A nurse’s greatest skills include effective communication
Building up a therapeutic relationship with his patient enabled nursing student Gareth Taylor to get to the heart of what was causing the patient’s distress, and help find a solution to the problem
In my first year of training I was on placement on a neurology surgical ward where I helped to care for a patient who I will call George.
George was in his 50s and married with two daughters. He had been admitted with progressively worsening migraines, and after an MRI scan a mass on his brain was discovered.
As a first-year student, I had more time to spend interacting with patients than the qualified staff, so would often sit and chat to George, who told me that his daughter was getting married in a few days.
Personality change
I noticed that George seemed very withdrawn,
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