Favourite patients: exploring labelling in inpatient culture

In this article, the author reports on a research study into the issue of favouritism in nursing, exploring theory relevant to the topic. The study focused on the nature of favouritism in nursing. Its explorative and descriptive nature allowed interviews to be conducted with nurses. They acknowledged that attachment and boundaries seem to be the most important issues related to favouritism. However, some of the participants pondered on the notion that personal characteristics of both patients and nurses affect the nature of nurse-patient interaction and attachment. The study has enabled discussion about these various aspects of practice and provides some tentative conclusions.