Student nurses' perceptions of dignity in the care of older people.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this research was to investigate student nurses' perceptions of the concept of dignity in the care of older people. Student nurses regularly move between the classroom and the clinical setting and are thus ideally placed to cast light on the barriers that exist to providing dignity in care and the way in which their theoretical understanding of dignity is shaped by exposure to the practice setting.


METHODS
All student nurses on a three-year undergraduate nursing programme at one university were invited to participate in an online questionnaire survey and focus groups.


RESULTS
Students equated the practice of upholding dignity with listening to individuals, involving them in decision making and maintaining their privacy. Participants were mostly confident about what dignity meant in practice, but were unsure about the more theoretical aspects. Four major barriers to the promotion of dignity were highlighted-these were organisational, environmental, professional and personal in nature.


CONCLUSIONS
Dignity education should occupy a more prominent position in pre-registration nursing programmes.
Lecturer, Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, University of Stirling (Highland Campus).
Leah
L
Macaden
Reader, School of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University.
Richard G
RG
Kyle
Research Fellow, School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health, University of Durham.
Wayne
W
Medford
Professional Doctorate Student in Health and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge.
Julie
J
Blundell
Senior Lecturer, Division of Health Research, University of the Highlands and Islands.
Sarah-Anne
SA
Munoz
Lecturer, Centre for the Study of Human Rights Law, University of Strathclyde.
Elaine
E
Webster
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010358:Patient Participation; D028723:Personhood; D018907:Privacy; D013338:Students, Nursing; D055815:Young Adult
Dignity; Nurses; Older adults; Students