Essay: Nursing

Nursing as a profession of front line care, requires not only scientific knowledge procured through study, but most importantly a high level of interpersonal and practical skills. All components of communication; verbal and non-verbal are essential prerequisites in meeting the needs of patients and their families as well as integral parts of nursing such as gathering assessment data for nursing diagnoses, instructing and cooperating in care delivery and the development of a therapeutic relationship. This essay will identify and explain the concept of communication in a health care setting and its vital importance to help build a successful therapeutic relationship between a nurse and a client.

 

Therapeutic communication is the act of supporting, educating and empowering people to cope with their health-related issues. In addition to the words used by nurses to assist with the transmission of messages and feelings about a patient’s diagnosis, non-verbal cues such as touch, body language and facial expressions are alternative methods of communication that allow for an effective interchange of ideas and emotions.

The use of therapeutic communication is highly evident throughout the case study that was undertaken by the University of Manchester School of Nursing where the patient-clinician relationship was assessed based on the adherence to antiretroviral drugs in HIV patients. The findings of this study show that adherence to medication correlates with the level of trust placed in the nurse. Patients who felt they could initiate communication about their illness and treatment had higher adherence rates, whereas patients who did not receive a trusting connection and mutual understanding between their therapists had lower adherence rates.

This case study is the ideal example of a nurse’s failure to build a therapeutic relationship with their client. Empathy is pivotal when dealing with patients diagnosed with incurable diseases such as HIV. Nurses should be sensitive to patient’s pain and discomfort so that the patient feels understood and is more inclined to adhere to their medications.

A nursing assessment is part of the nursing process that allows the nurse to assess and collect relevant data to ensure that the patient’s needs are met. Throughout the process subjective and objective data are collected from the patient and the patient’s family. Subjective data refers to information from a patient’s point of view, such as pain levels, whereas objective data refers to information that is measured through physical examination and tests. Accurate data is vital for correct diagnosis and patient rehabilitation plans. In this process the nurse must engage in conversation and ask questions to get as much information as possible as well as determining if a patient has any communication barriers such as language and sensory deficits that may influence a patient’s ability to successfully communicate.

To conclude, the main points that have been discussed in this essay are the importance of different forms of communication in nursing and how they can be utilized for a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship. Poor communication skills are still present and nurses must aim to be more empathetic to provide quality holistic care.