Therapeutic communication is an essential component in nursing care, it allows the nurse to build a patient-centered therapeutic relationship. Therapeutic communication is a skill that most nurses develop throughout their nursing education however it is used more often in mental health because mental illness doesn’t only affect the physical well being but also the emotional well being which makes it hard on the individual to relate to others. Therapeutic communication is a skill that will take time and practice to develop, nurses using therapeutic communication will develop their own style and rhythm. Communication is a process that involves interaction between two or more individuals who send and receive information between each other (Halter,
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The main goal for MI is to help individuals understand their lifestyle issues and aim to create positive changes. There are five techniques which can help with therapeutic communication: open-ended questions, confirmation, reflective listening, summarizing and beginning discussion regarding the change (Brobeck et al, 2011). MI is used to empower the patient by helping them to gain control over their lifestyles. This empowerment forms a cooperation between the patient and the nurse in order for the patient to develop the skills and the knowledge needed to be able to control different situation and be able to make own decisions. MI is an important method in health promotion practice which allows the patient to be actively involved in their own care (Brobeck et al, 2011). There are many factors which can affect the achievement of MI: professional experience, training, interest, respect and understanding, time, enrichment, stimulating, developing, effective, and tolerance (Brobeck et al, …show more content…
In clinical I had an experience with a patient that taught me a great deal in therapeutic communication. I was assigned a patient who refused to ambulate, the patient stayed in bed the entire day. I made several attempts to educate the patient on the importance of ambulation in preventing blood clots, increasing joint flexibility, strengthening muscles etc. After several unsuccessful attempts, I asked my clinical instructor for assistance. The instructor used the MI method (open-ended questions, confirmation, reflective listening, summarizing and beginning discussion regarding the change) and was able to get the patient to ambulate. Instead of asking the patient if she wants to walk around the unit, she asked her what was her plan for the day and when the patient answered that she didn’t have a plan, the instructor asked her about ambulating. This technique allowed the patient to elaborate more and not just answer, yes or no, the way you phrase the question is important to make sure that you get adequate information rather than a fast yes or no. She also responded to the patient by affirming positive attributes to empower the patient and get her to eventually change her behavior. My instructor acknowledged the fact that
The main goal for MI is to help individuals understand their lifestyle issues and aim to create positive changes. There are five techniques which can help with therapeutic communication: open-ended questions, confirmation, reflective listening, summarizing and beginning discussion regarding the change (Brobeck et al, 2011). MI is used to empower the patient by helping them to gain control over their lifestyles. This empowerment forms a cooperation between the patient and the nurse in order for the patient to develop the skills and the knowledge needed to be able to control different situation and be able to make own decisions. MI is an important method in health promotion practice which allows the patient to be actively involved in their own care (Brobeck et al, 2011). There are many factors which can affect the achievement of MI: professional experience, training, interest, respect and understanding, time, enrichment, stimulating, developing, effective, and tolerance (Brobeck et al, …show more content…
In clinical I had an experience with a patient that taught me a great deal in therapeutic communication. I was assigned a patient who refused to ambulate, the patient stayed in bed the entire day. I made several attempts to educate the patient on the importance of ambulation in preventing blood clots, increasing joint flexibility, strengthening muscles etc. After several unsuccessful attempts, I asked my clinical instructor for assistance. The instructor used the MI method (open-ended questions, confirmation, reflective listening, summarizing and beginning discussion regarding the change) and was able to get the patient to ambulate. Instead of asking the patient if she wants to walk around the unit, she asked her what was her plan for the day and when the patient answered that she didn’t have a plan, the instructor asked her about ambulating. This technique allowed the patient to elaborate more and not just answer, yes or no, the way you phrase the question is important to make sure that you get adequate information rather than a fast yes or no. She also responded to the patient by affirming positive attributes to empower the patient and get her to eventually change her behavior. My instructor acknowledged the fact that