In a time where hospitals are so busy, and healthcare professionals are under such high levels of pressure, it’s easy to get caught up in ‘business mode’ and perhaps leave some of the care element behind.

We’re sure you’ll agree from your own experiences as a patient, that when someone shows an inch of kindness or thoughtfulness, it can make the world of difference to your experience.

Thanks to technology such as mobile phones, people are often more distant and make less of an effort to connect others than in the past– it’s almost a shock when somebody does try to start a conversation with you, but let’s not make that a habit on our wards.

Kindness comes in many forms. It doesn’t necessarily mean spending money or dedicating a lot of time to someone; it can be as simple as smiling, saying hello and how are you, remembering a significant event a patient has told you about or even just remembering how they take their tea!

All you need to do is put yourself in your patient’s position and think: ‘If I was them, what would make a difference to me?’

Learn to acknowledge people and when they’re in distress (big or small), and rather than try to brush it off as ‘not my responsibility’ or ‘I’ll get around to it later’, remember the person on the other side and how they’re feeling. Even if you can only do something small or pass a message to someone who is in the position to help.

Simply showing an interest or supporting someone through their fears and vulnerabilities, you can help more than you know. Sometimes, in this profession, when all else has failed, kindness is the only thing left that can truly help.

Set yourself a target to show some extra kindness to a patient today.