Iranian nurses and hospitalized teenagers’ views of dignity

Abstract

Respect for human dignity is a basic and crucial component of nursing care. Illness with restricted physical ability and being confined to bed can compromise the dignity of patients. The views of adolescents regarding dignity in care have not previously been researched. This article details a descriptive-analytic study in which survey data was collected from all nurses and compared with a convenience sample of 180 hospitalized adolescents in two hospitals in Iran. The data was analyzed with SPSS software. A significant difference between nurses and hospitalized ill adolescents’ perceptions was identified in relation to: understanding the importance of privacy (p < 0.001); observance of privacy (p < 0.001); importance of interaction between nurses and patients (p = 0.019); and the observance of interaction between nurses and patients (p < 0.001). Attention to adolescents’ views about dignity can help nurses to improve quality of care for this group.

Keywords

dignity nurses and patients interaction patient decision making privacy teenagers

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Mah R. Emergency department overcrowding as a threat to patient dignity. CJEM 2009; 11(4): 365-74.

Matiti M. Promoting patient dignity in healthcare settings. Nurs Stand 2007; 21(45): 46-52.

Beyleveld D. , Beyleveld D. and Brownsword R. Human dignity in bioethics and biolaw. Oxford University Press, USA, 2001.

Hall M. Patient dignity. Nurs Stand 2008; 23(13): 59.

Randers I. and Mattiasson AC Autonomy and integrity: upholding older adult patients’ dignity . J Adv Nurs 2004; 45(1): 63-71.

Jacobs BB Respect for human dignity: a central phenomenon to philosophically unite nursing theory and practice through consilience of knowledge. ANS Adv Nurs Sci 2001; 24(1): 17-35.

Mains ED Concept clarification in professional practice-dignity. J Adv Nurs 1994; 19(5): 947-53.

Matiti MR and Trorey GM patients’ expectations of the maintenance of their dignity. J Clin Nurs 2008; 17(20): 2709-17.

Turnock C. and Kelleher M. Maintaining patient dignity in intensive care settings. Intensive Crit Care Nurs 2001; 17(3): 144-54.

10.

Webster N. and Gove PB Webster’s third new international dictionary of the English language . Springfield, MA: Merriam , 1967.

11.

Enes SPD. An exploration of dignity in palliative care . Palliat Med 2003; 17(3): 263-9.

12.

Jacobson N. Dignity and health: a review. Soc Sci Med 2007; 64(2): 292-302.

13.

Matiti MR and Trorey G. Perceptual adjustment levels: patients’ perception of their dignity in the hospital setting. Int J Nurs Stud 2004 ; 41(7): 735-44.

14.

Price B. Supporting patients’ dignity in the community. Prim Health Care 2009; 19(3): 40-5.

15.

Woogara J. Human rights and patients’ privacy in uk hospitals. Nurs Ethics 2001; 8(3): 234-46.

16.

Fenton E. and Mitchell T. Growing old with dignity: a concept analysis. Nurs Older People 2002; 14(4): 19-21.

17.

Jacelon CS , Connelly TW , Brown R. , Proulx K. and Vo T. A concept analysis of dignity for older adults. J Adv Nurs 2004; 48(1): 76-83.

18.

Coventry ML Care with dignity: a concept analysis. J Gerontol Nurs 2006; 32(5): 42-8.

19.

Haddock JB Towards further clarification of the concept ‘dignity’ . J Adv Nurs 1996; 24(5): 924-31.

20.

Moody HR Why dignity in old age matters. J Gerontol Social Work 1998; 29(2): 111-27.

21.

Shultziner D. Human dignity: functions and meanings. Glob Jurist Topics 2003; 3: 1-21.

22.

Lemonidou C. , Merkouris A. , Leino-Kilpi H. , et al. A comparison of surgical patients’ and nurses’ perceptions of patients’ autonomy, privacy and informed consent in nursing interventions. Clin Eff Nurs 2003; 7(2): 73-83.

23.

Griffin-Heslin VL An analysis of the concept dignity. Accid Emerg Nurs 2005; 13(4): 251-7.

24.

Pullman D. The ethics of autonomy and dignity in long-term care. Can J Aging 1999; 18(1): 26-46.

25.

