title: Understanding the Code: upholding dignity.
abstract: The Nursing and Midwifery Council, the statutory professional regulator for registered district nurses, has introduced a revised code of standards that came into effect on 31 March 2015. The Code makes clear that while district nurses can interpret the values and principles for use in community settings, the standards are not negotiable or discretionary. They must be applied, otherwise the district nurse's fitness to practice will be called into question. In the second of a series of articles analysing the legal implications of the Code on district nurse practice, the author considers the first standard, which requires district nurses to treat people as individuals and to uphold their dignity.
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer in Health Law, College of Health Science, Swansea University.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Griffith
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008880:Midwifery / Q000592:standards*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000592:standards*; D028723:Personhood; D011247:Pregnancy; D013222:State Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Dignity; Human rights; Ill treatment; Professionalism; Wilful neglect