In an early session on Wednesday, Mary Beth Newman, MSN, RN-BC, CCP, CCM, CHQM, and Cristina Walter, MS, RN, RN-BC, CCM, CCP, spoke about the importance of compassionate care and how to apply the latest research on the subject to cultivating compassion within ourselves, our patients and their families, our colleagues, and even the organizations in which we practice. They used vivid examples and even video to illustrate that while compassion might start with sympathy, which requires an awareness of what someone else is going through, sympathy alone is not enough. It must build to empathy—feeling "with" another person. Compassion itself requires action in response to the distress and suffering of others. They stated as well that "healthcare without compassion cannot be truly patient-centered."

The presenters also noted that research suggests compassion can be cultivated in ourselves and as well as others and that it is a management and leadership skill.