...Dignity Dignity in care work means that no matter whom you are, every individual in the care home are treated with respect. For example the care workers they respect the client own choices and decisions without making them feel embarrass. In social care dignity ensures that each individual Dignity should be protected for example being allowed to dress in private. Some may be vulnerable at times. Health and social worker must protect the dignity of each individual by being aware of situations and actions that could cause embarrassment and make the individual feel silly or exposed. Fro example it is important to offer support for individual to perform personal care tasks, such as dressing using the toilet and bathing, make sure they close the doors, scree ns and curtains. Making fun of them can losses your dignity with your service workers because you are embarrassing them. Sometimes individual cannot feed themselves this may be due to illness, injury or age. Care workers can protect the dignity of individual by speaking politely to the individual not rushing them and allowing them to finish the first mouthful before offering another. It is also important to allow...
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...DIGNITY IN END OF LIFE: THE ROLE OF NURSES BY (Student’s Name) Course Instructor Institution City, State Date Dignity in End of Life: The Role of Nurses LITERATURE REVIEW INTRODUCTION A literature review is a critical appraisal of researches that provides a comprehensive and up to date knowledge on a specific topic (Coughlan, Ryan and Cronin 2013). The purpose of literature review in nursing includes evaluating current practice and making recommendations for policy development and change. Thus, the purpose of this literature review is to establish the current perspectives of patients, family and nurses on the factors that improve dignity in the end of life. Resultantly, this literature review will explore the role of nurses’ based on the findings of the perspectives that patients, family and health professionals have concerning the issue of dignity in the end of life care. In that regard, the paper follows a systematic approach which involves an introduction that explains the concept of end of life and the types of end of life care available. The paper then proceeds to explore the concept of dignity as viewed from several perspectives through the use of literature on the models of dignity means of measuring dignity and the themes associated with this conception. Consequently, the factors that improve dignity are laid out and discussed at length. Eventually, the paper will achieve its secondary goal which is to determine and expound on the topic of the roles that a nurse...
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...“How can nurses ensure that older people are treated with respect and dignity whilst being cared for in a hospital or in the community?” Providing dignified care is at the very heart of nursing and is the responsibility of everyone (Royal College of Nursing (RCN) 2008). Nurses play an important part in the care of older people and quality nursing care can make a substantial difference to physical and emotional well-being (Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) 2008). 'Dignity' as defined by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) (2009) is ‘A state, quality or manner worthy of esteem or respect; and (by extension) self-respect’. Adopting dignity in practice should generate an environment that supports and promotes self-respect, allowing it to flourish by the maintenance of autonomy and informed choice, NMC (2008). The 2006 Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) publication ‘Living well in later life’ highlighted the lack of dignity and respect for older people in acute hospitals as a major area of concern citing that 45% of NHS resources are spent on older people and this accounts for the greatest use of acute hospital services This discussion will identify the specific needs of the older person from a bio-psychosocial perspective incorporating complicit ethical issues. The role of the nurse in the provision of quality and comprehensive care delivery will of course be examined, integrating theory and practice and exploring the implications for inter-professional...
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...escalating the matter. I was involved in the care for Mr Moses who has diagnosed with dementia. Dementia is a chronic lifelong condition that causes memory loss, communication problems, incontinence and neglect of personal hygiene (Prime, 1994 p, 301). Mr Moses neglect of his personal hygiene was profound due to his incontinence condition Dignity mean “Being treated like I was somebody” (Help the Aged, 2001).Relating dignity in the care Mr Moses, dignity will be define as care given to Mr Moses that will uphold, promote and not degrade his self respect despite his present situation (being wet with urine and smell of faeces), frail or his age (SCIE, 2006). Mr Moses despite his present circumstance should feel value before, during and after his care (Nursing Standard, 2007). The concept of dignity has to do with privacy, respect, autonomy, identity and self worth thereby making life worth living for them (SCIE, 2006). However, each patient needs is unique, the level of these concept will varies on individual service user, such as the privacy that other service user need will be different from what Mr Moses require at the time of His care. When dignity is not present during his care, Mr Moses will feel devalued, lacking control, comfort and feel embarrass and ashamed (RCN, 2008). Things that emerged in my observation for Mr Moses to be provided with care in a dignified way involves, delivery Mr Moses personal care in a way that maintain his dignity, having support from team members and...
