As I gain more experience as a practitioner, I find I am increasingly able to articulate my personal philosophy of nursing. I have learned that, as a professional nurse, my personal values and philosophies of nursing do affect the nature of the care I deliver and the quality of relationships I form within my daily practice. Becoming involved in an incident like the following has enabled me to develop an understanding of complex interpersonal and interprofessional situations. Unspoken grief, the devastating death of a child and the behaviour that surrounds such an event are part of what makes my experience with Kate and her parents so important to me. By reflecting on this incident, I have developed a new insight and have found new meanings from my experience. This has further allowed me to uncover and explore the implications this might have in my future practice.