Walsh K. and Kowanko I. Nurses’ and patients’ perceptions of dignity. Int J Nurs Pract 2002; 8(3): 143-51.

26.

Baillie L. Mixed-sex wards and patient dignity: nurses and patients perspectives . Br J N 2008; 17(19): 1220-5.

27.

Henderson A. , Ann Van M. , Pearson K. , James K. , Henderson P. and Osborne Y. Maintenance of patients’ dignity during hospitalization: comparison of staff-patient observations and patient feedback through interviews. Int J Nurs Pract 2009; (15): 227-30.

28.

Karro J. , Dent AW and Farish S. Patient perceptions of privacy infringements in an emergency department . Emerg Med Australas 2005; 17(2): 117-23.

29.

Bell G. Protecting patient dignity. Nurs Older People 2008; 20(5): 3.

30.

Tsai WP The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses. J Nurs-TAIPEI 2002; 49(3): 5-10.

31.

Morsink J. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: origins, drafting, and intent. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania, 2000.

32.

Matiti MR Patient dignity in nursing: a phenomenological study. University of Huddersfield Repository, 2002.

33.

Shotton L. and Seedhouse D. Practical dignity in caring. Nurs Ethics 1998 ; 5(3): 246-55.

34.

Abaszadeh A. Planning and testing of practitional ethical model of nurses [Thesis] . Tabriz: Nursing and midwifery Faculty, 2003 (in Farsi).

35.

Leino-Kilpi H. , Valimaki M. , Dassen T. , et al. Privacy: a review of the literature . Int J Nurs Stud 2001; 38(6): 663-71.

36.

Low LPL , Lee DTF and Chan AWY. An exploratory study of Chinese older people’s perceptions of privacy in residential care homes. J Adv Nurs 2007 ; 57(6): 605-13.

37.

Hutton A. The private adolescent: privacy needs of adolescents in hospitals . J Pediatr Nurs 2002; 17(1): 67-72.

38.

Hockenberry MJ and Wilson D. Wong’s nursing care of infants and children. St. Louis, MO: Mosby, 2008.

39.

Hogan M. and White J. Child health nursing: reviews & rationales. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003.

40.

Back E. and Wikblad K. Privacy in hospital. J Adv Nurs 1998 ; 27(5): 940-5.

41.

Nayeri ND and Aghajani M. Patients’ privacy and satisfaction in the emergency department: a descriptive analytical study. Nurs Ethics 2010; 17(2): 167-77.

42.

Kohan N. To assess patients’ attitude about privacy and its observance in medical and surgical units in Iran Kerman Medical Science University [Thesis] . Kerman: Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, 2003 (in Farsi).

43.

Edwards CS An anthropological interpretation of nurses’ and patients’ perceptions of the use of space and touch. J Adv Nurs 1998; 28(4): 809-17.

44.

Khademian Z. , Salemi S. , Hakimi T. and Hosaini F. Patient understanding of caring behavior in hospitals affiliated to Iran Medical Science University . Int J Nurs 2003; 16(33): 83-7.

45.

Jozé Kabiri A. Assessment quality of communication nurses with patient in medical wards in hospitals of Tehran [Thesis]. Tehran: Shahid Beheshti Nursing and Midwifery Faculty , 1994 (in Farsi).

46.

Alizadeh F. To assessment of respecting territory of the patient admitted in hospital centers in Isfahan [Thesis]. Isfahan: Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, 2000 (in Farsi).

47.

Dean-Mohammadi N. Assessment of nursing ethics observance in nurses’ professional practice worked in adults units of selected Tehran Medical University Hospital [Thesis]. Tehran: Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, 2004 (in Farsi).

48.

Ghanbarzadegan M. Assessment of patients views hospitalized in the cancer wards about how nurses communicate with them in Tehran [Thesis] . Tehran: University of Medical Sciences Tehran: Nursing and Midwifery Faculty , 1992 (in Farsi).

49.

Lundqvist A. and Nilstun T. Human dignity in paediatrics: the effects of health care. Nurs Ethics 2007; 14(2): 215-28.

50.

Rahmani A. , Gahramanian A. , Mohajjel-Agdam A. and Allah-Bakhshian A. Perception of patients regarding respecting to their autonomy during nursing care in hospitals affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences . Nursing Research 2008; 3(8-9): 7-14 (in Persian).