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Patients’ Dignity in a Rehabilitation Ward: ethical challenges for nursing staff

Oslo University College, Oslo, Norway, Aase.Stabell{at}senior.hio.no

Dagfinn Nåden

Oslo University College, Oslo, Norway

The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges met by nursing staff in a rehabilitation ward. The overall design was qualitative: data were derived from focus interviews with groups of nurses and analyzed from a phenomenological-hermeneutic perspective. The main finding was that challenges emerge on two levels of ethics and rationality: an economic/administrative level and a level of care. An increase in work-load and the changing potential for patient rehabilitation influence the care that nurses can provide in rehabilitating patients, and therefore also affect patients’ feelings of self-worth and dignity. Some patients wish to maintain their independence and autonomy, whereas others seem to ‘lose themselves’. Independence and autonomy are associated with dignity, but their lack is contrary to it.

Key Words: challenges • dignity • rationality • rehabilitation nursing

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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Stabell, A. Articles by Nåden, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Stabell, A. Articles by Nåden, D. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?