Patient Dignity and Effects

The guiding principles of Catholic Social Teaching have the overarching, dominating theme of human dignity (Condit, 2016, p. 371). The focus is, that human beings were formed in God’s image and in return, humanities purpose is to follow in God’s footsteps and portray the same love and grace (Coleman, 2008) (Condit, 2016, p. 371). Consequently, this affects how human beings interact with each other, requiring commitment, to look after, encourage, maintain and promote each other (Coleman, 2008) (Herbert, 2016, p. 7). One way to apply, this Catholic Social Teaching of human dignity, is to understand the nurse’s relationship with the patient. Nurses need to approach the patient with respect and maintain the person’s privacy, acknowledging that they are a fellow human being, with their own personal characteristics and beliefs (Condit, 2016, p. 371) (Walsh & Kowanko, 2002, p. 143-144, 149).

Although the concept of principles guiding right and wrong conduct is not new to nursing, professional ethics has received increasing attention in nursing circles. Professionals such as nursing require a code of ethics on which practice can be based and evaluated (Black , 2017). There are sic ethical principles based on human dignity and respect: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, fidelity, and veracity. Today, I will talk about two ethics that nurses have to face a lot in patient care: beneficence and fidelity.

There are, however, barriers to maintaining a patient’s dignity. In a survey of over two thousand nurses’, carried out by the RCN (2008), it was found that nurses’ come across several boundaries in relation to maintaining a patient’s dignity. These boundaries were identified as pressures on bed spaces, shortages of staff and a purpose or target centred culture (RCN, 2008). The caring environment can have a huge impact on dignity, it has the ability to maintain a person’s dignity or degrade and devalue them (Gallagher, 2004). Torjuul and Sorlie (2006) acknowledge that overcrowding and mixed-sex accommodation are barriers to maintaining patients’ dignity and privacy. A caring environment that is spacious, clean, with good facilities promotes dignified care (Baillie et al., 2009).

Healthcare professionals have an ethical obligation to respect patient’s wishes. Consequently, many legal and ethical dilemmas arise in healthcare in response to clinical decisions related to the needs, beliefs, and preferences of patients and families. Other dilemmas result over concerns about the integrity, competence, or actions of other healthcare professionals. Preserving human dignity, relieving suffering, equality, integrity, and accountability are essential nursing values (Kangasniemi, Pakkanen, & Korhonen, 2015). Nurse leaders have an

According to the ANA Code for Nurses Provision 1, nurses must treat and respect every patient with dignity, regardless of

They needed a shift from a “body-system disease framework to a more holistic model that articulated both the art and science of contemporary critical care nursing practice” (Curley, 2007b, p. 255). The model is seen as rooted in the practice of nursing as explained by Virginia Henderson, known for her Nursing Need Theory (Curley, 2007a).

This is a campaign to stop lack of respect show to service users and to ensure that their dignity is maintained through good and positive service. It encourages challenging of poor service or lack of respect.

This essay will consider ethics in nursing, discuss values and morals and how dignity and respect in patient care is influenced; considering the importance of reflection and the implications it has on effective practice from the perspective of a student nurse. The scenario “Call Me Joe” provided by Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2010a) highlights concerning issues and bad practice that are happening in modern day nursing practice, and using the Driscoll and Teh (2001) reflective model: What, Now What and So What, to consider the care that Joe is receiving; considering how the nursing practice affects him directly and the implications of the nature of knowledge in nursing practice. Part of the way in which nursing practice is

dignity of the patient are essential components of caring. Caring in nursing is there to meet the

The first three provisions relate to the nurse’s responsibility to treat everyone with dignity and respect regardless of that individual’s background, ethnicity, or the

The RCN’s (2008) definition of dignity is seen to be the ‘foundation of excellence in nursing practice’. The definition is concerned with how nurses care about individuals by how they support patient autonomy and choice (Barker 2000).

Patient’s decisions may sometimes be affected by various factors i.e. Their surroundings, they are often vulnerable and out of their normal environment. A conventional health care setting may be in a hospital environment where patients are most likely feel sensitive and insecure. Matiti and Trorey (2008:17) conducted interviews involving 102 patients in 3 different hospitals across the United Kingdom, over a period of 18 months. The purpose of these encounters was to annotate what was being said and also the fundamental meaning of how patients believed that their dignity was being put in jeopardy. One of the key aspects of patient dignity is making choices. Whilst conducting these interviews Matiti and Trorey (2008:17) discovered that despite the fact that patients accepted the loss of a little independence within the hospital surroundings, they wanted the freedom to participate in the decisions about their healthcare. Patients’ understanding in terms of choice, authority or participation in care and autonomy varied extensively. A number of patients were grateful that they were given the option to make decisions and that these were acted upon. On the contrary others considered that their right to making choices was contradicted and often their

In the physical realm of patient-centered care pain, comfort, sleep, and rest are important aspects of the fourth dimension of patient-centered care. Patient-centered care is the complete focus of the medical team on providing respectful care to meet patient needs, preferences and values guide decisions on each individual patient care. To understand the subjective view of the patient, these four aspects are at the forefront of their needs within the hospital setting to provide the best patient outcome. Nurses provide good patient-centered care by actively partnering with patients to determine care priorities and plans to tailor their level of involvement, according to their preferences, and being flexible by changing the care plan as the situation changes including providing smooth transitions between care goals. By doing this, nurses can assist patients with all pain by providing comfort and assuring the patient that there will be no deficiency of their quality of sleep.

Human dignity is respect for an individual regardless of sex, race, or gender. This ethical principle promotes respect for life, freedom and privacy. A nurse can promote dignity by providing patient privacy during nursing care procedures, allowing independence, and upholding the cleanliness of the patient. For the nurse, human dignity does not only apply to patients but also to our peer and colleagues. The nursing student can promote human dignity by being respectful to his or her fellow classmates, faculty, and staff. They can also promote dignity by decreasing prejudice, judgment and competition among students (Shaw & Degazon, 2008).

Definition of dignity; the quality or state of being worthy of esteem or respect.(the free dictionary 2011).This definition seems short, however the concept of dignity is more profound, the nurse should use her inner tool thus being feelings , empathy, compassion and use these productively.(Haddock 1996).