Articles: empathy.
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Reflective writing is an established method for teaching medical students empathetic interactions, though little is known about students' reflections on connecting with patients during the clinical clerkship. The purpose of this study was to describe factors that medical students perceive contribute to or detract from making connections with patients and families, as identified in a writing assignment during the pediatric clinical clerkship. ⋯ Recognizing what factors medical students perceive as enhancing and detracting from connecting with patients/families will help preceptors foster those connections and mitigate barriers. Future study could assess how to best provide specific individualized feedback to best enhance critical reflection. We recommend the inclusion of brief reflective writing exercises during clinical clerkships in medical school, as it may augment students' ability to connect.
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The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the emotional labour nurses' face when caring for relatives of the critically ill in intensive care unit. ⋯ Registered nurses caring for families who have relatives in adult intensive care units expand considerable emotional labour. Potentially, unless appropriately supported and managed, emotional labour may lead to occupational stress and ultimately burnout.