Treating a patient in the community gave one student an insight into the lives of those with unseen conditions

During the second year of my nurse training I attended a lecture on ‘invisible’ illnesses. From cancer and heart disease to arthritis and depression, many long-term conditions are classed as invisible illnesses, affecting patients’ daily activities and quality of life. As I listened to the lecturer, I thought about the patients I had met on clinical placements and the personal battles they may have been facing without showing symptoms.