A Therapeutic Relationship Essay

Many individuals enter the healthcare profession because they want to help others achieve their greatest overall health and well-being. This may include achieving the fullness of physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. As a nurse or nursing student, one needs to have effective communication skills to help their clients. Even though nursing has a wide variety of different categories to work in, effective communication is essential for the profession. In addition, when working in a clinical setting, the relationship a nurse establishes with their clients is important. One significant nursing theorist who utilized the importance of relationships, especially the interpersonal processes and therapeutic relationship that develops between the nurse and client was, Hildegard Peplau (Forchuk, 1993). Throughout this paper, I will introduce and describe Peplau’s Theory of Interpersonal Relations, explain what this theory means to me as a nursing student, and how I can apply it into my future practice.

To meet competency standard two, registered nurses need to consciously and actively engage in therapeutic and professional relationships (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia [NMBA], 2016); Doherty & Thompson, 2014). Therapeutic nurse-patient relationships are built on trust, where the patient feels safe to be open and honest; enabling a productive relationship with positive patient-centred outcomes (Doherty & Thompson, 2014). A vital principal in delivering patient-centred care is to foster effective communication along with establishing personal and professional relationship boundaries (NMBA, 2016). This fundamental approach to care, ensures

The whole reason for a therapeutic relationship is to facilitate a successful patient outcome. Each person is unique and has different needs.

There are many ways of forming a relationship and gaining the trust and respect of the patient and I had to work out the different things that make a good therapeutic relationship. According to Hinchliff et al (2003) there are a number of important elements that make a good therapeutic relationship, but it is important to make clear that a therapeutic relationship is a formal relationship between a medical professional and patient. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) maintains that at all times nursing staff must maintain appropriate professional boundaries in the relationships they have with patients and clients.

Effective nursing practice is in need of on an effective therapeutic relationship between the nurse and the client. This instruction addresses the qualities and capacities of an effective therapeutic relationship, the state of knowledge, and the information needed to be effective. To implement a therapeutic relationship effectively, hospitals characteristics must be supportive. The therapeutic relationship is also known as the helping alliance and it refers to the bond between a healthcare professional and a client. It is the means of professional hopes to involve with, so as to change the outcome result of the client. This relationship is significant to the client’s orientation

Creating a safe environment, promoting trusting nurse-patient relationship, and increasing patient’s quality of life are result of implementing this theory in practice. Even though creating a change in nursing practice might be challenging, but it is doable by identifying the goal, pathway to reach the goal, education, trainings, and using evidence based practice. The main point of creating a therapeutic communication is to build a trusting nurse-patient relationship, decreasing nurse and patient’s anxiety level, increasing the level of care and patient’s quality of life. (Jasmine,

Nurse and patient relationships are referred to therapeutic relationships, they are a person-centred approach to care (Berman Et al 2012). For a therapeutic relationship to be effective in meeting the client/patient goals the nurse needs to ‘earn the person’s trust and respect.’ Berman Et al (2012) suggests that the trust and respect of a patient can be earned through ‘sound nursing knowledge and use of effective communication.’ This is reflected in the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s competency standards. These national standards that are regulated and followed by all nurses, they are updated regularly to remain contemporary and

Using College of Nursing of Ontario (CNO) documents, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) documents and four nursing articles the outline of a nurse-client therapeutic relationship will be defined through a John’s Model (Johns, 1995) and Carper’s ways of knowing (Carper, 1978).

The purpose of this essay is to reflect on a positive therapeutic interaction that I observed in practice on my placement. Firstly I will give a brief summary of the situation that I observed, followed by evidence that will be supporting why I considered to be a positive interaction, reflecting on what I observed, including feelings and thoughts, also what I have learned by observing and how I can apply my finding to my next practice.

Initiating, maintaining and effectively performing interpersonal relationships with patients in primary health care is important when engaging in a professional, therapeutic manner according to the ‘Competency Standards Of Registered Nurses.’ (NMBA 2006) Throughout the endurance of their professional lives, nurses are expected to interact with a variety of different people from, and in different contexts. Therapeutic and

Relationship refers to having meaningful relationships. Relationships are considered the basis of nursing and a moral imperative of entering into a relationship with the patient. The relationship starts when the nurse identifies a patient need and is motivated to help. Trust, intimacy and responsibility play an essential role in a

This means that the nurse keeps the client’s values, beliefs, preferences, and needs in mind when considering all nursing interventions (Arnold & Boggs, 2011). The nurse should be able to be respectful of the patients expressed needs, provide the information and education that people want and need, and guarantee comfort physically and emotionally when building a therapeutic relationship with the client (Arnold & Boggs, 2011). It is also important to focus on being truthful with the client because this opens communication, and creates trust, respect, and shared responsibility with the client (Burkhardt, Nathaniel & Walton,

Research has shown that a strong therapeutic alliance is necessary for establishing a beneficial contact between the therapist and the client. If the therapist does not encourage the creation of a reliable therapeutic alliance from the beginning of the treatment, it will be hard to develop a constructive relationship with the client later. Establishing the therapeutic alliance will increase the chances of achieving the goal of the treatment because the clients will be willing to cooperate if they trust and respect the therapist. Clients are not likely to cooperate with therapists who impose their authority aggressively. Instead of imposing their authority on the patient, therapists should develop work with their patients by

Practicing therapeutic communication techniques contribute in developing a successful nurse-patient relationship. One example of therapeutic communication is attentive, active listening. Patients’ concerns include their wants, needs, comments, questions, opinions, complaints, etc. Active listening involves the patient communicating their concerns to the nurse, while the nurse actively listens and addresses each concern. I would use this form of communication in order to grasp a complete, comprehensive assessment of a patient’s personal concerns. I would be persistent in addressing each concern while earning their trust with my competency and reliability.

Therapy is often said to be just as much of an art as it is a science. Namely because there is so much that goes into it. To create a successful therapeutic relationship, there are some key elements that need to be a part of the formula. Each therapist may end up having a different recipe, but it is important that a therapist knows what ingredients he or she may need and what they can add for it to be successful. Throughout this paper, this writer will discuss characteristics she hopes to embody as a therapist, as well as the values and skills she wishes to bring with her into a therapeutic relationship.