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 thanked the nurse for "treating me like a person". If a patient is saying this to a nurse how must others have been treating him?
With an opioid crisis in the United States, that is growing worse by the day, how are we, as nurses, going to demonstrate dignity to these patients? Despite their drug addiction, do they deserve to be viewed with respect for their inherent worth and uniqueness as an individual, like the definition of dignity puts forth? Absolutely! We have an obligation as nurses to treat patients with dignity, at all times, not just when we think it is warranted. So how do we teach this to students?
Students learn dignity in many ways. One way they learn dignity is from their nursing faculty. The students learn this dignity through the examples set forth by the faculty, staff and administration in their interactions, not just with one another, but with students too.We need to create a culture of dignity and respect. If the faculty are at odds with one another, then the students will see this and think that interacting in this way is acceptable. We, as faculty, must model professional behavior, in an effort, to develop professional nurses who treat one another and patients with dignity. We must also foster this behavior in student interactions by not allowing students to treat each other disrespectfully and devoid of dignity. Just as our patient population is diverse, so is our nursing student population. Students need to see the value each person contributes to society whether it be in their faculty, other students, or patients.
Does this resonate with any other nursing faculty or students out there? As always, I welcome comments. I would love to hear from others on this topic of dignity.
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 thanked the nurse for "treating me like a person". If a patient is saying this to a nurse how must others have been treating him?
With an opioid crisis in the United States, that is growing worse by the day, how are we, as nurses, going to demonstrate dignity to these patients? Despite their drug addiction, do they deserve to be viewed with respect for their inherent worth and uniqueness as an individual, like the definition of dignity puts forth? Absolutely! We have an obligation as nurses to treat patients with dignity, at all times, not just when we think it is warranted. So how do we teach this to students?
Students learn dignity in many ways. One way they learn dignity is from their nursing faculty. The students learn this dignity through the examples set forth by the faculty, staff and administration in their interactions, not just with one another, but with students too.We need to create a culture of dignity and respect. If the faculty are at odds with one another, then the students will see this and think that interacting in this way is acceptable. We, as faculty, must model professional behavior, in an effort, to develop professional nurses who treat one another and patients with dignity. We must also foster this behavior in student interactions by not allowing students to treat each other disrespectfully and devoid of dignity. Just as our patient population is diverse, so is our nursing student population. Students need to see the value each person contributes to society whether it be in their faculty, other students, or patients.
Does this resonate with any other nursing faculty or students out there? As always, I welcome comments. I would love to hear from others on this topic of dignity.
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