Therapeutic Relationship in Nursing Practice - Nursing Essay Sample

A therapeutic relationship is a major component of the nursing profession. In fact, the literature suggests that the therapeutic relationship is one of the most important factors that should be assessed when it comes to an understanding of the delivery of care and its effectiveness (Bulman and Schutz, 2013). From a nursing perspective, a therapeutic relationship can be described to be a symbiotic and equal relationship that exists between the nurse and the client. It is important for a patient to feel that they can rely on others in their recovery process. In this sense, therapy is a function of both the patient and the nurse (Wiener, 2009). A healthy therapeutic relationship is one that incorporates various aspects such as tolerance, empathy, respect, good communication, self-awareness, and receptivity. The nurse must have the confidence in her abilities and trust that she will deliver a service of the highest quality (Taylor, 2010). At the end of the day, all patients are different, and it is on the part of the nurse to be adaptable to different nursing requirements depending on the needs of the patients. In this regard, the nurse is best positioned to provide individualized care.

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For a long time, the concept of caring has been seen to be the most important aspect of nursing. It is difficult to define nursing without integrating the concept of caring into the equation (Flaskas, Mason and Perlesz, 2005). However, it should not be taken for granted that the act of caring for a person can be done without the existence of a therapeutic relationship. For nurses, it is evident that caring entails the crossing of borders that are normally observed in most social contexts (Hick and Bien, 2008). There is a level of intimacy that exists between a nurse and the patient, and this is something that cannot necessarily be taught in a nursing school. At the root of this understanding is the realization that the therapeutic relationship between a nurse and the patient is much deeper than the professional requirements that a nurse may be subjected to by a professional body or legislation (Hick and Bien, 2008). For this reason, the therapeutic relationship is a combination of many factors that come together to create the best experience for both the patient as well as the nurse. It can be the perception of many that the therapeutic relationship in nursing practice is mostly concerned with the patients perspective (Fox, 2008). However, the nurse also stands to benefit by engaging in a healthy therapeutic relationship with the patients. Other core aspects of the nursing practice that influence nursing outcomes include the utilization of evidence-based care, communication, and working as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Self-awareness and reflection of the caring process should also be factored in as a crucial component in nursing care (Howatson-Jones, 2010).

When it comes to individualized and holistic care, a nurse is usually focused on ensuring that a patient is taken care of by boosting not only the body but the mind and the spirit as well. Holistic nursing is designed to cater to all the factors that contribute to the health of a patient. For this reason, a healthy therapeutic relationship is one that should assess psychological as well as the sociological aspects of health (Lewenson and Truglio-Londrigan, 2008). It is with this understanding that a nurse can tailor a solution that is compatible with the needs of a patient. It has already been accepted in the nursing community that it is important to respect the wishes of a patient to the extent to which they do not cause harm to other systems or members of the public. It is also a highly complex process as it may mean having to factor in issues such as attitudes, religious, and spiritual values (Johns and Freshwater, 2005). However, it is only through this process that a nurse can get to understand the needs of a patient.

At the heart of this process is the need to have an open communication between the concerned parties. Experienced nurse practitioners know that communication may mean the difference between life and death for a patient (Bennett, 2005, pp.36-36). A successful therapeutic relationship cannot occur without the patient being honest and clear about their needs and objectives. A basic definition of communication is one where any form of the message can be sent, be received, and understood. As such, it may involve more than just word of mouth (McSherry, 2006). Nurses have adapted to other ways of engaging in meaningful communication strategies with their patients. These may include things such as facial expressions, the use of body language, hand movement, and eye contact. In most cases, patients will possess a specific level of fear, and it is the responsibility of the nurse to ensure that such fears are allied through meaningful interactions with their patients (Wiener, 2009). A good communication strategy helps to create a frictionless environment between the concerned parties, and it may help speed up the process of healing in patients. In the creation of a therapeutic environment conducive to a quick recovery, it is recommended that a nurse is mindful of their tonal variations and the volume (Johns and Freshwater, 2005).

There are situations where a nurse finds it difficult to communicate with a patient. Depending on the psychological profile of a patient, a nurse may face a difficult patient who may sound ungrateful. Working in such an environment is difficult, but a nurse is required to show exemplary professionalism and ensure that a patient has a quick recovery (Smith, 1992). It is in such situations that a nurse can turn to the Code of Conduct that all nurses adhere to nationwide. It may be easy to develop a healthy therapeutic relationship with a cooperative patient. When a hard patient tags along, it is still expected of the nurse to conduct their affairs with professionalism (Taylor, 2010). As mentioned before, communication is a double-edged sword. The nurse should not react with negativity in such situations. A healthy therapeutic relationship needs to respond positively even towards negative situations. Values such as respect, individuality, and honesty are integral in the process towards the establishment of a healthy relationship with a patient (Cirocco, 2007, pp.405-413).

