Studies on nursing ethics: A review of the literature on nursing's professional dignity

A narrative review on the topic of nursing's professional dignity was carried out. Online databases such as PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), OvidSP e Scopus were searched. The review included different types of research articles (meta-analysis of RCT, systematic reviews, quantitative studies, qualitative studies and mixed-method researches). A total of 341 potentially relevant studies were identified. After their titles and abstracts were reviewed, duplicates and those articles not meeting the inclusion criteria were removed, 79 of them were selected and after reviewing the full texts a final sample of 14 manuscripts were content analysed. From the narrative synthesis of the included papers it emerged that the concept of nursing's professional dignity is strictly linked to the construct of human dignity because it is intrinsic to and inherent in all persons irrespective of their social roles. Instead, concerning the work settings, the aspects that emphasize the significance of the concept of professional dignity are the relationships with other healthcare professionals, with patients and with caregivers. In this framework, however, it is always relevant to analyze the cultural environment where nurses operate because it strongly influences the lived experiences of the individuals. The respect of nursing's professional dignity in the work setting, in turn, has a pivotal impact on the appropriateness, safety and quality of care.