Abstract

Caring is in itself an insufficiently simple and nebulous term with which to describe the multifaceted nature of nursing practice. The nature of how humans exist and relate to the world around them particularly in times of vulnerability means that cutting edge biomedical treatments delivered efficiently and successfully with expert precision are by themselves insufficient to meet the needs of patients at those times of healthcare intervention. in this paper nursing student narratives provide evidence of the nurse patient relationship as an irreplaceable finely tuned channel through which need can be individually assessed, and a package of care can be most effectively negotiated, delivered and evaluated.