Dr. Donna Hicks, in her first book on dignity called Dignity: Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict, discusses her journey in conflict resolution and how it led to the creation of the Dignity Model. She defines the Dignity Model as
“An approach I developed to help people understand the role that dignity plays in their lives and relationships. It is my response to what I have observed to be the missing link in our understanding of conflict. Our failure to recognize how vulnerable humans are to being treated as if they didn’t matter. It explains why it hurts when our dignity is violated.” (pg. 2)
I am using Dr. Hicks’ words because I could not say it any better than what she wrote. We can all relate to the pain when we are made to feel like we do not matter. We can also relate to a time when we made others feel like they didn’t matter. It is because dignity is something we are born with and when it is violated it can be just as painful as a heart attack. We must begin to understand what honoring dignity means and how we can avoid violating the dignity of others.
Dr. Hicks in her research talks about the 10 Essentials of Dignity which is what makes up the Dignity Model:
- Acceptance of Identity
- Acknowledgment
- Inclusion
- Safety
- Fairness
- Freedom
- Understanding
- Benefit of the Doubt
- Responsiveness
- Righting the Wrong
When we begin to learn about these 10 essentials, we will gain an understanding of how honoring the dignity of ourselves and others is as important as breathing.
Acceptance of Identity: Dr. Hicks defines this essential dignity as follows: “First thing you need to do when you want to honor peoples’ dignity is to accept that they are neither inferior nor superior to you. By virtue of being a human being, we all have the same inherent worth and value and the same human vulnerability. Everyone should feel free to express their authentic self without fear of being judged negatively. When you have an interaction with others, start with the orientation that no matter who they are, or what their race, religion, gender, class, or sexual orientation, it is your obligation to humanity to accept them as your spiritual equals and to do them no harm.”
As a nurse I have come to understand that my core responsibility is to care for all who seek my help. In my 37+ years in health care (27 years as a nurse) I have taken care of all kinds of people and in that time, I have formed some biases and beliefs based on my experiences. I used to judge the patients I cared for by what I read in their record. If I saw something that didn’t fit my values, it would dictate how my interactions would go with that patient. You would think I would have been smart enough to realize that what I was doing to my patients was the same thing I was complaining about when I was treated differently because I was Black. It took a patient and counseling to help me see the person I was becoming.
I had made some remarks about a patient to one of my coworkers. I wanted to fit in. We were laughing but little did we realize the patient heard us. I was called into the manager’s office and the conversation did not go well. She could have and should have fired me but she did not. I had to first apologize to the patient, I was suspended for one week and I had to see a therapist. The greatest gift I was ever given in my career was that leader made me humble myself but instead of firing me she understood that it would not change me. I had to discover why I was acting the way I was.
I did not accept who I was. My dignity was damaged, and I thought I could repair that by harming others who I thought I was better than. It took me a long time to heal from my past and except not only that I lost my dignity but that I have violated the dignity of others. I have learned to fight my biases by remembering those who I have hurt when I violated their dignity. I have had the opportunity in my life to ask for forgiveness to those I have harmed but there are those I will not get the chance to do that, but I will continue to work hard not to violate the dignity others and be the guiding light to the importance of honoring the dignity of all.
“You only win when you maintain your dignity. Dignity always prevails.” -Dr. by Don Shirley from the movie Green Book
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
Dignity Freedom Fighter 