Discovering dignity through experience: How nursing students discover the expression of dignity

Explaining the process of learning about dignity by undergraduate nursing students: A grounded theory study

BACKGROUND

The learning process about dignity and how undergraduate nursing students experience and use this ethical knowledge is an under-represented field in nursing research. To overcome the lack of conceptual clarity, it is important to understand what processes and dimensions students develop to support this learning outcome.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explain the process of learning about dignity by undergraduate nursing students.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A qualitative study was conducted using the grounded theory method.

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

Data was collected through free reports and in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 participants. A focus group was held for the selective coding. Sampling began purposefully and evolved into theoretical. Reflective and theoretical memos were generated from the data collection and constant comparison. Data analysis was performed using qualitative data analysis software using Corbin and Strauss' method.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The research was approved by a specialized research ethics committee from a Health School.

FINDINGS

The process of learning about dignity by undergraduate nursing students revealed 'recognition of dignity' as the core category, supported by five main categories: 'proto-conscience of dignity', 'pathway to nursing', 'consciousness of dignity', 'ways of learning', and 'becoming capable'. These categories illustrate the processes and dimensions involved in nursing students' concept translation of dignity learning, allowing a theory to emerge.

CONCLUSIONS

The 'Recognition of Dignity' theory aims to contribute to developing educational, training, and supervision processes for nursing programs. It seeks to enhance the ethical and moral development of undergraduate nursing students by helping them understand the concept of dignity and its fundamental importance in nursing.

Nursing students' movement toward becoming a professional caring nurse

BACKGROUND

Previous research mainly focuses on how to support nursing students in caring for the patient and on educators' views of students' development as professional caring nurses. Against this background, it is important to further investigate nursing students' perspectives on what it means to become a professional caring nurse.

RESEARCH AIM

This qualitative systematic review study aims to identify and synthesize nursing students' perceptions on the meaning of becoming a caring nurse.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND DATA SOURCES

Systematic data searches were conducted by using the electronic databases MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), Academic Search Premiere (EBSCO), and Philosopher`s Index. In total, 13 studies met the inclusion and quality criteria. The articles were analyzed by a systematic review and a thematic synthesis according to Thomas and Harden.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATION

The study followed good ethical practice guidelines outlined in the Northern Nurses' Federation.

FINDINGS

The analysis resulted in eight descriptive themes and finally in three analytical themes: Becoming is to get in touch with one's inner ethic or ethos, Becoming is a movement between courage, understanding, and being touched, and Becoming is strengthened through caring role models and a learning culture.

CONCLUSIONS

Becoming a professional caring nurse is seen as an ongoing movement toward a deeper understanding of oneself and one's being and bearing. This movement is enabled when nursing students have a sense of self-awareness, courage to stand in their vulnerability, and reflect on their responsibility, caring attitude, and inner values and ethics. The force of becoming is that the attention is directed beyond self to care for and feel empathy for others in a caring manner. Becoming is released through a caring relationship, external confirmation, and good role models. A lack of external support in the movement can potentially prevent the students from becoming a professional caring nurse.

Reflections of nursing students on the care of the person's dignity at the end of life: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

The education of nursing students not only implies transmitting knowledge and clinical skills, but also values, attitudes, and behaviours. In healthcare, it is considered essential to respect and preserve the dignity of people. This is even more important in palliative care, where the fragility of people makes them potentially vulnerable. There is limited knowledge regarding the conceptualization and experience of nursing students and human dignity in palliative care.

AIM

To describe how 5th-year nursing students conceptualise and experience human dignity, while caring for people with terminal illness.

DESIGN

Qualitative descriptive design, with thematic content analysis as per Graneheim and Lundman.

SETTING

A palliative care centre for people on low incomes with terminal illnesses which no longer respond to curative treatments.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 11 fifth-year nursing students who completed their professional practice in a palliative care unit.

METHODS

Data collection was conducted through guided online reflections via reflective journaling between April and November 2020. The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Scientific Ethical Committee within the educational institution (CEC2021065).

RESULTS

Four thematic categories were identified (1) Concept of dignity; (2) Dignity: an essential element in the relationship with others, (3) Instances when the dignity of the person is not considered; (4) The value of reflection on dignity in clinical practice.

CONCLUSION

Dignity is one of the main values recognized in the person. Dignity should be promoted in the education of future nursing professionals, particularly with people who are in the final stage of life, where fragility and vulnerability it is more palpable.

Promoting dignity in nursing education - How educators manoeuvre to promote dignity

BACKGROUND

Dignity is a core value in nursing. One of the objectives in nursing education is to promote dignity and contribute to the students' discovery of this value. Research shows that dignity in nursing education is threatened, due to lack of attention and an increasing problem with incivility.

PURPOSE

The study aims to explore how nursing educators experience their contribution in promoting dignity in nursing education.

METHOD

Five focus group conversations were conducted with nursing educators, and Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics was chosen as the study's scientific theoretical approach.

FINDINGS

The educators experienced that they promoted dignity by safeguarding the dignity in the nursing profession in general, by promoting the dignity of the nursing students in particular, and through promoting dignity in challenging situations.

CONCLUSION

The study emphasizes the importance of promoting dignity in nursing education. It found that the nursing educators promoted dignity by safeguarding the dignity of both the nursing profession and the nursing students, and by manoeuvring judiciously between these two when there was disharmony between them. By manoeuvring challenging situations using discretion, the ethical demand will be given room. Dignity can then be fulfilled between people in harmony with professional, social and cultural norms, and in that way promote dignity in nursing education.

Aesthetic Attitude Based on Kant's Aesthetics of Caring Relationships in Nursing

(1) Background: Although aesthetic attitude has been comprehended as one of the fundamental traits in nursing, there is a lack of discussion considering Kant's aesthetics of caring relationships. The purpose of this study was to illuminate aesthetic and moral characteristics of caring expressed in the caring relationship between a nurse and patient and suggest a new perspective of aesthetic attitude based on Kant's aesthetics of care ethics. (2) Methods: A theoretical reflection was contemplated regarding notions of aesthetic attitude in the caring relationship between a nurse and patient. (3) Results: human faculty of reflective aesthetic judgment to feel the beautiful and the sublime through imagination and free play in Kant's aesthetics could be applied to the aesthetic attitude in the field of nursing. (4) Conclusions: A nurse who has trained with this aesthetic attitude can act as a moral agent and contribute to the protection and promotion of human dignity in a caring relationship.