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...Death with Dignity Act Kleta Shinn HSC/430 September 26, 2011 Professor Smith Death with Dignity Act In Washington State, the people voted and passed a law to legalize assisted suicide, called Death with Dignity Act in 2009. This law is for terminally ill patients, diagnosed by their physician to have less than six months to live. There are several steps before the patient is allowed to receive the medication for assisted suicide .“The patient must be a resident of the state, be at least eighteen years old, declared mentally competent to make the request, and two doctors have to certify that he or she has less than six months to live” ( Medical News Today, 2009 ). The representative for Compassion and Choices, an aid in dying advocacy group for assisted suicide, is very supportive of the new law, which gives terminally ill patient other option and helps he or she decide how they wish to live their last days. The Death with Dignity Act allows physicians to prescribe lethal doses of medications to the terminally ill patient. Barbara McKay is terminally ill from advance ovarian cancer and she said “I have watched both my parents suffer with few choices at the end of their lives. I want to be able to decide what time and the way I wish to die.”(Medical News Today,2009). Death with Dignity Act has placed a considerable load of ethical and unethical consequences of emotions on the health care professionals, who will be performing this request. Death with...
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...and competencies that guide and dictate what nurses do. The core values of nursing are social justice, human dignity, altruism, autonomy, and integrity. The core competencies include critical thinking, communication, and assessment. Nursing is the nurturing and centered care of a patient. It is imperative that patients are the center of care and their surroundings are adequate for healing and health. I believe nursing is the foundation for patient centered care and providing dignity among all patients. Human dignity is the core value that correlates best with my philosophy of nursing. Core Value: Human Dignity Nurses play a significant role in maintaining a patient’s dignity and providing their best knowledgeable care. Providing dignity has always meant a lot to me. Most often, patients are being taken care of when they are vulnerable which makes human dignity an important priority. To extend this thought,...
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...respect and dignity when providing personal care to patients. Introduction to the topic I will be researching into this topic as I feel it is important to support and keep up values and teachings on how to provide impeccable respect and dignity when providing/assisting a patient with personal care. Also the 21st century media represents health care professionals to be upholding professional care standards to patients. I will be focusing specifically on the right and wrong ways and procedures that are used when providing personal care; and exactly how it protects the respect and dignity of the patient (Scie.org.uk, 2015). This topic is of great relevance to health and social care professionals as it is the foundation for all care provided, so without maintaining correct respect and dignity when the patient is most vulnerable then proper care cannot be provided to a high standard. When researching into this topic I will be looking into and reading on research articles and journals by authors such as Chochinov et al who focus on the dignity in the terminally ill (Chochinov et al., 2002). Search strategies I will plan to conduct my research by collecting evidence from research articles and journals from the most recent years available for validity and reliability purposes. I will also be looking into polices; from the most up to date to see how they have been changed and improved from the previous years. To research I will be using key words such as ‘respect’ ‘dignity’ and ‘maintaining’...
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...The Dignity of the Human Person The “human person” is a philosophy of Louis Janssens from Vatican II, basically says that the human person is made in the image of God and is the unity of body and soul and that the person is human and living because of the soul. One of Janssen’s points was that all persons are utterly original but fundamentally equal. Daniel Sulmasy said that there are two types of dignity: intrinsic and attributed. He said that intrinsic is the kind people have simply because they are members of the human family; it is intrinsic to being human. Attributed dignity is the value or worth one attributes to others or to oneself. It is based on ones power, prestige, function, productivity, and degree of control. I believe that intrinsic dignity is the element that makes all human persons’ fundamentally equal and attributed dignity that makes them unique and the role of the health care provider is not to protect the dignity of the patient, but to respect the dignity of the patient as well as all human persons. Intrinsic dignity is not earned, compromised, increased or decreased by one's conduct or the conduct of others. This also means that no disease, disability, or suffering, of any kind, can reduce or compromise our intrinsic dignity, regardless of the quality of life. Intrinsic dignity remains equal in all humans from their beginning to their death and beyond. People in the severest stages of illness, who may have lost all measurable autonomy, independence...
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...and die according to one’s desires and beliefs. Death with dignity is a national organization located in Oregon, which is non-partisan, non-profit that has led the legal defense and education of the Oregon law for nearly twenty years; however, the actual law for death with dignity was not passed until 1994 and due to legal issues, it became effective later in 1997. The Board of Directors for Death with Dignity Movements are some of the most esteemed medical, legal and scholarly experts, which are responsible for the political defense of the Oregon law and the promotion of death with dignity initiatives in other states. The Oregon Death with Dignity act has given patients what others might think or find deplorable a chance to die with dignity in their own terms. The Act allows mentally competent terminally ill adults who have six months or less to live receive, under strict safeguard, a prescription for life ending medication The goal of the Death with Dignity National Center is three fold: defend dignity, mobilize dignity, and preserve dignity. To Defend Dignity, the Death with Dignity National Center works with an “extensive and costly legal defense of the Oregon law, as well as coalition building providing the flexibility to rapid response to both legal and political challenges” (DWDNC, 2011). A second goal of the Death with Dignity National Center is to mobilize dignity. In mobilizing dignity, the Death with Dignity National Center “provides various educational and outreach...
