Nurses' Actions of Maintaining Patient Dignity: An Integrative Review.
Elina Paala, Sanna Koskinen, Minna Stolt
PMID 42608854WHAT IT FOUND
In acute care, patients and nurses reported dignity was maintained when nurses used names, protected privacy, gave choices and truthful information, and were present rather than routine.
Key findings
01Nurses' actions that maintained dignity grouped into respecting individuality, being present and attentive, giving involvement and control, protecting integrity and boundaries, and providing care suited to vulnerability.
02Patients felt seen as individuals when nurses used their name instead of a bed number.
03Nurses protected bodily privacy, which promoted dignity, by using curtains and doors to prevent unwanted gaze.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The included studies were qualitative or descriptive, so they do not show whether dignity actions change outcomes. The authors did not exclude studies based on quality appraisal, and the included studies varied in quality. The review included only English-language studies, so relevant work in other languages may have been missed. The review was limited to acute care settings, so it may not fit other care environments.
Declared interests
The authors report no funding to disclose and no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these categories as evidence that any specific action improves patient dignity; the review synthesises patients' and nurses' reported experiences, not tested interventions.