Dignity Therapy for End-stage Patients: Concept Analysis

Chung, Bokyae; Oh, Eunhee

Abstract

PURPOSE
Dignity therapy is a very effective intervention to improve the dignity of end-stage patients. A concept analysis by Walker and Avant (2005) was adopted to define, describe, and delimitate the concept of dignity therapy.
METHODS
Nursing literature in the National Digital Science Links (NDSL) and Medline database were searched for the definitions of "dignity" and "dignity therapy". Definitions, uses, and defining attributes of dignity therapy were identified; model and contrary cases were developed; and antecedents, consequences, and empirical references were determined.
RESULTS
Through dignity therapy patients and their families share their stories, and that in turn improves the quality of life and death. Five attributes were identified: higher quality of life and death, therapeutic conversation, respect of human dignity and worth, expressing thoughts about life and death and systematic process.
CONCLUSION
Patients at the end of their lives feel more comfortable about death. Hospice care providers should try to protect dignity of patients in their care. The attributes of the dignity therapy clarified in this study should be applied for terminally ill patients to improve their quality of life and death.