Nurse anaesthetist students' experiences of patient dignity in perioperative practice—a hermeneutic study

Aim The aim of the study was to describe how nurse anaesthetist students experienced patient dignity in perioperative practice. Design A hermeneutical design and the critical incident technique were used to obtain 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 concerning 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 hermeneutical 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, backbiting and violation of intimate sphere. Conclusion Discussion and reflection based on the personal experience of the students during their practice are ways to strengthen ethical awareness and promote an ethical and dignified caring culture.