Hildegard Peplau was a pioneering psychiatric nurse who developed the Interpersonal Relations Theory, which defines nursing as a therapeutic interpersonal process. The theory outlines four phases of the nurse-patient relationship: orientation, identification, exploitation, and resolution. Peplau's work had a significant impact on the field and established the importance of the nurse-patient relationship in the treatment process.

1. 2

2.  Hildegard Peplau was an outstanding leader and
pioneer in psychiatric nursing whose career
spanned decades.
 She made the conscious decision that if she was
going to be a nurse ,then she would be a good
one
 PEPLAU’S theory :defines nursing as a “significant
,therapeutic , interpersonal process
 Published Interpersonal Relations in Nursing in
1952
3

3.  Understanding of ones own behavior
 To help others identify felt difficulties
 According to Peplau, nursing is therapeutic in
that it is a healing art, assisting an individual
who is sick or in need of health care.
 Nursing is an interpersonal process because
it involves interaction between two or more
individuals with a common goal.
 The nurse and patient work together so both
become mature and knowledgeable in the
process.
4

4.  Person :A developing organism that
tries to reduce anxiety caused by
needs
 Environment : Existing forces outside
the organism and in the context of
culture
5

5.  Health : A word symbol that implies forward
movement of personality and other ongoing
human processes in the direction of
creative, constructive, productive, personal
and community living.
 Nursing: A significant therapeutic
interpersonal process. It functions
cooperatively with other human process
that make health possible for individuals in
communities
6

6.  Nurse
 Patient
 Professional expertise &
 Client need
NEED : Interpersonal theory is especially
useful in psychiatric nursing and is useful in
relation to psychosocial problems and nurse-
patient relationships in all clinical areas of
nursing.
7

7.  Stranger: receives the client in the same way
one meets a stranger in other life situations
provides an accepting climate that builds
trust.
 Teacher: who imparts knowledge in reference
to a need or interest
 Resource Person : one who provides a specific
needed information that aids in the
understanding of a problem or new situation
8

8.  Counselors : helps to understand and
integrate the meaning of current life
circumstances ,provides guidance and
encouragement to make changes
 Surrogate: helps to clarify domains of
dependence interdependence and
independence and acts on clients behalf as an
advocate.
 Leader : helps client assume maximum
responsibility for meeting treatment goals in
a mutually satisfying way
9

9.  Technical expert
 Consultant
 Health teacher
 Tutor
 Socializing agent
 Safety agent
 Manager of environment
 Mediator
 Administrator
 Recorder observer
 Researcher
10

10. 11

11.  Identified four sequential phases in the
interpersonal relationship:
 1. Orientation
 2. Identification
 3. Exploitation
 4. Resolution
12

12.  Problem defining phase
 Starts when client meets nurse as stranger
 Defining problem and deciding type of
service needed
 Client seeks assistance ,conveys needs ,asks
questions, shares preconceptions and
expectations of past experiences
 Nurse responds, explains roles to client,
helps to identify problems and to use
available resources and services
13

13.  Selection of appropriate professional
assistance
 Patient begins to have a feeling of belonging
and a capability of dealing with the problem
which decreases the feeling of helplessness
and hopelessness
14

14.  Use of professional assistance for problem
solving alternatives
 Advantages of services are used is based on
the needs and interests of the patients
 Individual feels as an integral part of the
helping environment
 They may make minor requests or attention
getting techniques
15

15.  The principles of interview techniques must
be used in order to explore ,understand and
adequately deal with the underlying problem
 Patient may fluctuates on independence
 Nurse must be aware about the various
phases of communication
 Nurse aids the patient in exploiting all
avenues of help and progress is made
towards the final step
16

16.  Termination of professional relationship
 The patients needs have already been met by the
collaborative effect of patient and nurse
 Now they need to terminate their therapeutic
relationship and dissolve the links between them.
 Sometimes may be difficult for both as
psychological dependence persists
 Patient drifts away and breaks bond with nurse
and healthier emotional balance is demonstrated
and both becomes mature individuals
17

17.  Both are sequential and focus on therapeutic
relationship
 Both use problem solving techniques for the
nurse and patient to collaborate on, with the
end purpose of meeting the patients needs
 Both use observation communication and
recording as basic tools utilized by nursing
18

18. Assessment
 Data collection and
analysis [continuous]
 May not be a felt
need
Nursing
diagnosis
 Planning
 Mutually set goals
Orientation
 Non continuous data
collection
 Felt need
 Define needs
Identification
 Interdependent goal
setting
19

19. Implementatio
n
 Plans initiated
towards
achievement of
mutually set goals
 May be
accomplished by
patient , nurse or
family
Exploitation
 Patient actively
seeking and
drawing help
 Patient initiated
20

20. Evaluation
 Based on mutually
expected
behaviours
 May led to
termination and
initiation of new
plans
Resolution
 Occurs after other
phases are
completed
successfully
 Leads to
termination
21

21.  Theories can interrelate concepts in such a
way as to create a different way of looking at
a particular phenomenon.
 Four phases interrelate the different
components of each phase.
 The nurse patient interaction can apply to the
concepts of human being ,health,
environment and nursing.
22

22. ◦ Provides a logical systematic way of viewing
nursing situations
◦ Key concepts such as anxiety, tension, goals, and
frustration are indicated with explicit
relationships among them and progressive
phases
23

23.  It provides simplicity in regard to the natural
progression of the NP relationship.
 Leads to adaptability in any nurse patient
relationship.
 The basic nature of nursing still considered
an interpersonal process
24

24.  Has generated testable hypotheses.
 Theories contribute to and assist in
increasing the general body of knowledge
within the discipline through the research
implemented to validate them.
 In 1950’s two third of the nursing research
concentrated on N-P relation ship
25

25.  Peplau’s anxiety continuum is still used in
anxiety patients
 Theories must be consistent with other
validated theories, laws, and principles but
will leave open unanswered questions that
need to be investigated.
 Consistent with various theories
26

26.  Intra family dynamics, personal space
considerations and community social service
resources are considered less
 Health promotion and maintenance were less
emphasized
 Cannot be used in a patient who doesn’t have
a felt need eg. With drawn patients,
unconscious patients
 some areas are not specific enough to
generate hypothesis
27

27.  Interpersonal theory is especially useful in
psychiatric nursing and is useful in relation to
psychosocial problems and nurse-patient
relationships in all clinical areas of nursing.
28

28. 29