Another overlooked factor that is crucial in the nursing practice is the environment. It has always been accepted in the nursing world that the environment is critical to the recovery of a patient. An environment should be tailored towards the comfort of the patient. Issues such as ventilation, comfortable pillows, hygiene, and sanitation are to be observed by the administration of healthcare institution (Schuster, 2000). One way that a nurse can enhance the quality of the therapeutic relationship with the nurse is by creating a platform that encourages the patient to look after their personal affairs such as hygiene. It is in this move that the patient gains the confidence and desire to become healthy and mobile (Ekebergh, 2007, pp.331-343). However, there are situations in which it is the nurse who has to handle private and intimate issues with regards to a patient. In such a case, the nurse should ensure that details such as dignity, privacy, self-esteem, and safety are observed. A healthy therapeutic relationship is always easy to attain when the nurse can put themselves in the patients shoes. In this way, it is possible to become mindful of body language and the tone of voice. The concept of care is, for that reason, expressed well by the nurse and appreciated by the patient (Frank, 2005, pp.15-56).

As mentioned before, the therapeutic relationship is not just beneficial to the patient. To a large extent, nurses get to benefit a lot when they operate in an environment that is healthy emotionally, intellectually, and professionally. It is not uncommon to hear of nurses being transformed by the nature of the profession. Self-awareness and reflective reasoning are principles that enable nurses to be aware of the impact of their actions as well as the impact of the working environment on their personhood (Rafferty and Traynor, 2002). One major issue is the ability to gauge ones belief systems, strengths, and limitations. It is a show of strength in the character of a person to admit that there are perceived weaknesses that need to be addressed in the course of service delivery. It is the responsibility of every nurse to ensure that they strive to produce better results as they get older into the profession (Jacobs, 2016, pp. 62-64). It is with this understanding that a healthy therapeutic relationship is revealed between patients and nurses. Studies have shown that job satisfaction is enhanced in such an environment whereby nurses see a definite improvement in their ability to deliver high quality services. As such, it should be the priority of every healthcare institution to ensure that their nurses are engaged in the process of self-discovery and growth so as to improve their work morale and responsiveness to the day-to-day challenges of work (Hadwin, 2008, pp.31-31).

While the patient may require a healthy and peaceful environment to accelerate the process of healing, nurses require an environment that enables them to operate in an atmosphere that does not restrict their ability to be creative. Healthcare institutions are now deliberating on some of the ways that can be followed so as to reduce the workload of nurses (Sharples, 2009, pp.30-30). A huge workload is one of the things that affect nurses and has hit the health outcomes of patients. It is a remarkable achievement that a nurse can offer quality services even though they are stretched and overworked. Increased stress levels in any work environment undermine the ability of the human resource to serve with diligence and commitment. In fact, nurses get to produce an excellent job even under such stressful conditions (Keepnews, 2008, pp.222). The problem arises when it comes to assessing the quality of relationships between the nurses and their patients. In the public health system, nurses are usually determined to fulfill their end-of-the-deal as quickly as possible due to the long working hours. There have been complaints in the nursing community that some of them are underpaid, and this can only serve to create general apathy and make it difficult for nurses to have a deeper therapeutic relationship with their nurses (Thede, 2001, pp.1-4). It is in this context that hospitals and other concerned authorities should strive to ensure that nurses are afforded the optimum conditions that will ensure there is an efficient delivery of services towards patients. It is no coincidence that nurses who work in the private sector register higher levels of job satisfaction as compared to those who operate in the public healthcare system. It can, for this reason, be seen that macro movements in the realm of economics and politics are also a significant contributor to the relationship that exists between nurses and their patients (Robb, 2004).

In conclusion, it is clear that the therapeutic relationship is an important aspect of healthcare delivery in the nursing context. The therapeutic relationship is one that is affected by both internal and external factors. The nurse has the responsibility of ensuring that they are always providing a high quality of services towards their patients. Values such as communication and respect are factors that can be controlled by the nurse to ensure that a healthy therapeutic relationship is established. It, in turn, results in the positive health outcomes (Twycross, 2011, pp.63-63). Self-awareness and continuous improvements in ones ability are also factors tha...