ABSTRACT
Most nurses accounts refer to importance of their ‘having or forming a relationship’ with the patient and a belief in the therapeutic benefit of developing such relationships. Before examining the interrelationships between the core categories or concepts it is necessary to outline further the two core categories described by the informants namely: relating to the patient and specific actions of the nurse. A series of accounts refer to the quality of nurse-patient interaction. Reference to the nurse relating to the patient may include mention of the emotional quality of the interaction. Nurses refer to how they may help patients to cope through their relationship with patients by helping them to gain confidence, feel cared for and at ease, and have the opportunity to communicate. The trust created by nurses is seen as one way in which they may provide the conditions to help patients more effectively through, for example, helping patients gain confidence in their treatment.
