Quality of worklife for nurses: an ethical perspective

Much has been written regarding the global nurse shortage. Frequently, authors and speakers who represent the discipline of nursing raise the topic of contextual barriers and limitations experienced in the practice setting as potential for the de-valuing of human dignity in the worklife of nurses. Quality of worklife issues arise and are reflected in observations of an ever-present difficulty with recruitment and retention of professional nurses in a multitude of global healthcare settings. This column is intended to begin a dialogue about the valuing of human dignity for nurses and the quality-of-life issues that surface as described by nurses and healthcare recipients that dramatically influence the quality of nursing practice from the humanbecoming school of thought.