Susceptible to perceived loss of respect and honor

• Dehumanization
• Disclosure of confidential information
• Exposure of the body
• Humiliation
• Inadequate privacy
• Inadequate understanding of health information
• Intrusion by clinician
• Loss of control over body function
• Perceived social stigma
• Values incongruent with cultural norms

• Patient's perception of present health problem and problem-solving techniques used
• Patient health status; attitude toward and use of health care services; and beliefs, values, and attitudes about illness
• Family status, including family composition; responsibilities assumed in caring for family members (including patient); and ability of family to meet their physical, social, emotional, and economic needs
• Support systems, including family members, friends, and clergy
• Health history, including medical or mental illness, self-care abilities, and disabilities and deformities
• Legal status, including patient's authority to give consent for treatments or procedures
• Attitude of health care providers toward the patient
• Welfare and health care system and reliance on welfare for support

• Patient and family will express satisfaction with level of respect received.
• Patient will express reduced feelings of powerlessness and vulnerability and increased feelings of autonomy.
• Patient and family will develop and implement plans to protect privacy and confidentiality of patient.
• Patient and family will report a reduction or elimination of compromised human dignity.

Suggested NOC Outcomes

• Assess patient's satisfaction with health care environment to determine the extent of positive perception of the nursing staff's concern for patient.
• Work with patient to develop a plan to increase autonomy to promote feelings of control and independence in making life decisions.
• Include patient or patient's representative in all decision-making. This demonstrates a sense of respect for patient's right to make decisions that affect personal well-being.
• Work closely with patient and health professionals to promote the positive perception of protection of a patient's legal and moral rights provided by nursing and other staff.
• Implement a program to promote patient dignity that involves staff, family, and community to assist patient in coping to manage the stressors that tax personal resources.
• Work with various health professionals, families, educators, and students to determine the extent of the problem of protecting human dignity in the delivery of health care.
• Encourage health professional groups and religious and social service organizations to feature guest speakers to provide information on aspects of bioethics and human dignity in the care of patients.
• Provide education on the legal and ethical rights of patients to human dignity and have current information available at community and senior centers. Access to information provides patients and their families with appropriate resources to seek help.
• Encourage patient and family to participate in support networks that allow them to discuss caregiving and illness pressures and other issues related to the provision of human dignity. This gives patient and family a chance to express their feelings openly and obtain support.
• Develop a referral list for patient and family that includes resources that promote human dignity, including charities, clinics, support groups, and senior centers to promote family involvement in decision-making and delivery and evaluation of care.

Suggested NIC Interventions

• Patient and family express satisfaction with level of respect for the patient.
• Patient and family articulate plan to reduce feelings of powerlessness and vulnerability and increase feelings of patient autonomy.
• Patient and family develop and implement plan to protect patient privacy and confidentiality.
• Patient and family report success of plan to protect patient privacy and confidentiality.
• Patient and family report a reduction or elimination of compromised human dignity.

• Patient and family perception of understanding of the need for human dignity
• Community resources that exist to promote human dignity
• Patient and family plans to promote human dignity
• Nursing interventions to promote and protect human dignity of patient
• Patient response to nursing interventions
• Evaluations for expected outcomes

• Bentwich, M. E., Dickman, N., & Oberman, A. (2018). Human dignity and autonomy in the care for patients with dementia: Differences among formal caretakers from various cultural backgrounds. Ethnicity & Health, 23(2), 121-141. doi:10.1080/13557858.2016.1246519
• Hubbard, R. E., Bak, M., Watts, J., Shum, D., Lynch, A., & Peel, N. M. (2018). Enhancing dignity for older inpatients: The photograph-next-to-the-bed study. Clinical Gerontologist, 41(5), 468-473. doi:10.1080/07317115.2017.1398796
• Kirchhoffer, D. G. (2017). Human dignity and human enhancement: A multidimensional approach. Bioethics, 31(5), 375-383. doi:10.1111/bioe.12343
• Nyholm, L., & Koskinen, C. A.-L. (2017). Understanding and safeguarding patient dignity in intensive care. Nursing Ethics, 24(4), 408-418. doi:10.1177/0969733015605669