Intensive & critical care nursing : the official journal of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses
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The ambulance service should offer good care signified by humane and individual treatment of the patients, based on love to our fellow man. The aim of this study was to find out how loving care was practised in one ambulance service. The method for the study was the critical incident technique. ⋯ In the main, subject solicitude loving care was shown through humbleness, consideration, closeness and being in rapport, and generally subject empathy, the paramedic's empathic capacity and his knowledge about man's behaviour in a crisis, became evident. From a clinical standpoint the study shows the importance of the paramedics possessing professional skill. As a contribution to science the study adds to continued research based upon descriptions made by other groups of personnel about the phenomenon to be studied; namely, loving care.