A leader's encounters: lessons learned and shared.

The need for continuous improvement in the quality of patient care delivery is one of the hottest topics in health care today. In the author's view, one of the most direct routes for the improvement of quality of care is through effective relationships. In her 27-year nursing career, she has experienced a number of learning opportunities that have given her a heightened sense of interpersonal competence. Three such memorial vignettes are shared in this article.