Client With a Voice - Establishing a Therapeutic Nurse-Client Relationship

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Today’s health care systems have called attention to the importance of therapeutic nurse-client relationship which needs to be reinstated back into the forefront of thoughts and dialogues about nursing pactice since it has been overpowered by a technology driven medical model. Kleiman (2009. p2). In clinical placement, I will meet with clients for the first time and interact with them in weeks to follow. This is one of the most important aspect for a nursing student like me, as it will further cement my practical and theory knowledge in the real world. Establishing and maintaining a nurse-client relationship that is therapeutical is crucial in this setting. Although it has been argued that health care organisations do not appear to value or recognize the importance of nurses using a patient-centred approach when communicating with patients, (McCabe 2003; Robb, Seddon, & EPIQ, 2006) I will show that in order to provide quality and safe client care, establishing and maintaining a therapeutic nurse-client relationship is a key component in nursing.

Therapeutic relationship refers to a professional relationship between a nurse and a patient who unites in a nursing occasion. This is carried out through communication in a manner which focuses solely on the patient (patient-centred care). An effective communication between a nurse-client is a mutual process of sending and receiving messages clearly from thoughts, feelings, actions and approaches through spoken, written and non verbal means. Nurses must be skilled communicators as outlined by the NZNO Competency on Interpersonal relationships principles. Robb, Seddon & EPIQ (2006) mentions the NZ Ministry of Health’s Improving Quality document perceive “people-centred” rather than p...

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