Continuous observation

United Kingdom, 1955

Film
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The case-history of a woman patient who has attempted suicide is used to illustrate the techniques of continuous observation. A sequence revealing the patient’s feelings enables the audience to understand them and also to share in the thoughts of the student who is nursing her. Later, in a group analysis, the Sister makes it clear that while text-book rules form a basis on which to work, real psychiatric nursing depends on the use of imagination to gain an insight into the patient’s problems.

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