Introduction:
Respecting the privacy and dignity of patients is necessary for the establishment of patient-based, ethical and individualistic care. Accordingly, the present study aimed to evaluate the status of respect for the privacy and dignity of patients by nurses in Isfahan hospitals.
Method and Matrials:
This is a descriptive-analytical study that was conducted in Isfahan hospitals in 2012. In this study, 400 patients were selected and studied by cluster sampling method. Data were collected through questionnaires in Likert scale in the dimensions of physical privacy, informational privacy, paying attention to the dressing and adornment of the patient and consideration of gender conformity by nurses. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics with SPSS software.
Results:
The results showed that 46.4 percent of patients evaluated their privacy as to be good, and 45.4% of them as average.The highest average score (3.22±0.93) was related to covering the rest of the patient's body during an examination or treatment by a nurse and the lowest mean score (1.55±1.73) was related to using partition or curtains around the bed during an examination or treatment. The results of statistical tests showed that there is a significant association between the type of hospital, unit and the number of admissions in a room and respecting the privacy of the patients.
Conclusion:
This study showed that the status of respect for the privacy and dignity of patients is at a relatively favorable level however, this study highlights the special attention of nursing staff to plan and implement the necessary measures in order to modify and enhance this important issue