Therapeutic Communication
This technique highlights important topics to foster awareness and understanding between the patient and nurse
Summarizing
“Is there something you’d like to talk about?”
Broad opening
Telling the client what to do
Giving Advice
A patient's freedom to make their own choices.
Autonomy
The nurse returns to the patient's room to give a medication at the time they said they would
Fidelity
A clarifying technique directing client actions,
thoughts, and feelings back to
client
Reflecting
"I see no one else in the room"
Presenting reality
Personal questions that are not relevant to the situation or are asked to satisfy personal curiosity
Excessive Questioning
Doing no harm to patients.
Nonmaleficence
Patient refusing medication
Autonomy
A clarifying technique that briefly restates another's
message using one's own words.
Paraphrasing
"You seem to be having scary thoughts"
Validating feelings
Minimizing feelings
A nurse keeping his or her word to a patient.
Fidelity
The nurse believes that everyone, including those without insurance or low income, should have equitable access to mental health care
Justice
A clarifying technique directing client actions,
thoughts, and feelings back to client encouraging them to accept their own feelings
Restating
"Tell me more about"
Exploring
“That’s bad.”
“I’d rather you wouldn’t…”
Disapproving
Providing equal care to all patients
Justice
Providing facts to a patient rather than false assurance
Veracity
A technique focusing on a single point
Focusing
“I’ll sit with you awhile.”
“I’ll stay here with you.”
Offering self
Asking "Why
Demanding an explanation
Doing good by considering the patient's best interest.
Beneficence
Performing multiple checks before administering a medication to prevent an error
Nonmaleficence