Physical impairment and dependency on others may be a threat to dignity.
Research questions:
The purpose of this study was to explore dignity as a core concept in caring, and how healthcare personnel focus on and foster dignity in nursing home residents.
Research design:
This study has a hermeneutic design.
Participants and research context:
In all, 40 healthcare personnel from six nursing homes in Scandinavia participated in focus group interviews in this study.
Ethical considerations:
This study has been evaluated and approved by the Regional Ethical Committees and the Social Science Data Services in the respective Scandinavian countries.
Findings:
Two main themes emerged: dignity as distinction (I), and dignity as influence and participation (II).
Discussion:
A common understanding was that stress and business was a daily challenge.
Conclusion:
Therefore, and according to the health personnel, maintaining human dignity requires slow caring in nursing homes, as an essential approach.
WainwrightPGallagherA. On different types on dignity in nursing care: a critique of Nordenfelt. Nurs Philos2008; 9: 46–54.
2.
BailleLGallagherA. Evaluation of the Royal College of Nursing’s “Dignity: at the heart of everything we do” campaign: exploring, challenges and enablers. J Res Nurs2009; 15(1): 15–28.
3.
GastmansC. Care as a moral attitude in nursing. Nurs Ethics1999; 6(3): 214–223.
4.
LebechM. What is human dignity? In: LebechM (ed.) Maynooth philosophical papers, issue 2. Maynooth: National University of Ireland, 2004, pp. 59–69.
5.
RankinMADonahuePDavisK. Dignified dying as a nursing outcome. Outcomes Manag Nurs Pract1998; 2(3): 105–110.
6.
TannebergerKSPannutiFMalavasiI. New challenges and old problems: end of life care and the dilemma of prognostic accuracy. Adv Gerontol2002; 10: 131–135.
EdlundM.Människans värdighet—ett grundbegrepp inom vårdvetenskapen[Human dignity—a basic concept in caring sciences]. Akademisk avhandling, Åbo Akademis Förlag, Åbo, 2002.
9.
Oosterveld-VlugMGRoelineWPIsisEG. Changes in the personal dignity of nursing home residents: a longitudinal qualitative interview study. PLoS ONE2013; 8(9): e73822.
10.
The Bible. Oslo: Det Norske Bibelselskaps Forlag, 1966.
11.
LohneVRehnsfeldtARåholmM-B. Family caregivers’ experiences in nursing homes: narratives on human dignity and uneasiness. Res Gerontol Nurs2014; 7(6): 265–272.
12.
JacobsenRSørlieV. Dignity of older people in nursing home: narratives of care providers. Nurs Ethics2010; 17(3): 289–300.
13.
GadamerH-G. Truth and method. London: Sheed & Ward, 1975.
14.
LindholmLNieminenA-LMäkeläC. Clinical application research: a hermeneutical approach to the appropriation of caring science. Qual Health Res2006; 16(1): 137–150.
15.
LindwallLvon PostIErikssonK. Clinical research with a hermeneutical design and an element of application. Int J Qual Meth2010; 9(2): 172–186.
16.
KruegerRACaseyMA. Focus group: a practical guide for applied research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2000.
GallagherA. Slow ethics for nursing practice. Nurs Ethics2012; 19: 711–713.
21.
HaddockJ. Towards further clarification of the concept “dignity.”J Adv Nurs1996; 24: 924–931.
22.
NådenDErikssonK. Understanding the importance of values and moral attitudes in nursing care in preserving human dignity. Nurs Sci Q2004; 17(1): 86–91.
23.
ErikssonK. Om människans värdighet [On human dignity]. In: BjerkreimTMathisenJNordR (eds) Visjon, viten og virke[Vision, knowledge and profession]. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 1996, pp. 79–87 (in Swedish).
24.
WalshKKowankoI. Nurses’ and patients’ perceptions of dignity. Int J Nurs Pract2002; 8: 143–155.
25.
VetlesenAJ. Det frie menneske? [Human freedom?]. Frihetens forvandling; essays og artikler, 2002–2009 [The metamorphosis of freedom; essays and articles, 2002–2009]. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 2009, pp. 248–266.
26.
ArmanMRehnsfeldtA. The little extra that alleviates suffering. Nurs Ethics2007; 14(3): 372–384.
27.
RehnsfeldtALindwallLLohneV. The meaning of dignity in nursing home care as seen by relatives. Nurs Ethics2014; 21(5): 507–517(12 pp.).
28.
FoucaultM. The birth of prison (trans. SheridanA; Abridget: Paperback). New york: Vintage Books, 1995.
29.
ErikssonK. Understanding the world of the patient, the suffering human being: the new clinical paradigm from nursing to caring. Adv Pract Nurs Q1996; 3(1): 8–13.
30.
AnderbergPLeppMBerglundA-K. Preserving dignity in caring for older adults: a concept analysis (Theoretical paper, Blackwell Publishing Ltd). J Adv Nurs2007; 59(6): 635–643.
31.
SeedhouseD. Practical nursing philosophy: the universal ethical code. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2002.
