In order to empathize with patients, a healthcare provider needs to first communicate in order to understand the patient's circumstances. Empathy is defined as the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another. Read a case study of a 26-year-old patient diagnosed with testicular cancer and the decision the nurse treating him made and learn more about what it takes to be truly empathetic.
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The relationships that develop between patients and healthcare providers are interesting ones. Being sick or injured forces a person to divulge a detailed health history to a complete stranger. When a person is thrust into the healthcare process nurses are the most consistent presence, following patients from admission to discharge. By establishing the right tone of caring, a nurse can provide a patient with a much-needed source of understanding and comfort. Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, VA utilizes a Care Delivery Model that demonstrates commitment to patient care. To see the model and learn more, click
here.
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Hint of Plum