NUR126 - Dying with Dignity (1.0 HR)

Purpose: Healthcare providers will place an emphasis on each terminally ill patient’s uniqueness that tends to preserve their sense of dignity. Objectives: 1. Discuss an understanding of the history of end-of-life care and future directions; 2. Define an operational definition of “dignity” and dying with dignity” and its unique meaning for patients, families and nursing professionals; 3. Assess and describe factors necessary for preserving dignity at the end-of-life; 4. Systematize nursing practice in dying with dignity at the end-of-life by being accountable for professional nursing practice guidelines as set out by the American Nurses Association; 5. Appraise the precepts underlying end-of-life care developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing in accordance with the International Council of Nurses; 6. Identify the three major categories of “The Dignity Model” that emerged from a study of dying patients’ perceptions of their own sense of dignity. 7. Articulate the A, B, C and D’s of Dignity Conserving Care as put forward in the literature; 8. Provide evidence-based recommendations for nurses on best nursing practices for end-of-life care; 9. Formulate two nursing interventions that promote the phenomenon of dignified dying; 10. Reflect upon your personal feelings and attitudes about dying with dignity.