Living through the experience of a serious diagnosis brings to light the effect illness has on the human perspective. From the search for a heart for a dying husband and father to the reality of the death of a loved one, The Conflict of Caring follows the story of one family's struggle to maneuver the healthcare system and their perception of the people within it. The feeling of loss of control during the time of a stressful illness is told through a personal and touching view point that will generate laughter and tears and the feeling of personally "living through" the situation. As the focus moves from sitting next to the hospital bed to standing over it, the loved one-now nurse brings a new light to the healthcare experience. Poignant stories of the fortitude of patients told through the eyes of the nurse demonstrate a vulnerable yet interconnected relationship between them. All the perceptions of being a family member and nurse are now blurred by being the one affected by an illness. As a patient, the author now brings the story full circle and draws from past experiences to eventually become a participant in life instead of a victim of it. The Conflict of Caring focuses on the human side of health care. Talking, listening, understanding and caring are at the root of this relationship, and these basic needs are as important as any medical ones.