INTRODUCTION: This assignment focuses on an incident which was experienced during a community placement. The patient suffered from bowel cancer, my mentor and I were visiting her to change her dressing. The names of people have been changed to ensure confidentiality Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2008). Gibbs (1988) cited in Jasper (2013) will be used as the reflective model because it is simple and, easy to understand. Through the model’s six key stages I will describe my experience and how I maintained dignity while giving personal care to patients in the community. Writing a reflective account makes one relive their thoughts and, feelings and make appropriate changes when required (Howaston-Jones, 2013). The Royal College of Nursing (RCN, 2009) defines dignity as treating someone as you or your family would want to be treated, when they are feeling vulnerable. According to ( Matiti & Baillie,2011) in modern world the word dignity has lost its meaning, whether it is intentionally or unintentionally, nurses have become very mechanical, trying to give care for dummies rather than human beings, who have emotions, feelings and self-respect, and not realising what impact patients will have when nurses show this kind of attitude. Patient centred care is vital for all nurses, without, discriminating against colour, gender, race, and religious beliefs. Following the code of conduct which is expected of the nurse, working according to the needs of the patients, being a good listener and respecting them. When the nurse shows dignity and respect, she/he tends to develop a therapeutic relationship with patient which in turn results in good health and rehabilitation (NMC, 2008). Description The event which occurred in my first ... ... middle of paper ... ...o take a key decision for the best of the patient and the family. The research conducted by RCN (2013) stated that 98% of staff are know what dignity is and how essential and sensitive in delivering the dignified care and it should be the heart of everything we do. Conclusion: The whole event made me realise that maintaining once dignity and respect can make a lot of difference in patient life. It gave me great insight into bowel cancer and terminal ill patients and their care. I will research more and learn more to better myself and make difference in patient life by simply maintaining dignity and respect that is key in any health care setting .This incident made me respect the profession more and value the person I was looking after and boost their self –esteem, and learnt that working in the community with the relatives around watching was challenging.
Care is defined as an action by an individual or group of people showing deliberate care and concern for one another and acting to meet the best interests of an individual. The act of caring for others has been recognised as one of the most important aspects of the nursing profession and labelled an “art.” Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals or groups, sick or well and in all settings. A nurse’s work includes promoting health and preventing illness as well as caring for the ill, disabled and dying; however, the most important aspect of nursing care is meeting the potential and actual health needs of a client. Because a patient is at one of their most vulnerable points in life, it is imperative that nurses can effectively demonstrate they genuinely care for their patients by meeting the needs of a client holistically rather than merely focusing on the visible or physiological needs of their patients. This essay will explore how nurses can demonstrate their care for their patients in a deliberate and meaningful way.
I have come to fully understand that in order to treat my patients in a way that is person centred, I have to treat each person as an individual and realise that every individual has different needs and different rights and preferences to me which may go against my morals and beliefs but I always have to maintain my professional boundaries and treat each individual with respect and dignity. If I was a nurse who witnessed a similar situation to Kat’s, where another healthcare professional was disregarding my patient or any patients views or requests I would go into the patient’s room and find out what the problem was. Then I would politely ask the healthcare professional to step outside of the room and I would gently remind them of the code of ethics ((Kozier, Erb's & Berman, 2010, p.97) and the Registered Nurses standards of practise (2016), and how every individual has the right to make their own independent decisions about their healthcare needs/goals based on their own values, morals and beliefs. I would further explain that the patients are our main priority and it is our responsibility as nurses’ to ensure that the patients are safe and are receiving the proper care. I would then explain to the patient what was happening and apologise to them about the situation, and I would rearrange and try to negotiate with the patient when the procedure could be performed. Then I would notify the Nurse Unit Manager on the ward to ensure that situations like this do not occur
The Dignity in Care initiative 2006 is very important as it helped to create a zero tolerance for people who abuse or disrespect vulnerable people. It helped to raise aware about dignity and the ways dignity can be maintained. By increasing the awareness, it
Poor care does not only result in bad press and public perception but also break the trust between the patient and nurse. Utilising the theoretical framework developed by Todres et all (2009) which explores eight central aspects of what it is to be human. Todres et al (2009). This model can be used to improve nursing care. Referring to the term ‘being treated as human beings’ not being treated as a number or object.
