Abstract
Nurse-patient encounters are rarely witnessed, resulting in minimal opportunities for reflexive practice or thoughtful dialogue. This study used Halldorsdottir's (1991) "five basic modes of being with another" to guide reflection on the relationship between a nurse and a woman with heart failure during a series of teaching interventions in her home. The overall goal was to test the usefulness of the model for making visible the relational work of nursing. Researchers found using a rubric for organizing thinking about how we are with our patients both challenging and insightful. Suggestions for further use and refinement are made.