Dignity must be at the heart of nursing care

Published: 27 April 2008

Eight out of ten nurses say they finish shifts feeling upset or distressed because they have not been able to ensure their patients have been treated with dignity, a UK wide survey by the RCN has found.

Theresa Fyffe, RCN Scotland Director, said dignity should not be an after thought or an optional extra. “Every patient – whether they are in a hospital, a GP’s surgery, in the community or in a care home - deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

“Something as simple as making sure curtains fit and close properly around a bed or that gowns cover patients, can go a long way towards giving patients the privacy they need to make them feel more comfortable.

“This survey shows that nurses desperately want to give patients the high quality personalised and dignified care they deserve but many simply do not have the time and resources to do so.

“We are therefore asking for nurses to be given the time, resources and organisational support to make sure every patient is treated with dignity.”

Scotland is already taking steps to enhance patient care through the Leadership in Compassionate Care Project. This important project aims to support newly qualified nurses during their first year of practice to support their development as confident and compassionate staff nurses. The project also involves establishing Centres for Excellence to identify and showcase good nursing practice.

“This project will help and enable all of Scotland to share knowledge and enhance best practice in patient care across the country,” Theresa said.