the job market. Therefore, internships and advocacy become an attractive prospect. This paper offers a basic description of internship and advocacy programs, how they are the infancy stages of career development, the principles, and purpose of advocacy , the education requirement for an advocate, their general roles and duties , and where someone can practice advocacy . Additionally, the paper presents an example of who can practice advocacy, their roles, and duties of as advocates , educational requirements, and the benefits of internship in advocacy.
Basic description of internship and advocacy programs
An internship is a chance presented by a company to a prospective workforce, known as interns so that they can work in the organization for a specified duration. The interns are often undergraduates or students who are pursuing a specific degree. The internships are always taken for a period of one to three months although in other courses it may last for a year. The internships are always offered during vacations though in some cases they can be offered during the semester. When offered during vacations, the internships are full-time while if offered during a university semester they are part-time. Additionally, internships can be either paid or sometimes unpaid.
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On the other hand, advocacy is defined as actions aimed at supporting, communicating, recommending, arguing, and conveying with minimal conflict of interest on behalf of someone who lacks the ability to present his or her interest in order to defend, protect, and promote the individual’s rights, needs, desires and welfare (Queensland Advocacy, 2018). It is a process of assisting individuals to achieve set tasks and goals that might prove intricate to accomplish if external intercession is not provided. Advocacy is accomplished by the use of different models and multiple levels. For instance, advocacy primarily focuses on persons and relations by centering its attention on the support the individuals and families require within the community is known as an issue or case-based advocacy. On the other hand, that which centers on gathering information from different cases to assist in contributing to the information required to change practices, policies, and legislation is called cause advocacy (Dalrymple & Boylan, 2013).
Additionally, when someone pleads, argues or writes for the desires, needs, and wants of another individual, this form of advocacy is known as passive advocacy. In contrast, if an individual is speaking out for his or her own needs, then it is known as active advocacy (Boylan & Dalrymple, 2013). For example, if social workers receive notification from foster parents on the needs of the children they are caring for, then the foster parent is a passive advocate. Conversely, when the child asks for his or her needs directly, then he or she is an active advocate.
Internship and advocacy programs as early stages of career development
Whether internships are paid or not, they are very crucial to career development for the freshly graduated individuals. They are aimed at equipping the intern with practical skills, workplace experience, and greater industry knowledge so that they can be competitive in the job market just like those individuals with experience. Nowadays, internships are more oriented to be paid rather than voluntary since the later has been cited to be exploitative. Therefore, the internships that pay well are more competitive than that which is less paid.
On the other hand, advocate programs also serve a similar purpose as internships, that is, to offer individuals with practical experience in the empowerment of persons, multicultural competencies, and social justice fields among others. This proves to be essential in that it equips graduate advocates with noteworthy and explicit expertise which is vital for career development. Therefore, engaging in an ongoing advocate program is a necessary tool for someone to be effective in the field (MacIntyre & Stewart, 2013) .
Principles and Purpose of Advocacy
Advocacy’s most important rationale is to ensure that vulnerable individuals in the community are heard on issues that significantly affect them. Advocacy is not stagnant rather it is a mobile action that follows up to ensure its objectives are met. Advocacy addresses issues that affect the vulnerable populace to be put into consideration when decisions that may affect their lives are being made. It is a process of assisting persons to defend their rights as well as explore options and choices that they think were not available. According to Mahar (2008) , advocacy begins at the grassroots level, that is, a mere matter of thinking and acting in an advocate capacity in our day to day life. Advocacy may encounter a lot of criticism, confrontation, and conflict. The principles of advocacy are divided into two major components that are crucial in the role of advocacy. Firstly, one should understand the issue being addressed. That is, nobody can engage in a fight without establishing why, what, and who they are fighting. Therefore, it is imperative to possess significant knowledge of the issue someone is advocating for. Secondly, establish and recognize the allies. The individuals who value your friendship, share information, advice, assistance, and support you are the allies. Executing advocacy roles in partnership with allies enables someone to realize best results. Therefore, allies should be individuals an advocate shares same drive and passion about his or her advocacy campaign.
General education requirement to be an advocate
The beauty of pursuing a career in advocacy is that it is versatile. Persons from different backgrounds, culture, ethnicity, and regions can perform the job specifications of an advocate in areas such as public schools, city administration, and CPS among other organizations. For example, a community-based organizer, teacher, politician, or lawyer can execute the job of an advocate. The only requirement is the possession of shared vision and passion which is an essential requirement for an individual to work in any community or company (Petrick, 2017) . Despite this being the case, there are other attributes and qualifications for a job as an advocate. For instance, the advocacy officer is required to undergo thorough training to gain the necessary knowledge of the problems they handle while working. Also, possession of personal attributes such as excellent communication skills, diligence, focus, and integrity is crucial for someone to work as an advocate in any field (Petrick, 2017) . This implies that a degree is not necessarily a requirement in the field of advocacy, but it may prove beneficial for managerial positions. Therefore, a person with a Bachelors of Science degree in Family and Consumer Science with minors in C.E.P and CAST is in a good position to be an advocate in any organization as long as he or she satisfies the above conditions. As a result, any individual with aspirations to be an advocate should be well-motivated, empathetic, dedicated, and possess a strong connection with the organization or community.
