"I try to establish conversational rapport with each patient and humanize our interaction a little bit. I want to be seen as a professional and competent nurse, but also as a warm and caring human being. I don't think idle chitchat is helpful overall, but I do believe an authentic comment about a picture of their dog or maybe a sweater they are wearing can leapfrog into more personalized conversations. I think that it makes people feel seen by the nurse and that helps."

"There are so many ways to connect with a patient during my shift. I think it always starts with identifying myself and my role. It sounds simple, but I always say a variation of 'Good morning, I'm Kate and I'll be your nurse until 7 p.m. today' when I first meet a patient. Over the years, many patients have told me that they feel frustrated or confused when people enter their rooms and just start talking without identifying themselves. Identifying myself to the patient in a friendly way helps to establish trust right away. After that, I may ask them about any drawings done by kids that I see in their room, the sports team they're watching on TV, the sodoku puzzle they're working on, or whatever type of Indiana weather we may be having. Talking about everyday things can help us develop a rapport that will be useful as we need to talk about medications and other aspects of treatment later."