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...There are several values that the nursing profession is founded on. These values are implemented in every day practice to improve the care of patients and to ensure that nurses are maintaining appropriate levels of professionalism and accountability. The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice states that these foundational values are altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity and social justice (The American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2008, p. 27). The value I feel relates best to me and my future nursing practice is human dignity. Without respecting this value, it is very hard to be a caring, devoted and professional nurse. Respecting human dignity is vital. In The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice, human dignity is defined as “respect for the inherent worth and uniqueness of individuals and populations” (AACN, 2008, p....
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...Dignity and Respect. Dignity and respect is something everyone has a right to. I have chosen this subject because it is an important part of nursing in that to be able to fulfil the role of a nurse is firstly to respect the person you are caring for. Dignity is a feeling of being valued, respected, having self-worth, supported and being able to show empathy and compassion for the people nurses look after. So for me it’s important to outline the principles in dignity and respect when looking after people who are vulnerable. Firstly we will look at ethics in nursing regarding dignity and respect, treating a person as an individual when in hospital can be an important part of any patients healing process, and to make sure these patients are the first concern. Enabling people to maintain the maximum level of control in independence, choice and control can have a huge impact and provide patients with dignified care. Nurses play an important part in helping with such simple tasks, when a person is unable to maintain their own hygiene needs; this is a basic nursing care duty. This will help the patient regain independence and have control over an essential part of everyday life, when carrying out such duties we able to uphold the dignity of patients at their time of need. All nursing models such as Roper et al. (2000) make reference to meeting the patient’s hygiene needs. Assisting people to maintain confidence and self-esteem and acting to alleviate patients feelings of loneliness...
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...United States should have access to the Death with Dignity Act. The Death with Dignity laws allow patients who are terminally ill and state residents to die voluntarily by prescription medication under a physicians care. Right now this is only legal in the states of Oregon, Washington, and Vermont. There are many reasons why the Death with Dignity laws can be beneficial for the patients as well as their families who are going on this painful journey as well. Access to the Death with Dignity laws allows the terminal ill patient to deal with minor pain and suffering, ultimately giving them the decision when the pain is to much. It also would help lessen the amounts of suicides thats are directly correlated with patients who have been diagnosed with a terminally ill diseases. Having the death with Dignity laws in place would help with vital organs that can be saved and used help save the lives of others. And lastly, these laws would help with health care costs. Although there is the flip side to this case about religion and morality, the benefits overcome these issues by having a positive influence on these patients and their families. I think the most positive benefit that is related with Death with Dignity Act is the limit to the pain and suffering both the patient and the families must go through. In a recent story on the news and internet a cancer patient name Brittney Msynard made the decision to access the Death with Dignity laws. She was diagnosed with brain cancer and is...
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...Definition with reference | Duty | “A task or action that a person is bound to perform for moral or legal reasons”Service providers have a duty of care to protect the individual’s rights. www.oxforddictionaries.com | Independence | “The ability to carry out activities that supports one’s own lifestyle and to control the care given by others” This means that the service user should be given independency so that they would feel satisfied not getting helped all the time. For example is letting the service user have their independency like eating on their own. | Empowerment | This enables a person who uses services to make choices and take control of their own life. For example, service users rely on care workers to ensure their independence is not affected.Stretch, B (2010). Health & Social Care level 3 BTEC national. London: Pearson Education Limited. 2721/02/16 | Rights | “Rights are the legal entitlements.” This means being treated as an individual according to their needs and also it is about treating fairly with care and respect. | Autonomy | This means is to ensure the service users know enough to make an informed choice and help to have control over their lives. | Dignity | Dignity in care means the kind of care which supports and promotes a person’s self-respect.An example of dignity in health and social care setting would be is allowing the service user to change their clothes whilst their door is close. | Explain how four of these principles may be...
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...ANA Position Statement Reviewed. The Nurses’ Role in Ethics and Human Rights: Protecting and promoting individual Worth, Dignity, and Human Rights in Practice Setting Statement of ANA Position: Respect for the inherent worth, dignity, and human right of every individual is a fundamental principle that underlies all nursing practice. “Nurses take into account the needs and values of all persons in all professional relationships” (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2001, p. 7). “This statement on ethics and human rights provide the foundation and context for all other position statements related to the practice of nursing. The protection and promotion of human rights related to health and health care is a fundamental function of the American...
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...Right to Die Movement The Right to Die movement began in 1993, and has continued to grow over the past twenty-three years. In 1997, Oregon passed the first right to die law called the Death with Dignity Act, which allowed those who were terminally ill to choose a death on their terms. It withstood multiple attempts to nullify it, and in 2006 the Supreme Court ruled that Oregon physicians can prescribe life ending medications under the act. At this time, there are five states who have passed a similar Right to Die law, and in the next election, 19 more states will attempt to pass their own version of the Death with Dignity Act. In this essay I will explain Death with Dignity, address any frequently asked questions, express how the opposition...
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