General roles and duties of an advocate
An advocate is an individual who offers independent advocacy support to the individual(s) who cannot speak out or feels that they are not being taken seriously. The assistance includes facilitating access to information, understanding it, and accompanying the individual to interviews and meetings in a supportive role. Additionally, rather than representing their views, an advocate amplifies opinions and suggestions of the individuals who are in situations where they are unable to communicate by themselves (Ageuk, n.d.) . Furthermore, an advocate ensures that the person they are representing has all the required tools to make an informed decision. This implies that being an advocate does not necessarily imply deciding for the individual. It means that the advocate plays a supportive role to aid the person to express what they desire even when another individual may think that the decision is unwise (Ageuk, n.d.) . Another duty of an advocate is to empower the individual to act as their advocates whenever it is possible so that they avoid over-reliance on advocacy (Ageuk, n.d.) . For instance, the advocate does not act as an advice worker rather he or she is to support the individual collect, comprehend, and process the information and recommendation they are given
Where one could practice being an advocate
There are numerous areas where an individual can practice being an advocate. These areas revolve around self, group, citizen, peer, professional, and non-instructed advocacy. The first area to work as an advocate is through individual representation commonly referred to as self-advocacy. It entails the individual’s capability of efficiently communicating his/her personal rights, needs, desires, and interests. This means that the individual acts on their behalf to speak out what they feel is important to them by self-assessing a given problem before expressing his or her thoughts and feelings (SCIE, 2015) . Secondly, someone can work as a group advocate. This involves individuals with common experiences or values who assemble as a group and discuss issues that affect them collectively. Normally, such groups influence issues such as policy, public opinion, and service delivery. The groups vary in motive, influence, and size and span areas such as health and social care services (SCIE, 2015) .
Thirdly, peer advocacy is another area where someone can practice being an advocate. It is a form of advocacy which involves advocates who share a similar experience to an individual(s) benefiting from the service. Normally, such advocates include trained and supported volunteers (SCIE, 2015) . Additionally, working as a citizen advocate in a given locality is another area to practice advocacy. Persons working in this as citizen advocates mainly aim to engage the community by facilitating them with ways of speaking out and engaging in the decision-making process on things that have a profound impact in their lives. These citizen advocates are members of the said locality who work with assistance from a harmonized plan and don’t receive wages for their services.
Furthermore, someone can work as a professional advocate where he or she is paid to offer support as well as make it possible for affected persons to present their views mostly in periods of major crisis or changes. The advocates in this issue-based advocacy only engage with the affected person for a short period (SCIE, 2015) . Lastly, one can work as a non-instructed advocate. Non-instructed advocacy encompasses individuals who are most vulnerable in the community, that is, those unable to instruct advocates due to issues of communication or comprehension brought about by mental or physical problems such as brain injury, being acutely unwell, learning difficulties, and dementia among others ("Advocacy", 2018) . The non-instructed advocates such as caregivers usually work in these areas so that they ensure the beliefs, decisions, and personal wishes of such individuals are heard and adhered ("Advocacy", 2018) .
Example: Nurses as advocates
The nursing profession primarily entails taking of patients needs and desires to aid quick recovery. In addition to caring for the sick and elderly, nurses play a vital role in patient advocacy. As patient advocates, nurses have three key goals, that is, to inform, improve autonomy, and ensure the patient’s decision is respected.
Roles and duties of a Nurse Advocate
A nurse advocate is a versatile individual who plays a crucial role in patient care. Firstly, it is the role and duty of a nurse advocate to assess patient care requirements for the duration of hospitalization and discharge and ensure that they are available. Secondly, when community resources are needed, it is the role of the nurse advocate to ensure the concerned individual is mobilized and the resources are availed. Another role is to provide education on insurance benefits, standards of practice in healthcare and necessary health care decisions without bias or coercion ("Nurse Advocate", 2018). Lastly, nurse advocates act as mediators between the healthcare providers and their patients. They review the patient’s care concerns or grievances and then present them to the management. Therefore, it is necessary for nurses to develop a confident and skillful sense of advocacy for patients within their care.
Nurse advocate’s educational requirements
For one to be a nurse advocate, they should first pursue a nursing degree spanning a duration of two to four years. Secondly, the individual should be in possession of an associate’s degree (ADN) or a bachelor’s degree (BSN) in nursing. To be fully recognized as a nurse, the person needs to complete a National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) for licensure after being accredited with a nursing program ("Nurse Advocate", 2018).
