When the Client/Patient Feels All Alone

In Chapter Two, personal stories are shared by people who experienced or witnessed a lack of empathy. These stories are not intended to place blame on helpers. The goal is to assist practitioners with a better understanding of what it feels like to be treated with a lack of care in order to ultimately inform practice. We learn that communication is a two-way process and health practitioners can improve their capacity for empathy by becoming better listeners and more self-aware. Four specific narrative case studies are examined closely, followed by the identification of key themes and questions for discussion. The first is a story of what it feels like to be afraid to speak up. In the second situation, a patient receives bad news but has no one to turn to for comfort. The third involves a Coroner’s investigation that explores what happened before someone ended their life. The last narrative tells a story of a patient who is treated with a lack of respect. In the Case in Point, a nurse recounts what it felt like to be a patient who was treated with indifference. At the end of the Chapter, reflective journaling is encouraged to increase self-awareness as a means to improve our capacity to act with empathy.