Therapeutic communication

Promotes understanding and can help establish a constructive relationship between the nurse
and the client.
Attentive listening- is listening actively using all the senses. Active process that requires energy
and concentration. Paying attention to the total massage both verbal and nonverbal. Common
responses are nodding the head, "uh huh" or " Mmm"
Therapeutic communication techniques
Using silence - accepting pauses pr silences that may extend for several minutes
Providing general leads- encourage the client to verbalize, choose topic of conversation and
facilitate continued verbalization
Being specific and tentative- making statements that are specific rather than general
Using open-ended questions- asking broad questions that lead or invite the client to explore
feelings
Using touch- nurse must be sensitive to the differences in attitudes and practices of clients and
self
Restating or paraphrasing- active listening and then repeating those thoughts in similar words,
offers client a clearer idea of what they have said
Seeking clarification- ask the client to repeat or restate the message to clarify their own
message with statements
Perception checking or seeking consensual validation- verifies the meaning of specific words
Offering self- suggesting one's presence or wish to understand the client without making any
demands
Giving information- providing specific factual information the client may or may not request.
Acknowledging- giving recognition in a nonjudgmental way that the client has made
Clarifying time or sequence- helping the client clarify an event or happening in relationship to
time
Presenting reality- helping differentiate the real from the unreal
Focusing- helping the client expand on and develop a topic of importance. Recognize the
emotion disguised behind words
Reflecting - content back to clients to enable them to explore their own ideas and feelings
about a situation
Summarizing and planning- stating the main points of a discussion to clarify the relevant points
discussed.
Barriers to communication
Nurse need to recognize barriers to effective communication
Technique
Stereotyping- offering generalized beliefs about people based on experiences too limited to be
valid
Agreeing and disagreeing- imply that the client is either right or wrong, may cause a client to
become defensive
Being defensive - attempting to protect a person or health care services from negative
comments, the client prevent expressing the true concerns
Challenging - giving a response that makes clients prove their statement or point of view
Probing- asking for information chiefly out if curiosity rather than to assist the client
Testing- asking questions that make the client admit to something, often meet the nurse's need
rather the client's
Rejecting- refusing to discuss certain topics with the client
Changing the topics and subjects- directing to self interest rather than considering the client's
concerns is often a self- protective response to a topic that causes anxiety
Unwarranted reassurance - advice as a means to reassure the client
Passing judgments- giving opinions and approving or disapproving responses , moralizing or
implying one' s own values
Giving common advice - telling the client what to do