Delivering compassionate care in intensive care units: nurses' perceptions of enablers and barriers.

The responsibility for 'compassionate' care is a shared one. Nurses need to be cognizant of factors that are enabling or inhibiting their ability to be compassionate. Healthcare leaders have a responsibility to provide structural support (staffing, education and space) that assist nurses to deliver compassionate care and where appropriate cater for nurses needs so that they are better able to be compassionate.