Stigma Essay

Stigma is a universal concept that many patients with severe illnesses experience as they face society. Stigmatization particularly affects patients who display traces of their illness either by scars or noticeable treatment side effects, which they feel negatively impacts their self-worth. In Frank’s narrative At the Will of The Body (2002), Frank shared his personal experience of cancer, which included several incidents where he had felt stigmatized as a result of his disease. Throughout this paper, I will be analyzing the concept of stigma relevant to Frank’s illness experience. Frank’s illness experience will be further analyzed through three attributes of the concept of stigma. I shall also present nursing interventions specific to Frank’s illness experience. Through careful analysis, I will explore transformative learning strategies that can be implemented to enhance my practice as a future nurse.

Concepts and Attributes Defined
I chose to explore the concept of stigma in the context of Frank’s illness experience because I felt that this theme was strong in the narrative At the Will of The Body. Bananno and Esmaeli (2012) defined stigma as a classification that is caused by specific disfigurements, separating those who have them from the perceived normal members of society. For Frank, this stigma was a sign on his body, which marked him as an unclean and threatening entity (Frank, 2002).
The description of stigma presented by both Frank (2002) and Bananno and Esmaeli (2012) evidently indicate that stigma is a multidimensional concept. The concept of stigma contains multiple aspects, such as personal and societal aspects. The personal aspect is expressed through bodily disfigurements or blemishes on the body of the ill in...

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...e nurse’s neglect of his concerns confirmed his stigma and made him feel of less importance. Gary (as cited in Trossman, 2011) indicated that nurses should be providing their patients with patient-centered care while communicating with them. In the future, I can further relate my new knowledge of the effects of stigma in my clinical practice by providing individualized care to my patients, especially when they express their personal concerns.

Conclusion
After careful analysis of the concept of stigma, it is clear that this concept is significant throughout Frank’s illness experience. The social and individual aspects of stigma unquestionably holds a seminal effect on an individuals overall interpretation of their illness. Assisting patients in increased involvement to sustain a positive self-identity is an effective approach in overcoming their perceived stigma.