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Therapeutic Communication

Therapeutic communication is defined as the face-to-face process of interacting that focuses on advancing the physical and emotional well-being of a patient. Nurses use therapeutic communication techniques to provide support and information to patients. Therapeutic Communication enhaces the patients comfort levels and ensures the feeling of safety and trust between the patient and nurse. Nurses can benefit from Therapeutic communication as much as the patient can. The nurses can find ease that they helped someone in need as an result of their help.

Background

Therapeutic communication can also been known as the Interpersonal Relationship in nursing. Interpersonal relations have been present a very long time but has only been apart of the research field since the early 1950's. Since then, researchers have shown that having interpersonal relations (close relations) with clients when in hospital care is very important to both the care-giver and patient. In 1952 a well known figure in the nursing field, Hildegard Peplau (1909-1999) emphasized on the Nurse-Client Relationship. Many people believed Peplau revolutionized the Nurse-Client world. Since then, there has been more research done as well as programs made for nursing students to ensure that they can have proper communication with patients.

Goals in Therapeutic Communication

The main goal of Therapeutic Communication is focusing on advancing the physical and emotional well-being of the patient. The nurse's main goal is to make sure the patient understand what is going on through non-verbal and verbal communication.

A Few Examples Would Be:

1)A stubborn 80 year old woman was hospitalized for phenomena. The woman is hard of hearing and is not too sure what is going on. The nurse's goal is to make sure she is understanding everything that has happened to her, and everything that will happen to her while she is a patient. Since she is hard of hearing it is the nurse's job to make sure that they communicate effectively. Since the patient is stubborn she is not listening to what the doctors say, nor responding when being asked important health questions. It is the nurses job when dealing with Therapeutic communication to make sure the woman can feel at home and have a sense of safety. The nurse would use her communication skills to let the patient open up and get all the help she needs.

2) "When discussing with a patient a problem she has with her husband, it may be an error to ask, "have you talked this over with him?" If the patient has not discussed the subject with him, then she may feel that the therapists inquiry implies that she has blundered by not doing so." Indirect questions could be much safer to ask such as, "What does your husband think about this problem? Has he brought the subject up with you? Has he in other ways made is feelings clear on this point?"

Roles in Therapeutic Communication

When dealing with Therapeutic communication there are many roles you may encounter:

1. Stranger: This role occurs when the patient meets their nurse for the first time.
2. Resource: The nurse gives answers to questions patients may have.
3. Teacher: Nurse provides answers to questions that the patient may have.
4. Leader: Nurse shows strength in a vulnerable time.
5. Surrogate : Patients may see nurses as a symbol of another individual.
6. Technical Expert: Nurses use their skills to help patients.
7. Counselor: Nurses help patients in their new life, whatever it may be.

Techniques Used

5 Communication Skills to use for mentally ill

1. Acknowledge Pain
2. Let Client Lead Topic of Conversation
3. Remain Neutral
4. Become Comfortable With Silence
5. Use Positive Body Language

When communicating with patients it is very important to follow these communication skills as well as the techniques. Patients are very frail and it is important to make sure they feel that they are in a safe and welcoming environment. There are many techniques when it comes to any type of communication. In therapeutic communication it is tends to lean on the more personal side.

Other Communication Techniques

• Giving recognition
• Giving broad openings
• Making observations
• Focusing
• Summarizing
• Offering Hope
• Offering Humor

Issues in Therapeutic Communication

Becoming too personal could be an issue when dealing with Therapeutic communication. Self Disclosure is a huge factor when trying to avoid issues when it comes to this type of communication. Nurses have to understand to practice ethically they must examine their own feelings and motives, if not, it may affect how to practice. You must put most feelings behind because many issues can come forth. For example, if a nurse sees a patient like themselves and similarities to themselves, they may give them special treatment, which is not fair to other patients or allowed when giving treatment. "A nurse who perceives a special connection with a patient might be justified, even obligated, to use that connection for the patient's benefit as long as it doesn't interfere with other patients' care. A more potent danger occurs when a nurse's need to see similarities interferes with her or his ability to have a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship, such as if the nurse distorts understanding of a patient and the patient's problems in an effort to see the patient as more like herself or himself. Therapeutic connection is better served by developing the ability to understand, appreciate, and empathize with patients who differ significantly from the nurse, and to perceive the connection as broadly as possible, such as "I'm like you because of the experience of sadness" rather than "I'm like you because I lost my father, too."