What is interpersonal

relationship?
the relationships between
persons

Components of
interpersonal
relationship
Scientific principles
Specific communication skills and

strategies
Creative application of self

(Boggs,
1989)

What is nurse-patient
relationship?

What is the purpose of nurse patient

relationship?

Requisites for nursepatient relationship

Careful thinking
Sensitiveness
Energy
time

Nurses roles in nursepatient relationship

Care giver
Counselor
Educator
Consultant
researcher

Characteristics of good
nurse-patient
relationship
Relationship is therapeutic
Exist until patent have fulfilled the

health care needs

Nurses work is to attain, maintain, and
restore the patients health
Patients are satisfied
Based on nurses competent care
derived from skills and knowledge

Characteristics of good
nurse-patient
Provide holistic care
relationship
Cont.
Patient/client is an active participant
Nurse uses patients knowledge, attitudes,

values, and thoughts to plan interventions

Reciprocal relationship influenced by

professional and personal characteristics of

both parties

Phases of the nursepatient relationship

Pre-interaction phase
Engagement phase
Active intervention phase
Termination phase

(Arnold & Boggs,

1989)

Pre-interaction phase
During this phase
Nurse assess the environment in which the

nurse meet with patient

Explain the professional goals and set
priorities
Both parties enter to the relationship with
expectations
Patients develop uncertainties and hesitate
to comply with care and treatments
Patient and nurse become oriented to overall
needs and expectations from the relationship

Engagement phase
Begin to develop the relationship
Nurse create a supportive environment
Establish a therapeutic contact with patients
Nurse introduce herself and the role functions
Trust and empathy are basic qualities here
Develop strong bond and feel less anxiety
Nurse plays the key role with expertise on

illness
Nurse act as a coordinator

Engagement phase
Cont.
Nurse observe and assess patients
Develop an impression and validate with

patients
Patients come to know their health issues
and feel fear, discomfort, or insecure
feelings and expect help
Nurses realize patients through their body
languages and help them
Therapeutic relationship is well
established

Active intervention
phase
The sense of mutuality is developed

between nurse and patient

Discuss conflicting situations deeply
Nurse and patient work with commitment
Nurse sort out problems and solve them
Collaboration and equal participation is
seen
Aware of the differences of rights, roles,
and responsibilities

Active intervention
phase Cont.
Nurse acknowledge the patients feelings,

show the genuine interest, and honesty

Nurse should be congruent
Nurse convince the patient of equal right to
make decision
Nobody will play dominant or submissive role
No violation of patients rights
Patients become independent decision
makers

Termination phase
Start at the time of explaining plans &

goals
Patient should be informed of this phase
at the beginning
Otherwise patients develop strong
feeling of separation at this phase
Nurse work on education, health advices
preparing discharge plan

Nurse-professional
relationship
why?
To get advice
To educational support
To work related achievements
To self support

Nurse-professional
relationship
Co
How?
Collaboratively
Cooperatively
With acceptance and self worth
With appreciation
With respect

Barriers for effective

professional relationship
Role stress
Lack of inter professional understanding
Autonomy struggle
(Northouse & Northouse,
1992)

Role stress
The stress arises from role conflict or

role confusion
Role conflict is a situation that you
happen to play a role different from what
you expected to play
Role stress occur when you are expected
to do than what you can do
Result in stress and communication is
disturbed

How to prevent role stress?

Prevention of role
stress
Experienced persons are responsible
Understand individual capabilities
Identify the individual weaknesses
Assign tasks accordingly
Kindly and duly respond against

inexperienced behaviors or faults

What are the disadvantages of role

conflicts?

Autonomy struggles
What is autonomy?
autonomy is ones ability to be ones own
person directed by own desires, not
imposed by others.
When this ability is threatened by others

autonomy struggles are arose.

People with higher level of autonomy

underestimate others bringing struggles.

Nurse family
relationship
Who is the nurse?
What is the family?

The group of individuals related

by blood, marriage or adopting,
and sharing the same space,
resources with a common human
bond while having common
goals.

Why do nurses need a relationship with

the family?

Thank you