Therapeutic communication is a fundamental aspect of nursing that fosters patient relationships through verbal and non-verbal interactions aimed at understanding and addressing a patient's emotional and physical needs. Techniques such as active listening, empathy, and providing information contribute to enhanced patient outcomes and satisfaction while preventing burnout among nurses. Nurses must focus on nurturing these skills to elevate the quality of care and promote a healing environment.

1. Therapeutic
Communication
Kashifa Rana
M. Phil English – B:Ed – DCA

3. • Nurses are the health providers who spend the most time with patients.
From when a patient enters the hospital, nurses are there every step of the
way through all the procedures and treatment plans and up to their discharge.
• They provide care, attention, relief, information, and empathy.
• Efficient nursing care builds its foundation on therapeutic communication, a
vital skill for aspiring nurses, new nurses, experienced nurses, nurses working
by the bedside or away from
• Regardless of the nursing position or their level of expertise,
therapeutic communication is at the heart of all successful nursing
practices.

4. • Therapeutic communication,
including listening, is the most
important skill in establishing
interpersonal relationship with
patients in psychiatric wards.
During therapeutic communication,
a relationship is built between
patient and student through
empathy.

5. What is Therapeutic Communication?
• Therapeutic communication in nursing consists of an exchange
between patient and nurse using verbal and non-verbal cues.
• It’s a process in which the healthcare professional consciously uses
specific techniques to help patients better understand their condition
or situation.
• At the same time, they also encourage patients to freely express their
ideas and feelings in a relationship of mutual respect and acceptance.

6. • The main goal of this communication style is to help patients get through
emotional and/or psychological distress. Thus, it’s an invaluable approach
to patient interactions, making it one of the most important tools in a
nurse’s toolbox.
• The concept of therapeutic communication is by no means a new one. Its
benefits have been acknowledged for centuries. In the late 1800s, Florence
Nightingale was one of the first to endorse the importance of
communication that develops between nurse and the patient. In more
recent times, multiple studies have corroborated the importance of the
practice.

7. Benefits of Employing Therapeutic Communication
• According to the definition, therapeutic communication aims to advance the physical
and emotional well-being of a patient.
• The process of communicating therapeutically leads to more accurate diagnoses.
• Identifying the patient’s needs and emotions can increase collaborative decision-
making with patients.
• The quality of communication is directly related to the patient’s devotion to treatment.
Thus, the chances of a patient treatment plans are higher when there is efficient
communication, leading to better patient outcomes.

8. Benefits of Employing Therapeutic Communication
• Patient-centered encounters informed by therapeutic
communication have shown improved patient and nurse
satisfaction. Consequently, they lead to a reduced risk of
negligence and decreased levels of nurse burnout.
• Essentially, therapeutic communication makes the difference
between basic nursing care and quality nursing care. While every
nurse has to communicate with patients,

9. Benefits of Employing Therapeutic Communication
• Suppose a nurse has to draw blood from a patient. Standard communication would
require the nurse to describe the procedure briefly and then move on. However, in the
same scenario with therapeutic communication, the nurse would take the time to talk to
the patient about their concerns, reluctance, or worries. They would explain the
procedure while also ensuring the patient is heard, their emotions validated, and their
viewpoints respected.
• The respectful and compassionate nature of therapeutic communication will help
patients open up more about their needs, their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

10. Therapeutic Communication Techniques
• Nurses may use a wide variety of approaches to engage in therapeutic communication.
• Listening actively implies paying careful attention to what the patient is saying, with words and
gestures, facial expressions, and other body language signs. You should sit facing the patient, lean
slightly towards them, have an open posture, and make eye contact. It’s also helpful to provide
nonverbal feedback. A slight nod or smile will make the patient feel listened to.
• Sharing Observations
• As a nurse, you should be mindful of your patient’s actions, mood, or looks as sometimes these
can give you clues about their condition, how well they’re responding to treatment, and so on.
For instance, if you see a patient looking more tired than usual or if you notice them skipping
meals, you can share these observations with them.

11. • Sharing Empathy
• Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and trying to understand and accept their
feelings and reality is an important skill for a nurse. An example of therapeutic
communication using empathy might be: “I understand how difficult this must be. We’ll
try to get to the bottom of this and do everything we can to have you up”
• Sharing Humor
• Sometimes, it’s helpful for patients to forget, even for a brief second, about the
condition, the pain, or the diagnosis that brings them to the hospital. A little bit of
humor used appropriately can bring about positive emotions and establish a good
relationship between nurse and patient. Laughter catalyzes feelings of togetherness,
closeness, and friendliness.

