A Reflection on Patient Dignity in Nursing Practice
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- Date Submitted: 03/10/2016 04:23 AM
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Susie Bagley RTP course Red Cohort 15/10/15
Susie Bagley RTP course Red Cohort 15/10/15
A reflection on patient dignity using Baillies’ article on Dignity in Acute Care
Patient dignity means feeling valued and comfortable psychologically with one’s physical presentation and behaviour, level of control over the situation, and the behaviour of the people in the environment.
Having read this article I decided I wanted to write a reflection on it in order to help me understand just how much dignity means to a patient or indeed any person and how important it is to maintain a patients’ dignity as this can have a huge effect on their recovery or deterioration.
The article uses a small case study in a rural hospital with unstructured discussions within a framework approach. Twenty four patients between the ages of 34 and 92 were selected, they could all communicate verbally and speak English. 12 were observed and interviewed on the ward and the other 12 were interviewed following discharge after a stay of at least 2 days on the ward. The 19 ward staff including 6 senior nurses were observed in practice.
The study found that the environment, staff behaviour and patient factors impacted on patient dignity. A conducive physical environment with dignity-promoting culture promoted dignity. Staff being curt, authoritarian and breaching privacy threatened dignity. Patients’ impaired health and older age rendered them vulnerable to a loss of dignity. Patients promoted their own dignity through their attitudes (rationalisation, use of humour, acceptance), developing relationships with staff and retaining ability and control.
The NMC code (2015) states that a nurse must treat people as individuals and uphold their dignity.
To achieve this, you must:
1.1 treat people with kindness , respect and compassion
1.2 make sure you deliver the fundamentals of care effectively
1.3 avoid making assumptions and recognise diversity and individual choice...
Susie Bagley RTP course Red Cohort 15/10/15
A reflection on patient dignity using Baillies’ article on Dignity in Acute Care
Patient dignity means feeling valued and comfortable psychologically with one’s physical presentation and behaviour, level of control over the situation, and the behaviour of the people in the environment.
Having read this article I decided I wanted to write a reflection on it in order to help me understand just how much dignity means to a patient or indeed any person and how important it is to maintain a patients’ dignity as this can have a huge effect on their recovery or deterioration.
The article uses a small case study in a rural hospital with unstructured discussions within a framework approach. Twenty four patients between the ages of 34 and 92 were selected, they could all communicate verbally and speak English. 12 were observed and interviewed on the ward and the other 12 were interviewed following discharge after a stay of at least 2 days on the ward. The 19 ward staff including 6 senior nurses were observed in practice.
The study found that the environment, staff behaviour and patient factors impacted on patient dignity. A conducive physical environment with dignity-promoting culture promoted dignity. Staff being curt, authoritarian and breaching privacy threatened dignity. Patients’ impaired health and older age rendered them vulnerable to a loss of dignity. Patients promoted their own dignity through their attitudes (rationalisation, use of humour, acceptance), developing relationships with staff and retaining ability and control.
The NMC code (2015) states that a nurse must treat people as individuals and uphold their dignity.
To achieve this, you must:
1.1 treat people with kindness , respect and compassion
1.2 make sure you deliver the fundamentals of care effectively
1.3 avoid making assumptions and recognise diversity and individual choice...