A healthy variety in care greatly benefits the patient who is bedridden and confined to a sickroom for their entire recovery. Seeing different rooms, different objects, different environments—when possible—is helpful. When a patient desire requests such variety, rather than viewing the request as a mere “fancy,” one should view it as a cry for a particular kind of help that will aid in recovery. The effect of these changes on the mind rebounds to the body, as the patient’s mental health increases the speed and effectiveness of recovery and other treatment measures.

The mental health aspect of recovery is crucial; in the throes of illness, negativity is common, and bad thoughts easily overpower good ones. Even looking out a window or engaging in light manual activity such as sewing is important.

When a patient starves or is merely hungry, it’s often not for want of food but because the patient can’t consume what is offered. The art of nursing includes observing when and how to get patients to eat and nourish their bodies. From minute observation, a good nurse can ascertain exactly when, what, and how patients will best be able to consume food and can avoid offering food when patients are too ill or too weak to refresh themselves.