Maintaining Patient Dignity in Healthcare Settings: A Nursing Essay

This essay examines the critical topic of maintaining patient dignity within the UK healthcare system, emphasizing the perspectives of nurses. It references a study by Baillie to analyze the challenges to patient dignity in hospital settings, highlighting the vulnerability of patients. The essay reviews relevant literature, focusing on the definition of dignity, its importance, and ways to promote it in clinical practice. It stresses the impact of undignified care on patients and the benefits of dignified treatment, including psychological well-being and reduced dependency. The essay then discusses how nurses can promote patient dignity through patient-centered care, effective communication, and respect for patient values. By focusing on comfort, hygiene, and patient empowerment, the essay provides a holistic approach to ensuring patients feel valued and in control, ultimately improving the quality of care.

Running head: MAINTAINING PATIENT DIGNITY 1
Maintaining Patient Dignity
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Maintaining Patient Dignity
The UK healthcare policies place emphasis on respect for patients’ dignity. However, a
significant number of studies highlight that patients in hospital settings are vulnerable to dignity
being undermined (Johnston, Gaffney, Pringle, & Buchanan, 2015). In that regard, Baillie
conducted research on patient dignity in a bid to shed light on the case. The study was qualitative
in nature with a triangulated study design in an acute hospital environment. It was centred on
giving a sound meaning to patient dignity, varied threats to patient dignity, and offered ways
through which patient dignity can be promoted especially in hospital settings. Additionally, it
was bent on helping nurses within clinical settings by imparting knowledge, heightening
awareness, skills, and empowerment.
The Literature Review
The piece by Baillie had a broad literature review that formed a firm basis for the overall
study. The varied literature put forth gave both practical and theoretical angles on patients’
dignity. They offered an analytical approach on the matter by offering different perspectives on
the matter such as the definition, notable impacts, importance of dignity, and ways to promote it.
These would prove key for nursing practice in the near future.
The literature in the study asserted the fact that dignity plays a major role when it comes
to interactions between health care practitioners and patients. Sadly, practitioners often fail to
take note of undignified care and the impact it has on patients and/or relatives who have
experienced it. A significant number of studies highlighted the value of dignity to the staffs, the
patients, and their families. A lot of quotations indicated how extremely negative patients looked
at the loss of dignity. Aside from the quotations, results from various studies tied loss of dignity

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to a couple of other negative effects. The effects include but not limited to psychological distress,
loss of the desire to live, and increased dependency.
A set of other included studies backed the value of patient dignity with data. A sample of
twenty-one patients was interviewed about how their stay in the intensive therapy unit was
(ITU). The respondents stated that coping with stress in the ITU was easy if the nurses treated
them with utmost respect and dignity (Baillie, 2009). Their dignity was threatened by the
hospital environment, self-related factors such as age, and staff behaviour.
In that light, I would gain satisfaction in my nursing practice if I manage to provide
patients with quality care. Promoting and defending patients’ dignity is among the values that a
nurse should strive for (Haywood, Barnes, Marsh, & Parker, 2018). My focus would be on a
number of areas such as patient-centred care, confidentiality, privacy, and communication. From
a holistic view, a patient deserves to be well treated whilst heeding to their beliefs and values,
and the standards they expect (Barclay, 2018). Additionally, patients deserve to be informed of
their personal care plan and the available choices in a bid to empower their choices. Maintaining
dignity calls for paying attention to aspects such as comfort, hygiene, a patient feeling of being
valued and in control. It also goes far and beyond to effective communication, for instance
listening to a patient’s requirements and needs and reading non-verbal cues (Johnston et al.,
2015). Bearing the outlined views in mind, it is almost certain that patients’ dignity will be
maintained.

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References
Baillie, L. (2009). Patient dignity in an acute hospital setting: A case study. International
Journal of Nursing Studies.
Barclay, L. (2018). Dignitarian medical ethics. Journal of Medical Ethics.
https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2017-104467
Haywood, A., Barnes, S., Marsh, H., & Parker, S. G. (2018). Does the Design of Settings Where
Acute Care Is Delivered Meet the Needs of Older People? Perspectives of Patients, Family
Carers, and Staff. Health Environments Research and Design Journal.
Johnston, B., Gaffney, M., Pringle, J., & Buchanan, D. (2015). The person behind the patient: a
feasibility study using the Patient Dignity Question for patients with palliative care needs in
the hospital. International Journal of Palliative Nursing.