Pillar Five: Dignity
Human dignity is “a respect for the inherent worth and uniqueness of individuals”. It represents nurse values and respect for all patients and colleagues (AACN, 2008). The students need to be taught to understand the power of human dignity. They need to understand that patients are individuals and that nurses need to demonstrate respect for all individuals regardless of their individual differences. In my ethics study, dignity was also a theme that came through loud and clear. Nurses spoke of how patients wanted to be treated, how some nurses treated patients because of their situation in life, i.e. being a drug user, a drug dealer, or being from what they considered a lower status in life because of lifestyle choices by the patients. Some nurses struggled with caring for these patients, while others embraced it. One nurses spoke of medicating a patient appropriately despite their previous drug abuse. This patient even thanke...