Therapeutic Nurse-Patient Relationship Analysis

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

Hildegard Peplau was an American nursing theorist who was responsible for creating the interpersonal relations theory for nursing, specifically psychiatric nursing. The major concept of this theory was the significance of the patient-nurse relationship. Peplau’s theory introduced many new ideas such as self-awareness, personal identity, and individuality that became dominant concepts in nursing. Her interpersonal relations theory became an important framework for nursing work. Peplau’s interpersonal relations model includes four phases and suggests that each nurse has seven distinct roles. As a nurse, it is important to understand the importance of this theory and be able to integrate it into practice. Understanding this theory can help nurses relate to their patients in a way that will benefit the patient as well as the nurse. Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relations and how it relates to current nursing practice will be discussed in this paper.

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.

The framework for creating a therapeutic relationship is built on the nurse’s ability to show empathy towards the client. Empathy is being able to put oneself in the patient’s shoes, to feel the same things they feel

In nursing practice, communication is essential, and good communication skills are paramount in the development of a therapeutic nurse/patient relationship. This aim of this essay is to discuss the importance of communication in nursing, demonstrating how effective communication facilitates a therapeutic

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

As a nurse, communication is an essential and important factor to building a therapeutic relationship between a nurse and patient as it is the difference between average and excellent nursing care, as it helps maintain a good quality of life and allows nurses’ and patients to interact and provide comfort when needed. The importance of good communication can become apparent with patients especially when they are in the hospital, as it helps the nurses build a positive relationship with patients and helps overcome barriers including physical, psychological and social. A therapeutic relationship is built on many factors which include both verbal and non-verbal communication which helps maintains the relationship and strengthens it due to the positive impact it has not only on the patient’s experience but also the nurse’s.

Effective communication through person centered care are essential for health profession, specifically in nursing care. Mueller (2016) noted that it occurs mainly through transaction modes where the patient and the nurse are on common grounds through mutual understanding. The competent communication practice of Person centered care allows the nurse to recognize patients as people and not by their illness. Moreover, person centered care satisfies patients by providing informational support to them and their families. In addition, to form a client -nurse relationship, therapeutic communication accentuates the care provider, through non-verbal, verbal and cultural norms. Lastly self-awareness allows the nurse to be aware of the patient’s

A nurse-patient relationship is the basic requirements in all practice settings. Its usage is to manage communication between an organization and a public while maintaining boundaries in the therapeutic relationship. Based on Peplau’s interpersonal theory, communication takes place in a nurse-client relationship where therapeutic process occurs involving complex factors such as environment, attitudes, practices, and beliefs in the dominant culture (seu.edu, 2015). The actions of each person in a nurse-patient relationship is measured on the collaboration of their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Nurse’s work to attain, maintain, and restore the patient’s health until patient have fulfilled the health care needs. Patient must be guided and provided a well-respected environment until a better health and specific needs are fully considered in the relationship. In this kind of setting, nurse’s must create relationship with patients by communicating receptivity, assimilating the concepts of empathy, trust, genuineness, respect, and confidentiality into their interactions.

In any practice of care, nurses must be able to provide care that is holistic and centred to the individual client. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), to care for a patient ‘holistically’ is to look beyond their illness or disability and care for them as individuals considering not just physical but also their mental, emotional and spiritual well-being (ref). Whilst, person-centred care is to deliver care moulded to the patients’ personal preferences, treating them with value and respect, ensuring that the care provided is appropriate for their needs (Goodrich and Cornwall, 2008).

By giving nurses a sense of identity, nursing theory can help patients, managers and other healthcare professionals to recognize the unique contribution that nurses make to the healthcare service (Draper 1990).Hildegard Peplau, one of the role model of nursing theorist, established a theory of interpersonal relationships in nursing. Her reason is the goal of the nurse-client relationship is to give a quality nursing care moving forward to health promotion and maintenance. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a basic assessment of her theory.

Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relationship or nurse-client relationship revolves around interactions with clients. Previously, patients are merely view as objects that could only be observed by nurses. Nowadays, patients are view as individual who participate and interact actively in their care through communication by expressing their thought and concern (McCarthy & Aquino-Russell, 2009, p. 34) with the aim of supporting a client’s well- being and health.

The characteristic of holistic communication includes preaccess and assessment Phase. The holistic communication procedure allows the importance of life centered and creating a purpose before engaging in a caring, healing dealings with another. The two procedures, being centered and creating meaning, establish the preaccess phase involved in holistic interactions. This is considered the foundational phase of caring and healing, communication happens before any patient-to-nurse interaction takes place. The nurse sojourns to the moment to maintain a healing environment for herself or himself and to the patient. Creating a healing environment cultivates both the client and the nurse at a deep level, no matter where one is working.

Therapeutic Communication has a huge impact on patients, whether, we, as nurses, see it or not. It is very important for a nurse to gain a patient’s trust. Many patients are already filled with sadness, nervousness and unsure thoughts of their current situation. Such thoughts may make a person scared to trust or open up to a nurse or doctor. Developing a close rapport with a patient can help to create a safe, warming environment, resulting in a positive experience throughout their time in the hospital or even nursing home. In “Therapeutic Communication”, Anna Lauria opens saying, “What we say or do not say can influence whether a client is able to quiet his mind, relax his body and initiate a healing response” (Lauria). Being a nurse, we automatically have the opportunity to create a strong influence on patients’ lives during, and even after, their hospital experience.