ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses on the role of health care practitioners in providing compassionate health care. It also discusses the changing role of nursing over the years, where key figures such as Florence Nightingale are discussed, at a time when nursing was a growing profession imbued with compassion'. It deals with the impact of stress on the carers themselves and argues that in keeping compassion alive we have to consider not just the patient, but also the carer. Alys Cole-King and Paul Gilbert argues that 'compassion has a very powerful neurophysiological effect and compassion makes our interventions more clinically effective and therefore competent care must also be compassionate care'. The work of both George Chrousos and Alys Cole-King/Paul Gilbert show that by positive techniques, brain chemistry can be altered in oneself and in others giving a more positive outlook on life.