When work triggers painful emotions

Switching off from patients is not a good idea, but neither is being at the mercy of your feelings. Mandy Day-Calder explains how to achieve an emotional balance that works for you and your patients

I have vivid memories of nursing an elderly man whose wife visited every day and kept him well supplied with pristine pyjamas. I was bowled over by the aroma of his freshly laundered nightclothes. The smell instantly took me back to my childhood and evoked such strong, loving memories of my mum.

At the time she was alive, so I could happily reminisce while carrying on with my duties. But this isn't always the case. Sometimes, often without warning, painful emotions may be stimulated by the people and situations