How did Diana learn to become the ‘Queen of Hearts’ for the marginalised and unloved? Nurse Helen Cowan says she has met nurses and carers who shared her endless empathy born out of personal suffering. In the controversial Channel 4 documentary, “Diana: In her own words”, the Princess was portrayed as somebody more comfortable sitting […]
It does concern me when I see a nurse brushing off a patient or ignoring little signs of distress. It doesn’t happen often, but compassion fatigue can creep in at the end of a long shift. Compassion and empathy are one of the most important aspects of any job in medicine. Certainly, a nurse who […]
A few years ago, as I was attending a medical dinner in London with 500 or more senior medical colleagues, I was disturbed that the guest of honour began his speech with the phrase: ‘We all understand that the most important ‘qualities’ of any doctor are compassion and empathy.’ I was even more concerned that there appeared […]