It is important to preserve the dignity of all patients in the care of nurses and to not make them feel as though they are worthless. For example, when someone is incontinent and cannot care for themselves anymore, such as some residents in long-term care, it is important to help them remain dignified. The resident should be able to feel as though they are respected and are given the appropriate amount of privacy as we are working in their home. With this being said, it is very crucial for nurses to provide residents’ in long-term care, as well as patients in the hospital, with great care while still preserving their dignity and maintaining their privacy. It is important for the client to feel as comfortable as they would if they were in their own home. With this, Registered nurses must appreciate and respect each person in whom they care for. This respect is seen through the nurse as they explain to the patient what they will be doing as they are caring for them, as well as providing care within the wishes of the person. Patients in the hands of the Registered Nurse, appreciate caring as a core value during their stay in the hospital. This is proved as Davis (2005) states, “From a patient perspective, the caring presence that emanates from nurses, positively impacts patients’ hospital experience,” (p.127) As nurses, caring is the absolute root of nursing practice. Preserving patients’ privacy and dignity involves aspects such as closing doors or screens and making sure they are covered while doing so, (Royal College of Nursing, 2015). The Code of Ethics outlines the importance of Registered Nurses supporting the person, family, group, population or community receiving care in maintaining their dignity and integrity, (Canadian Nurses Association, 2008). All these factors involved with the Code of Ethics greatly impact the nursing practice of
I believe that each patient deserves the highest quality of care, regardless of their life choices, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual preference and socioeconomic status. Each patient, including their family is entitled to respect and honesty, despite the circumstances. Aspects of providing the highest quality of care are safety, competence, honesty, caring and continuous learning and improvement. Concepts that have been ingrained from a young age and molded by the SUCON mission and American Nurses Association Code of Ethics ("Baccalaureate Student Nursing Handbook 2012-2013," 2015; ”Code of Ethics for Nurses," 2015).
The purpose of this essay is to reflect and critically study an incident in a clinical setting whilst using a model of reflection. This will allow me to analyse and make sense of the incident and draw conclusions relating to personal learning outcomes. The significance of critical analysis and critical incidents will briefly be discussed, followed by the process of reflection using the chosen model. The incident will then be described and analysed and the people involved introduced. The names of the people involved have been changed to protect their privacy and I will examine issues raised in light of the recent literature relating to the incident.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, dignity is “The state or quality of being worthy of honour or respect.” (Oxford Dictionary, 2017). Living a life of dignity is individual to each person, but regardless of who they are, or what illness they may be suffering from, they deserve dignity and respect in the way that they are cared for. The cornerstone of nursing care is providing dignity to our patients. The issue can arise when a patient chooses to end their life versus letting the disease or aging process take its natural course, and the individual beliefs that nurses feel about this very difficult topic.
Utilising John’s model of structured reflection I will reflect on the care I instigated to a patient with complex needs. The patient in question was admitted to the Emergency Assessment Unit for surgical patients then transferred to the ward where I work as a staff nurse.
Burns, S. Bulman, C. Palmer, A. (1997) Reflective Practice in Nursing - The growth of the professional practitioner. London: Blackwell Science.
Nurses should be capable to provide care with respect and compassion according to our patients’ belief, values, religious, language, socioeconomic factors, etc. (NIH, n.d).
Dignity and respect for patients is important in adult nursing because without it, it dehumanises them, and creates opportunities for abuse and ill treatment to occur. Lack of dignity and respect can also cause emotional problems for patients, as they are already in a vulnerable state.
Rolfe, Gary; Freshwater, Dawn; Jasper, Melanie (2001). Critical reflection for nursing and the helping professions: a user's guide. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York: Palgrave. pp. 26–35
Several ethical principles that are incorporated in the nursing care of patients on a daily basis are nonmalificence, autonomy, beneficence, justice, fidelity and paternalism. Nurses should strive to comply to as many of the principles as possible. In this case there are principles which support and conflict with the wishes of the patient. The first principle that supports the wish of the patient is autonomy. Autonomy means that competent patients have the right to make decisions for themselves and the delivery of the healthcare that they receive. Another factor that would support the patient’s wish to not be resuscitated is nonmalificence. Non maleficence means that nurses should not cause harm or injury to their patients. In this case the likelihood of injury after resuscitation was greater than if the patient were allowed to expire. A principle that could have negatively affected the outcome of the provision of ethical care was paternalism. Paternalism is when a healthcare provider feels that they know what is best for a patient, regardless of the patient’s desire for their own care. I demonstrated the principle of paternalism because I thought that I knew what was best for the patient without first consulting with the patient or family. This situation might have had some very negative consequences had the patient not have been competent. Practicing a paternalistic mindset might have caused a practitioner in the same instance to force their ideas about not resuscitating the loved one onto the family. This could have caused a sense of remorse and loss of control of care amongst the
“The provision of good care not only means the provision of technologically competent care but also care that respects the patient’s beliefs, feelings, and wishes, as well as those of their family and significant others” (Williams & Hopper, 2015). From providing care, the staff will be able to grasp a holistic view for the patients and their families to critically think about the patient care plan and avoid harmful or undesirable results. A research stated: “the principle of beneficence, imploring us to do good and to prevent harm” (Lang, Dupree et al., 2016). Through the definition of maleficence to respect the preferences of the patients and their families, this will help the staff to give quality patient cares. Furthermore, the nursing principle of beneficence will support both patients and staff wellness from the establishment of rapport between staff and patients towards an ideal health