The journey of discovering compassionate listening.

This article presents the concept of "compassionate listening" in critical life moments to gain insight into the process of listening with compassion. This insight evolved through a process of layered reflection using a series of texts, particularly stories that captured critical moments in working with people who were facing crisis situations or who were dying. Writing and reflecting on these stories enabled me to identify how I engaged with patients and their loved ones as a palliative care nurse specialist. I was able to explore how compassionate listening could be used to ascertain their needs, particularly when they were unable or unsure of how to proceed.