Emergency nurses at forefront of Dignity campaign
Published: 18 May 2009
June 2008 saw the launch of the RCN campaign, 'Dignity: at the heart of everything we do'. This campaign champions patient dignity by giving nurses the practical tools to ensure compassionate care is given to each patient and to challenge poor practice where it exists.
An RCN survey found that almost two-thirds of nurses admitted that patients are not always treated with dignity. The survey further showed that eight out of ten nurses had left work feeling upset or distressed as, in their opinion, they had not been able to give patients the dignified care they wanted to.
A charter is born
As part of this campaign, the ECA worked in collaboration with the Patients Association to create a ten-point 'dignity charter' for emergency nurses, setting out principles about the standards that patients can expect when attending emergency departments throughout the UK. A copy of the charter has been distributed to the head nurse of each emergency department, to be displayed in waiting rooms or departments. As a further part of the campaign, the ECA and the Patients Association were invited to give a joint presentation at the RCN's Dignity launch conference.
Want to know more?
For information on the Dignity campaign, the RCN has also produced an online resource that aims to enable nurses to reflect on their values and beliefs, allowing individuals to work at their own pace - visit www.rcn.org.uk/dignity . And if you would like a copy of the dignity charter, please order from RCN Direct on 0845 772 6100, quoting publication code 003 258 (English) or 003 259 (Welsh and English) or download from the Dignity publications page.