I battled breast cancer two years ago and spent a lot of time on medical units. Some of the nurses were kind. Some were all business. Every one of them was about giving me the treatment I was getting and moving on. I literally was too sick to care whether they talked to me or were attentive emotionally. It's different on a psych unit. So much of what helps heal comes through communication and compassion. We may want an empathetic ear but they have 40 patients to take care of and make sure are safe. Psych units are all about moving from one patient's crisis to another's. Not a lot of room for empathetic listening when all you are doing is crisis management.