Stories of Dignity within Healthcare: Research, narratives and theories

Book excerpt: Dignity is fundamental to every single person’s life and history; and every interaction with another human being can potentially influence a person’s sense of identity and self-esteem. In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of ‘dignity in care’. When healthcare organisations and individuals prioritise dignity, service users, carers and staff are treated with respect, compassion and understanding, and safe, good-quality healthcare services are delivered. In contrast, when dignity and respect are neglected or violated, people experience poor-quality care and may even suffer neglect and abuse. For all these reasons, it is clearly vital that all healthcare workers have a thorough understanding of dignity and how to place it at the centre of all their activities. In this helpful and thought-provoking book, the contributors offer an overview of current research on dignity-preserving care, highlighting practical and ethical considerations in various healthcare settings. Section I introduces some key dignity theories, demonstrating how the use of narrative can offer insight and practical solutions for the delivery of high-quality care. Section II introduces actual stories from diverse settings and perspectives, enabling the reader to engage with core elements of dignity while highlighting how dignity can be preserved – even in very challenging practice situations. Critical thinking activities are also provided to encourage deep reflection and learning. This book will support students of nursing and allied healthcare professions, as well as healthcare professionals working in diverse practice settings, to reflect upon and enhance the quality of their care. Contents include: • Foreword: old and new philosophical angles on dignity in care • Preface: the necessity of dignity in healthcare • Understanding dignity: a complex concept at the heart of healthcare • Dignity and narrative: moral intuitions and contested claims • Dignity in dementia care • Dignity, protected by caring in care • Storytelling as a dignity-preserving practice in palliative care • Reintegrating spirituality and dignity in nursing and healthcare: a relational model of practice • The service provider and care perspective • Let us not forget the dignity of the professional caregiver: the necessity of dignity preservation within the therapeutic context • Dignity in suffering: a theological perspective • Learning dignity by involvement • Dignity in cancer care: a discussion based on three narratives written by nurses • A story of facilitators’ experiences of the Excellence in Practice Accreditation Scheme and its influence on quality, dignity and respect • Afterword: what gets in the way of dignity, and why you must not let it