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Therapeutic Communication Assignment #1

Student: Jose Romero

Department of Applied Health, Sheridan College

HEAL17497 Foundations of Relational Practice

Professor: Melanie Ragbir-Emery

February 07, 2023

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Scenario One

Mrs. James is your resident in a Long-Term Care facility. It is nine o’clock in the morning

and she is refusing to get up after you have tried three times. Using therapeutic

communication techniques what would you say or do? Include your specific statement(s).

What is the goal of your communication? /5

I would apply the active listening technique paying attention to verbal and non-verbal

communication. I would try to find the reason why she wants to stay in bed. I would ask

closed-ended questions such as: Are you feeling ok this morning? Do you have any pain or

discomfort? Did you have trouble sleeping at night? Depending on her answer I would

report to my supervisor if she is in pain or discomfort. If she had trouble sleeping, then I

would explain to Mrs. James the importance of having a fixed schedule is good for her

health and that the procedure we need to do will not take long and she can go back to bed

once we are done.

The goal of the communication is to encourage her to cooperate to complete Mrs. James’

care.

Scenario Two

Mr. Singh lives in his own home. You have been caring for him for three months,

showering him, and helping him with breakfast and lunch three times a week. Today he

tells you that his family wants to put him in a Long-Term Care facility. He is angry about

that and claims they just want to get rid of him. How would you address Mr. Singh in this

situation? What aspect of therapeutic communication is important to remember? /5

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When communicating with an angry client is important to recognize the client’s frustration.

I would stay calm and professional. I would listen carefully, remain silent, and protect

myself from any violent behavior. I will not minimize the client’s situation and I will use

the empathetic listening technique to better understand the client’s feelings. I would say

something like: “I can see you are very upset right now. I have time to talk if you need to

express how you feel”. Once the client is finished talking I would use the paraphrasing

technique to make him calm and release his anger.

Scenario Three

Mrs. Fonseca who lives in her own home tells you today that she had a doctor’s

appointment yesterday. The Doctor told her the cancer is back and there is nothing more

they can do. Remembering therapeutic communication what will you say to Mrs. Fonseca?

What is the goal of your communication? /5

I would use two non-verbal techniques in this situation. Touch and silence. Skin contact

like holding her hand or asking if I could hug her would demonstrate my concern and

transmit affection. Also remaining in silence will show respect and empathy for the client.

After a few minutes I would ask a closed question: Do you want to talk about it? To let the

client decide if they want to share their feelings or just be left alone.

Scenario 4

Your colleague has asked you to bring some extra towels to the tub room as she is bathing a

resident. When you enter the room, you hear the resident say to the PSW “You are hurting

me.” The PSW responds by saying “No I’m not.” Why was this PSW’s response to the

resident inappropriate? What would have been a better response to this resident?
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The PSW’s response is inappropriate because she failed to listen to what the client said

causing pain and discomfort. A better response would have been: I am sorry, your safety

and comfort are important to me. And then ask an open-ended question like: Can you tell

me how you like to bathe?

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References

College of Nurses of Ontario. (2006). Practice Standard: Therapeutic Nurse-Client

Relationship.

Killam M. (2013). Therapeutic Relationships in Nursing: The Professions' Perspective. Part

1 of 2. [Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_EJQgKihvk

Sorrentino, S. A., & Wilk, M. J. (2021). Mosby’s Canadian textbook for the support worker

(5th ed.). Elsevier Canada.