THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION Flashcards
Is the process that people use to exchange information
Communication
What are the 2 forms of communication?
- Verbal Communication
- Non-Verbal Communication
-Consists of the words a person uses to speak or one or more listeners
- Words consist of the object and concept being discussed
Verbal Communication
Behavior that accompanies verbal contents such as body language, eye contact, facial expression, tone of voice, speed and hesitations in speech, grunts and groans, and distance from listeners
Non-Verbal Communication
is an interpersonal interaction between the nurse and the client during
which the nurse focuses on the client’s specific needs to promote and effective exchange of
information (Videbeck, 2020).
Therapeutic Communication
Elements of Therapeutic Communication
- Privacy and Respecting Behaviors
- Touch
- Active Listening and Active Observation
Elements of Therapeutic Communication
Means freedom from interference or intrusion. It is the right to be let alone. Privacy is
desirable but not always possible in therapeutic communication.
Privacy and Respecting Boundaries
What’s the nursing responsibility of Privacy and Respecting boundaries?
Ensure appropriate setting for therapeutic
communication.
o Conduct interview in a conference room.
o Informal conversations at the end of the hall or in a quiet corner of a lobby.
Part of Privacy and Respecting Boundaries where it is the study of distance zones between people during communication
Proxemics
Distance Zones of Proxemic
Intimate zone (0-18 inches between people)
▪ Comfortable for parents with young children
▪ People who mutually desire personal contact
▪ Invasion is threatening and produces anxiety
Personal zone (18-36 inches)
▪ Appropriate for normal conversation between family and friends
Social zone (4- 12 feet)
▪ Communication in social, work, and business setting
Public zone (12- 25 feet)
-Appropriate distance between speaker and audience, or small groups
-When the nurse must invade the intimate zone or personal zone, he or she should always
ask the client’s permission. He or she should ask permission in a yes/no format, so the
client’s response is clear.
- The therapeutic communication interaction is most comfortable when the nurse and the
client are 3 to 6 feet apart.
Touch
Used in examinations or procedures
Functional- professional touch
Touch
-Used in greeting someone
- Used when a gentle hand guides someone in the correct direction
Social-Public Touch
Touch
-Hug in greeting
-Arm thrown around the shoulder of a good friend
-Backslapping used by some men to greet close friends
Friendship-warm touch
Touch
-Tight hugs and kisses between lovers or close relatives
Love-intimacy touch
Touch
-French kiss
-Used by lovers
Sexual-arousal touch
Additional information about TOUCH
-Touching a client can be comforting and supportive when it is welcome and permitted,
otherwise it becomes inappropriate form of touch
-When a staff member is going to touch a client while performing nursing care, he or she
must verbally prepare the client before starting the procedure
-Caution must be made when dealing with clients with history of abuse or with paranoia
means refraining from other internal mental activities and
concentrating exclusively on the client is saying
Active Listening
means watching the speaker’s non-verbal actions as he or she
communicates.
Active Observation
An important factor in verbal communication skills that convey words that are explicit and need no interpretation.
Concrete messages
Identify the sentences if it is a Concrete or Abstract
“What health symptoms caused you to come to the hospital today?”
Concrete Messages
Identify the sentences if it is a Concrete or Abstract
“Why are you in the hospital today?’
Abstract Messages
Verbal Communications Skills
It is an unclear pattern of words that often contain figures of speech that are difficult to interpret. They require the speaker to interpret what the speaker is asking
Abstract Messages
Identify the sentences if it is a Concrete or Abstract
“Your clinical performance has to improve”
Abstract
“To administer medications tomorrow, you will have to be able to calculate dosages
correctly by the end of today’s class.”
Concrete
What are the Therapeutic Communication Techniques?
-Broad Openings
- Offering self
-Offering general leads
- Making Observations
- Presenting reality
-Reflecting
-Restating
-Exploring
-Seeking Clarification/Information
-Verbalizing the implied
-Using silence
-Allowing the client to take the initiative in introducing the topic.
-Emphasizes the importance of the client’s role in the interaction.
Broad Openings
“Where would you like to begin?”
“What would you like to talk about today?
“Tell me what you are thinking.”
Broad Openings