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Treating Others with Dignity and Respect

In the early 2000s, the buzz phrase for hospitals and healthcare organizations was "core competencies" or a set of behaviors organizations wanted all staff members to exhibit.  One of those behaviors was "treating others with dignity and respect." To some employees, they wondered the reason that was even a behavioral issue.  They felt that they pursued healthcare careers to preserve the rights, health, and dignity of patients and others.  Unfortunately, that is not the case for everyone.

Considerable research has been done regarding treating patients with dignity and respect.  The focus of the research is how care providers can enhance the autonomy of the patient while also caring for the patient.  Calling patients by their preferred names, engaging them as care partners, and not talking to them in sing-song voices as one would a small child, are all measures that have been taken.  However, dignity and respect goes beyond patient care in a healthcare organization and really extends to all who walk through the doors.

Once the circle expands beyond the patient, the dignity and respect lines begin to blur. Take for example, a hospital employee who encountered some acquaintances while they were visiting their family member in the hospital.  The employee and the acquaintances engaged in small talk, and they seemed to be old friends to onlookers.  Then, the situation took a turn for the worse, when the employee brought up a personal, sensitive issue to the employee.  The family was upset, and she and the acquaintances began to argue on the spot. The question then is, who was at fault?
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First, the situation itself should be examined.  The acquaintances were at the hospital visiting a relative. Having a relative ill in the hospital is very stressful for many family members.  Hospital stays are expensive, a disruption from the routine, and  concerning for the patient, family, and friends. Emotions and stress levels are heightened. Now, the family encounters someone they know in the hospital. Perhaps they consider the person a friendly face.  Consider further that the family has attended events with the employee outside of the hospital.  The family members feel comfortable talking to the employee about personal issues outside of work because they know the employee personally. This is where the employee should have changed the subject and not delved into personal matters.  The employee further should have remembered that although the family members were not patients, they could still provide feedback regarding services provided at the hospital.

However, feeling defensive, the employee elaborates on and on about these issues.  The acquaintances already stressed about their relative, make a comment about personal matters  and feel they have to stand up for themselves. After the acquaintances walked off, the employee complained to some of her colleagues at the nurse's station.  One of her coworkers then went to complain to the manager that the employee was arguing with a patient's family and talking about personal matters during work hours. The colleague complained that there are appropriate places to voice concerns or discuss personal matters that do not include an open area where the discussion is in earshot of patients and their families.

Even though this encounter occurred, the employee still continued to provide quality care to the patient.  The patient was very happy with the care received at the healthcare organization.  When it came time to evaluate the hospital, the patient indicated the care was "excellent."  The patient's family -- the acquaintances of the employee -- filed a complaint with the department director. In this situation, the employee did not treat the acquaintances with dignity and respect. Her coworkers failed to remember that the employee is  a person, and she, too, has feelings and emotions outside of work.  However, it was not at all acceptable in any way for the employee to be arguing with a patient's family members in the workplace. Although the patient was focused on treating the patient appropriately, she forgot that dignity and respect go beyond the patient to everyone who walks in the door of the organization.

Sources
Sokol-Hessner LFolcarelli PHSands KEF. Emotional harm from disrespect: the neglected preventable  harm. 
Johnston, B, Gaffney, M, Pringle, J, Buchanan, D. The person behind the patient: a feasibility study using the Patient Dignity Question for patients with palliative care needs in a hospital. Int'l Journal of Palliative Nursing 2015 
Valcour, M. The Power of Dignity in the Workplace. Harvard Business Review. Published Online: April 28, 2014




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