A first thing which can be noted is that in the case of Mr De Vries, the nurses exactly follow the steps of
the protocol, whereas in the case of Mrs De Boer, they refrain from checking for dangerous items and postpone
the admission interview until the next day. By not rigidly following the protocol, the nurses in the case
of Mrs De Boer show attention to the basic needs of the patient. By not defining the handbag as a potentially dangerous item, but as something dear to the patient, they respond to the distress of Mrs De Boer. By not
starting the admission interview right away, the nurses give her time to accommodate. Thus, a precondition
for making the intervention work is to be flexible instead of following the protocol in a rigid way. The rules
laid down in the protocol should not be regarded as steps to be followed in a strict order, but as suggestions
for actions which may be helpful to establish contact with the patient. Dealing with a protocol requires a
context of mutual engagement and responsibility.