Abstract
Aim
: The
aim of the study
was
to describe
how
nurse
anaesthetist
students
experi-
enced patient dignity in perioperative practice.
Design
: A hermeneutical
design
and
the critical
incident
technique
were
used
to ob-
tain experiences from practice.
Method
: In the Autumn
of 2015,
after
participating
in a mandatory
lecture
on ethics,
23 nurse
anaesthetist
students
reported
their
experiences
and interpretation
concern-
ing violation
and
preservation
of patients’
dignity
in the operating
theatre.
The
text,
which
was
a compilation
of descriptions
of 35 incidents,
was
analysed
by using
herme-
neutical text interpretation.
Findings
: The
text
revealed
three
main
themes
preserving
patients’
dignity:
allocating
time
to the patient,
inviting
the patient
to participate
and shielding
the patient’s
body.
Furthermore,
three
main
themes
of dignity
violation
were
identified:
alienation,
back-
biting and violation of intimate sphere.
Conclusion
: Discussion
and
reflection
based
on the personal
experience
of the stu-
dents
during
their
practice
are ways
to strengthen
ethical
awareness
and promote
an
ethical and dignified caring culture.