title: Concepts and strategies for teaching caring.
abstract: Optimal learning of caring occurs when appropriate discussion, analysis, and examples are woven into a structured and guided program of practising the art of caring. Teaching caring includes nurturing the student's perception of the patient's need for caring, the opportunities for caring, and the benefits of caring. It also includes helping the student to acquire effective methods of caring. However, the most important component of teaching caring is helping the student to choose to be caring. The concept of caring as "trying to help love grow" can have a profoundly motivating and integrating effect on the physician's practice of caring. Many of the strategies we use to help love grow in our patients we can also use in a modified form to help medical students at all levels of training. We can also use them to help practising physicians, maintain and expand their capacity to care for and about their patients.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Patey