Here, Chris Loveridge reflects on a patient story where the focus slipped away from the patient resulting in a failure of care.

As nurses, one of the first things we are taught is how to communicate with patients. It is also important to look out for clues that might help to assess their condition. For example, in patients with breathlessness this could mean:

• Observing how they walk towards us, the degree of breathlessness
• Looking at their skin colour when they reach us — both at their hands as they greet us and their lips when they are talking
• Reaching across to reassure and feel the texture of their skin and perhaps even the radial pulse. Once taught, these skills are never forgotten and, added to a conversation, can encourage patients to relate how they feel, and thus, begin the process of history-taking.