title: The nurse who is the patient: a personal perspective.
abstract: The author, a registered nurse, describes her personal experience living with a chronic illness. The emotional turmoil she experienced as a patient with ulcerative colitis and later as a patient with a J-pouch heightened her awareness of the importance of learning self-management skills and the necessity of emotional support for all patients with a chronic illness. Implications for nurses are discussed throughout the article.
authors.affiliation: Baptist Health Care, Pensacola, FL, USA.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ball
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007081:Ileostomy / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology