Background: 
Relating skills are a growing area of research and describe the range of often non-verbal skills needed to be responsive to a client’s emotional and spiritual state. These skills can go by several different names, including ‘therapeutic use of self’, ‘attunement’ and ‘compassionate care’, but they all describe how the human spirit is addressed in care. After my five-year-old daughter developed a rare and aggressive brain tumour (DIPG) in late 2021, I went from being a health professional to being the parent of a terminal paediatric patient. During our daughter’s seven months of regular interactions with health professionals, I found many examples of these essential relating skills.  
 
 

Aims: 

1.        Discuss relating skills in the literature

2.       Our parent/child experience

3.       Examples of relating skills

 

Methods: 
A scoping review using the JBI methodology was selected to map a broad range of literature. Thematic analysis created four over-arching themes of how spirituality was integrated into practice, of which one was “relating”. Current research on relating skills will be presented, alongside our parent/children palliative care experience.  Examples of relating skills will be given. 
 

Results: 
Active listening, building rapport and relationship, and holding a client’s hand were all relating skills seen in the Australian spirituality in healthcare literature. Amongst the health professions, nursing led the way in describing these skills. The common health professional relating mode of 'positivity' can be a mismatch for patients who are sad, shy or in pain. The relating skills of ‘presence’ and ‘active listening’ will be described. 
  

Conclusion: 
Relating skills aim to meet patients where they are at, and support the human spirit in care.