Even though no official credentials or certification are needed, some learning opportunities exist that act to strengthen the practice of nurse advocacy. Thus, having necessary certifications presents the nurse as a competent caregiver with enough knowledge of the healthcare system and the patient’s rights. For instance, some certifications equip nurses with patient care liaisons which help them to handle issues such as offering a second opinion, complex medical cases, and ethical dilemmas ("Nurse Advocate", 2018) . The program takes nine months and requires continuing education to retain certification. Therefore, both professionally licensed and medically trained personnel should engage in the program to better equip themselves to assist the patients they serve easily. A second program that the nurses can engage in is independent Registered Nurses Patient Advocates (iRNPAs) ("Nurse Advocate", 2018) . The program is for experienced registered nurses wishing to work independently while setting their wages and hours as well as acting on behave of patients in the healthcare institution. IRNPAs program is conducted online and takes up to five-month with an additional six-day immersion course ("Nurse Advocate", 2018) . For one to qualify for the program, they should be an active registered nurse license and at least six years of experience in clinical nursing ("Nurse Advocate", 2018) .
Benefits of internship in Advocacy
As Furco (1996) states, researchers elucidates that student interns receive diverse benefits from internships. Internship in advocacy entails a variety of movements, activities, and expressions that an advocate intern partakes as he or she seeks to steer outcomes that affect the lives of the vulnerable individuals in an organization or society. Mostly, internship in advocacy is a non-profit role that an individual takes to champion for the desires, needs and wants of others. Despite the role being nonprofit, p articipating in an internship in advocacy has its benefits to the individual and the community at large regarding service delivery.
To start with, s imilar to other forms of internships, ‘internship in advocacy’ engages an advocate intern in activities that are chiefly aimed at enhancing the intern’s hands-on experience. This enables them to improve their knowledge and understanding of matters related to their area of study. Additionally, internship in advocacy helps reduce the disparity between theoretical knowledge gained in classrooms and the practical reality (Furco, 1996; Lam and Ching, 2007). Secondly, as an advocate intern, an individual supports the affected person, the organization, or the society through speaking out on their behalf. Therefore, an intern advocate empowers those he or she represents to achieve their private visions through the provision of a favorable resolution.
Additionally, advocate interns help an organization appreciate and address concerns that touch its projects, that is, they assist in creating a link between the management and the workforce so that the employees can speak out their concerns on a proposed project. In return, the organization can address the issues effectively. Furthermore, internship in advocacy equips an individual with conflict resolution skills since advocacy itself champions for a peaceful resolution. Therefore, it does not entail activities that may encourage conflict such as lobbying. Moreover, according to Beard (1998), internship programs are essential to interns since it positively and considerably contributes to improving the inspirational level as well as the knowledge base of students.
Also, internship in advocacy leads to significant enhancement in job-related route through the gain of practical experience. This, in turn, improves the marketability of graduate students. Similarly, internship in advocacy leads to improvement of interpersonal, communication, as well as teamwork skills. Other skills that advocate interns enhance include time management and capability to prioritize issues and tasks (Mihail, 2006). Besides, internship in advocacy allows advocate interns to meet new people, and in turn, they can broaden and practice their networking skills. Also, internship in advocacy is a way of acquiring broad competencies thus making an important addition to the advocate intern’s resume in that it contributes to employment recommendations and even job offers. Consequently, this may pave the way for the intern to get permanent employment after graduating. Lastly, internship in advocacy significantly contributes to the enhancement of socializing skills of advocate interns. This is done through training and teamwork assignments that advocate interns undertake as they execute their internship roles.
Conclusion
Overall, an internship is an opportunity offered by employers to the prospective workforce for a specified duration while advocacy is defined as actions directed towards supporting, communicating, recommending, arguing, and conveying interests of someone who cannot present his or her interest. Internships are paid or voluntary. They equip interns with practical skills, workplace experience, and greater industry knowledge so that they can be competitive in the job market. On the other hand, advocate programs also serve a similar purpose as internships, that is, to offer individuals with practical experience in the empowerment of persons, multicultural competencies, and social justice fields among others. This helps graduate advocates possess noteworthy and explicit expertise which is vital for career development. The principles of advocacy are divided into two major components. First, an advocate should understand the issue being addressed and second, he or she should establish and recognize allies. Academically, a person with a Bachelors of Science degree in Family and Consumer Science with minors in C.E.P and CAST can pursue a career as an advocate in any organization. Besides, an advocate plays a supportive role as well as offers assistance such as facilitate access to information, understanding it, and accompanying the individual to interviews and meetings. An example of individuals working as advocates is the nurses. They play a crucial role in being patient and elderly advocates. Lastly, advocacy entails a lot of benefits such as equipping the advocate intern with hands-on skills, sharpen their communication, teamwork, and personal skills among other benefits.
References
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