In the constantly evolving healthcare environment, the client’s psychosocial maintenance is often neglected while disease processes take priority. The importance of maintaining clients’ psychosocial needs while concurrently treating their malady is discussed. Humanistic concepts of noetic locus, pathic touch, and concern are applied to one factual nursing student experience. In conclusion, the necessity of treating the patient as a whole, not merely an illness, creates a stable care environment where the patient can most effectively heal. By citing a single student-nursing encounter, a professional nursing foundation is built along with an applicable philosophy.

The aim of this study was to analyze and describe the conceptions of patients and personnel concerning the patient-nurse relationship in psychiatric post-ward out-patient services. Aphenomenographic approach was used. The four main categories were patient’s appearance, behavior, and nonverbal expression; empowering of the patient; characteristics of patient-nurse relationship; and setting and maintaining limits. Especially in psychiatric nursing, the significance of the patient-nurse relationship needs to be emphasized. In a successful and collaborative patient-nurse relationship, the patient learns to care for him/herself and to restore interest in taking care of him/herself and surviving in everyday life.