A consideration of memory in relation to information giving

Giving information to patients who are anxious about their illness or diagnosis may be one of the most difficult and skilled tasks a nurse has to undertake. For the nurse the aim is to relay information in a concise, clear fashion to ensure the patient retains it. For the anxious patient the difficulty is in retaining important information. A failure to recall information, for example inaccurate recall of test results, may have detrimentaleffects upon health care (Croyle et al, 1997) or lead to non-compliance with medical regimens (Ley, 1988; Bain, 1977).