Patient dignity: why nurses still struggle to achieve it

Dignity is, was and will be the focus for nursing and for every member of the nursing family. The concept was central at this year's RCN Congress in May which coincided with a new survey released by the Royal College of Nursing ( 2008 ). This survey revealed that eight out of ten nurses leave work upset and distressed because they have not been able to deliver dignified care to patients. The survey of more than 2000 nurses by the RCN also found that nurses want dignity to be given a higher priority in the workplace, but face significant obstacles to delivering the kind of care they would like. Dr Peter Carter, in his address to Congress delegates, outlined several of these obstacles, including staff shortages, scarce resources, mixed sex wards and paperwork.