Nursing students' perceptions of patient dignity

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Patient Care Ethics
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Patient dignity is a cornerstone of quality nursing care.
• Limited research exists on nursing students' perspectives and experiences with patient dignity.
• Understanding student perceptions is vital for effective training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nursing students' views on factors affecting patient dignity.
• To identify specific elements that uphold or undermine patient dignity from a student viewpoint.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing four focus groups.
• Thematic content analysis of student discussions.
• Involved 34 nursing students from a Cyprus University.

Main Results:

• Five key themes emerged: patient preferences and individuality, privacy and confidentiality, autonomy and dependency, discrimination, and attribution/reciprocity.
• Students identified various factors that maintain or compromise patient dignity.
• Diverse understandings of dignity were expressed by students.

Conclusions:

• Nursing students' experiences reveal nuanced perceptions of patient dignity.
• Findings underscore the importance of respecting patient dignity in nursing practice.
• Recommendations for enhancing nursing curricula and clinical practice to prioritize patient dignity.