Whilst waiting for surgery, patients can be left in limbo due to the sometimes uncertain time frame of their surgical date and lack of communication with health care workers. Increasing demand and financial stressors on public healthcare systems lead to health care workers being unable to devote time and emotional support to patients, making patients more vulnerable to falling between the cracks of the system. The consequences of patients’ extended waiting times can lead to unnecessary suffering. The authors' assumption is that through nurses increasing their knowledge of the experience of waiting for arthroplasty they will deepen their understanding of what such a wait entails. This may enable them to equip patients with the tools and strategies necessary to endure such a wait, thus improving the quality of patient care and patients’ quality of life.