This paper considers the importance of empathy as an interpersonal nursing skill. Dinah Gould recognises that every nurse cannot always experience the objective understanding of a client’s world. The effect of this inability on some nurses can be increased anxiety and stress levels, leading to nurses leaving the profession. Lack of empathy is seen as having an adverse effect upon the recipients of care. Examination of nursing practice and how it relates to professional awareness of empathic ability is a feature throughout the article. The argument for acknowledging that all professionals can help in developing this interpersonal skill and understanding their own difficulty is reinforced with comprehensive referencing.