12. • Sharing Feelings
• Another therapeutic communication technique nurses can use is encouraging patients to
express their feelings and emotions. Nurses should create a safe space where patients can
express their feelings or frustrations. Nurses can guide patients through healthier ways to deal
with anger and pain, and communication plays a big part.
• Using Silence
• A good nurse will know when to give the patient time to work through their emotions,
process information, or observe what is happening in their environment. In most cases, it
should be the patient who breaks the silence.
• Using Touch
• Touch is perhaps the most powerful form of therapeutic communication. Comforting
gestures, such as holding the hand of a patient who is experiencing grave illness, can help
them feel some peace or optimism when they need it most.

13. • Providing Information
• An essential part of a nurse’s job description revolves around educating and informing patients and/or their
families.
• Clarifying
• The clarification process in nursing therapeutic communication could go one of two ways. Either the nurse isn’t
sure or clear on something the patient says. Hence, she kindly asks the patient to clarify the ambiguous statement,
or the nurse provides some information to the patient that the receiver doesn’t completely understand.
• Asking relevant questions
• Decision-making is an integral part of a nurse’s job. In order to make good decisions for good patient outcomes,
Nurses have to obtain relevant and encompassing information. The patient with too many questions at once can
be a trouble. Ask one question at a time and make sure you explore a topic well enough before moving to
something else.
• Sometimes when interacting with a patient, you might be pursuing specific information. Specific, open-ended
questions, otherwise known as leads, can be a productive way to get the details you need for offering the best
possible care to your patient.

14. • Summarizing
• The patient will generally find it helpful to receive a brief summary of nursing
interactions and procedures. All the most critical information in an easy to digest,
remember, and follow format.
• Confronting
• This particular therapeutic communication technique requires a lot of skill and
sensitivity because you don’t want to appear offensive or attacking. However, the
patients will display inconsistencies in their attitudes or behaviors in certain situations.
For instance, they might refuse a course of treatment to which they had previously
agreed. In those moments, if you have established trust with the patient, you can
delicately confront them about their choices.

15. • Exploring
• Exploring is essentially a method of asking follow-up questions without giving the
patient the impression that you’re searching. When a patient gives you an ambiguous
answers or when you want to obtain more specific or in-depth information, that’s when
you should consider an exploratory approach. At the same time, make sure the patient
isn’t uncomfortable in the process.
• Focusing the conversation
• Sometimes, the patient may go off-topic and try to tell you their entire life story when
your initial question was about the symptoms they’re experiencing. Respectfully, it would
be best if you steered the conversation back into focus. Another way to employ this
technique of therapeutically communicating is when a patient mentions in passing a
detail that you find relevant. Then, you can zoom in on that detail and focus the
conversation on what you find suitable from a nursing perspective.

16. • Paraphrasing
• This therapeutic communication technique entails taking what the patient has said and
trying to express it in your own words. It’s an excellent way to clarify the patient’s
meaning. It might be useful to ask the patient if you understood correctly and your
paraphrasing fits their initial statement.
• Restating
• Although this is also a clarification technique, restating is slightly different from
paraphrasing. When attention to detail is of utmost importance, you might have to
resort to this nursing therapeutic approach, by which you repeat back to the patient
what they said to you. Asking “Did I summarize what you said correctly?” is an
efficient way to round off this method.

17. • Providing leads
• Utilizing these types of therapeutic communication in everyday practice requires mastering some
skills. In this section, we’ll explore the skills needed to excel at therapeutic communication:
• Pay attention to body language
• Sometimes body language will reveal as much, if not more than verbal communication. The patient
could be in extreme pain but too proud to admit it. They could come in complaining about pain in
their arm, but careful examination of their body language can pinpoint you in the direction of
some underlying issue. You can pick up on these slight clues if you pay attention to body cues.
• Make time
• Nurses are busy and have to juggle many tasks, sometimes to the point of being overworked. It
might be easy to fall into the trap of taking shortcuts in practice, and quality therapeutic
communication takes more time than basic care. In order to form relationships with your patients,
gain their trust, and be able to help them more, you need to dedicate time and be fully present
whenever you enter a patient’s room. Making time is part of what makes you a great nurse.

