Getting to Know You

‘The very alphabet of a nurse is to be able to interpret every change which comes over a patient’s countenance without causing him the exertion of saying what he feels’
Florence Nightingale 1860

Listening to what patients say is one of the most undervalued skills and keeping patients and relatives informed and updated is another which is often overlooked by busy staff. Many hospitals, however, have recognised these problems and have devised simple ideas to address them.