Mental health articles

Therapeutic communication techniques are methods the psychiatric nurse can use to communicate with the patient so that the communication focuses on addressing the patient’s clinical problems. A goal of therapeutic communication is for the patient to have the opportunity to express themself freely with the psychiatric nurse. The psychiatric nurse must engage in therapeutic communication using techniques that encourages the patient to speak. Here are commonly used techniques to encourage the patient to openly engage in communication.

• Give Broad Opening: Invite the patient to select the topic for discussion.
• “I see that you would like to talk about something.”
• Recognition: Acknowledge the patient and compliment the patient on noted changes in the patient’s progress toward reaching a goal.
• “You are dressed smartly today.”
• Offering: Encourage the patient to continue expressing themself.
• “Can I sit with you for a few moments?”
• Accepting: Express the feeling that the patient is understood by the nurse.
• “I understand what you are saying.”
• Restating: Express the general meaning of what the patient says to be sure that the nurse correctly understands the patient.
• “I understand that you said you are having difficulty staying awake.”
• Exploring: Ask more about a statement made by the patient.
• “Tell me more about what you saw.”
• Seek Clarification: Restate the patient’s statement and ask the patient if your understanding is correct.
• “I’m a little unsure of what you said, can you tell me more about the situation?”
• Reflecting: Ask the patient for advice on a problem that the patient faces.
• “What do you think is the appropriate thing to do?”
• Silence: The patient is given time to think before responding.
• Sequence Event: Explore when events occurred
• “What happens next?”
• Making an Observation: Verbalize an observable behavior of the patient.
• “I see that you are picking at your skin. Is something bothering you?”
• Describe Perceptions: Ask the patient to say what the patient is hearing or seeing. This is useful when a patient experiences hallucinations.
• “What do you see on the table?”
• Focusing: Return the patient to the topic that is being explored.
• “Can we go back and talk about your childhood?”
• Reality Setting: Clearly state the reality of a situation.
• “I know you are seeing bugs on the table, but there aren’t any bugs there.”
• Translate: Desymbolize a patient’s statement into true feelings.
• “Are you saying that you feel alone?”
• Doubt: Express doubt about what the patient states.
• “I find that is difficult to believe.”
• Offering Self: Tell the patient that the nurse is available to assist the patient.
• “I will stay and talk with you for a while.”
• Suggest Collaboration: Encourage the patient to work with the nurse to achieve a goal.
• “Let’s come up with a goal together.”
• Planning: Help the patient explore options when a problem specified by the patient presents in the future.
• “The next time that you don’t understand what the doctor is saying, ask the doctor or nurse to clarify what was said.”
• Summarizing: State your understanding of what the patient stated, then permit the patient to clarify any misstatements.
• “You and I decided to develop a goal for you the next time we meet.”

 

Tags: therapeutic communication