18. • Encourage communication
• Communication is always a two-way street. Your patients need to know that you will listen actively to their concerns; they should feel
safe to talk to you, knowing that you’ll respect their beliefs and wishes.
• Focus on the patient
• Therapeutic communication is about the interactions between nurse and patient during which the nurse focuses on the patient’s needs,
emotions, and feelings. Thus, it’s essential to keep the patient at the center of the experience. Try not to multitask when you’re
engaging with a patient. Do your best to understand and empathize with the patient’s experience.
• Use open-ended questions
• Open-ended questions are your friend. They invite more detailed answers and encourage the patient to give more information about
their emotions and behaviors. They are often associated with developing trust, seeming less threatening, and stimulating free responses.
Of course, open-ended questions alone won’t get the job done. That’s why nurses skilled in therapeutic communication know the right
moment to ask closed or open-ended questions to get the correct information and build a better rapport with the patient.
• Offer self
• In the process of caring for patients, a wonderful impact can be made by offering yourself – your time, your empathy, perhaps a
personal story from your own experience. All of these little details can make the patient feel better. If they’re lonely, you can offer to
stay for lunch; if they’re bored, you can bring their favorite movie; if they’re stressed, you can talk with them until their mood
improves. In any of these situations, you show that you are also human, not only a nurse, and that’s why offering self is one of the
most potent forms of therapeutic communication.

19. Nontherapeutic Communication Techniques
• The opposite of therapeutic communication styles, the non-therapeutic techniques can be seen as blocks to the
communication of feelings and ideas.
• Changing the subject
• Abruptly and unsympathetically changing the subject may show a lack of empathy on your side and discourage the
patient from engaging in conversation with you. Instead of saying “Your insurance is not important now; it’s time for
your lunch,” you could try “First have some lunch, and then we can talk about what’s going on with your insurance.”
• Being defensive
• Patients won’t always be a picture of satisfaction. They may complain, criticize, or find faults (whether or not they are
real). If they do, you shouldn’t get defensive. Listen uncritically and try to get to the root of their dissatisfaction. In
most cases, the underlying issues will run much deeper than the fact that you were a few minutes late for the scheduled
walk.

20. • Giving false Reassurances
• Sometimes false reassurances like “Everything will be alright” or “You’ll be fine” stem from a
good place. All you want is to be kind and help the patient feel a little better. But the result
won’t always be the anticipated one. The patient may feel discouraged to express their feelings
further when they are met with such comments, or they may end up having false hope. Either
way, more harm than good is done, so try to steer clear of giving false reassurances.
• Judging people
• The relationship between nurse and patient should always be non-judgmental, open, and
honest. Bringing your judgments into your conversation, either positive or negative, is not a
therapeutic way of interacting with patients.
• Stereotyping your patient
• Stereotyping is one of the most hurtful things you can do as a nurse. It is a barrier to efficient
communication. Even more so, it prevents you from nurturing interpersonal relationships
with your patients.

21. Are You Ready to Employ Therapeutic Communication
Techniques in Your Nursing Practice?
• Nursing care is one of the cornerstones of efficient
healthcare. In its turn, therapeutic communication is
central to nursing practice. That’s why all nurses should
strive to be as proficient in therapeutically engaging with
their patients as they are in clinical skills. Everyone stands
to win as a result.

22. What Are the Benefits of Therapeutic
Communication?
• Therapeutic communication is a manner of interacting that focuses
on the emotional and physical health and needs of a patient.
This intentional mode of verbal interaction is a way to resolve emotional
conflicts that affect patients with mental health disturbances. Health
professionals use this process to emphasize explicit, nonjudgmental interactions
that permit individuals to feel a sense of security as they share their emotions.
Compassionate communication can be beneficial in the healing process.

23. • Encourages Positive Interaction
• Encouraging a patient to express himself allows you a more succinct idea of the client's emotional
tendencies and helps determine the most beneficial treatment approach. By exemplifying empathy,
respect and a nonjudgmental attitude, you promote the favorable side of self-expression and inspire a
mutually trusting relationship.
• Encouraging a patient to express himself allows you a more succinct idea of the client's emotional
tendencies and helps determine the most beneficial treatment approach.
Supports Personal Accountability
• By teaching and providing the patient with the tools he needs to acknowledge the challenges he’s facing
and improve life situations, you empower a client to become more cognizant of his own behavior and
self-correct it. When you use the personal approach of therapeutic communication, you
increase the likelihood that a client will respond competently in learning to cope with his
disorder, regulate his mood, develop his self-confidence and improve relationships.

24. • Promotes Openness
• When the lines of communication are open, patients are more likely ask for help and
more prone to be open about persisting symptoms or difficulties they may be
experiencing.
• The use of therapeutic interaction allows a patient to learn how to arrive at his
own decisions and conclusions while reaffirming his confidence in his ability to
make significant determinations.

25. Sum-up………
Your Patient is Your Client
And
Client is always a BOSS

26. • Thanks for Attention.
• Questions?