Pain and anxiety are closely associated with bone marrow aspirates and biopsies. To determine whether hypnosis administered concurrently with the procedure can ameliorate these morbidities, the authors randomly assigned 80 cancer patients undergoing bone marrow aspirates and biopsies to either hypnosis or standard of care. The hypnosis intervention reduced the anxiety associated with procedure, but the difference in pain scores between the two groups was not statistically significant. The authors conclude that brief hypnosis concurrently administered reduces patient anxiety during bone marrow aspirates and biopsies but may not adequately control pain. The authors explain this latter finding as indicating that the sensory component of a patient's pain experience may be of lesser importance than the affective component. The authors describe future studies to clarify their results and address the limitations of this study.

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This paper examines empathy as a practice component that is particularly significant in its relationship to self-determination in the discharge process in acute hospital settings. Empathy is also emphasized as an essential ingredient to a psychosocial assessment that leads to accurate problem formulation and preciseness in planning. Current theories on empathy are discussed in a literature review, while pertinent practice issues are presented in several case vignettes. Theory and practice confirm that empathic skills can develop on both sentient and cognitive levels over time. This development is enhanced by supervision that utilizes the worker's capacity for self-awareness.

Living related liver donations are increasingly used to address the lack of organs available to patients faced with end-stage liver disease. A significant need exists for enhanced psychosocial intervention for donors. We sought to explore donor reactions by assessing psychosocial issues after donation. A descriptive review of donors was undertaken. The overall incidence of psychosocial issues after donation was examined by using a uniform interview questionnaire and by anecdotal case studies. Responses tend to indicate a general positive reaction to donation; yet, findings suggest a need for more preparation in the predonor stage, 100% social work follow-up after donation to provide needed support services, and inclusion of the donor as a critical partner in organ transplant treatment. A more extensive study drawing on the questionnaire may offer a standardized approach to the treatment of organ donors.