THERAPEUTIC

COMMUNICATION
prioritize the physical, mental, and
emotional well-being of patients
 MADE BY :
Zeeny Setia Wati Binti Riham
(012021071631)
Nurkhalida Binti Alue (012021021455)
Fathin Najlah Hani Binti Hazhar
(012022020058)
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The goals of therapeutic communication are to help

a patient feel cared for and understood and
establish a relationship in which the patient feels
free to express any concerns. Therapeutic
communication can be either verbal, meaning
spoken, or non-verbal.
WHAT IS THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION
Therapeutic communication is defined as the face-to-
face process of interaction that focuses on advancing
the physical and emotional well-being of a patient.
Nurses use therapeutic communication techniques to
provide education and support to patients, while
maintaining objectivity and professional distance.

STERRITON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

why must apply

therapeutic
communication
ALLOWS NURSES TO ADDRESS PATIENT
CONCERNS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND VALUABLE HEALTH
INFORMATION. THIS POSITIVE NURSE-PATIENT
RELATIONSHIP MAY MAKE THE PATIENT MORE
LIKELY TO PROCEED WITH THE PRESCRIBED
HEALTH PLAN.
 Example Of Therapeutic
Communication Situation
1. ” YOU LOOK TIRED” OR “I HAVEN’T SEEN
YOU EATING ANYTHING TODAY”.
2. “IT MUST BE VERY FRUSTRATING TO
KNOW WHAT YOU WANT AND NOT BE
ABLE TO DO IT”.
3. FOR EXAMPLE THE CLIENT SAYS “I CAN’T
FOCUS. MY MIND KEEPS WANDERING.”
THE STUDENT NURSE SAYS,” YOU’RE
HAVING DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING?”
 Therapeutic
Communication
Techniques
1. Using Silence
2. Accepting
3. Giving Recognition
4. Offering Self
5. Giving Broad Openings
6. Active Listening
7. Seeking Clarification
8. Placing the Event in Time or Sequence
9. Making Observations
10.Encouraging Descriptions of Perception
11.Encouraging Comparisons
12.Summarizing
13.Reflecting
14.Focusing
15.Confronting
16.Voicing Doubt
17.Offering Hope and Humor
 USING SILENCE

Therapeutic silence is an
important part of effective
communication. When patients
suddenly become quiet, they may
be experiencing such strong
emotions that they are unable to
talk. Physicians should stop,
remain quiet for a moment, then
inquire about what the patient is
thinking and feeling.
 ACCEPTING

Sometimes it’s necessary to acknowledge

what patients say and affirm that
they’ve been heard. Acceptance isn’t
necessarily the same thing as agreement;
it can be enough to simply make eye
contact and say “Yes, I understand.”
Patients who feel their nurses are
listening to them and taking them
seriously are more likely to be
receptive to care.
 GIVING RECOGNITION
Recognition acknowledges a
patient’s behavior and
highlights it without giving
an overt compliment. A
compliment can sometimes be
taken as condescending,
especially when it concerns a
routine task like making the
bed. However, saying something
like “I noticed you took all
of your medications” draws
attention to the action and
encourages it without
requiring a compliment.
 OFFERING SELF

Hospital stays can be lonely, stressful times;

when nurses offer their time, it shows they
value patients and that someone is willing to
give them time and attention. Offering to stay
for lunch, watch a TV show, or simply sit with
patients for a while can help boost their mood.
 Therapeutic communication
is often most effective
when patients direct the
flow of conversation and
decide what to talk about.
To that end, giving
patients a broad opening
such as “What’s on your
mind today?” or “What would
you like to talk about?”
can be a good way to allow
patients an opportunity to GIVING BROAD
discuss what’s on their OPENING
mind.
 ACTIVE LISTENING

By using nonverbal and verbal cues

such as nodding and saying “I see,”
nurses can encourage patients to
continue talking. Active listening
involves showing interest in what
patients have to say, acknowledging
that you’re listening and
understanding, and engaging with
them throughout the conversation.
Nurses can offer general leads such
as “What happened next?” to guide
the conversation or propel it
forward.
 SEEKING CLARIFICATION
Similar to active listening, asking patients for
clarification when they say something confusing or
ambiguous is important. Saying something like “I’m
not sure I understand. Can you explain it to me?”
helps nurses ensure they understand what’s
actually being said and can help patients process
their ideas more thoroughly.
 PLACING THE EVENT
IN TIME OR SEQUENCE

Asking questions about when

certain events occurred in
relation to other events can help
patients (and nurses) get a
clearer sense of the whole
picture. It forces patients to
think about the sequence of
events and may prompt them to
remember something they otherwise
wouldn’t.
MAKING
OBSERVATION
Observations about the appearance,
demeanor, or behavior of patients can help
draw attention to areas that might pose a
problem for them. Observing that they look
tired may prompt patients to explain why
they haven’t been getting much sleep
lately; making an observation that they
haven’t been eating much may lead to the
discovery of a new symptom.
 For patients experiencing sensory issues or
hallucinations, it can be helpful to ask about
them in an encouraging, non-judgmental
way. Phrases like “What do you hear now?”
or “What does that look like to you?” give
patients a prompt to explain what they’re
perceiving without casting their perceptions
in a negative light.

ENCOURAGING DESCRIPTION OF
PERCEPTION
 Often, patients can draw upon
experience to deal with current
problems. By encouraging them
to make comparisons, nurses can
help patients discover solutions
to their problems.

ENCOURAGING
COMPARISON
It’s frequently useful for nurses to summarize
what patients have said after the fact. This
demonstrates to patients that the nurse was
listening and allows the nurse to document
conversations. Ending a summary with a
phrase like “Does that sound correct?” gives
patients explicit permission to make
corrections if they’re necessary.

SUMMARIZING
Patients often ask nurses for advice about what they
should do about particular problems or in specific
situations. Nurses can ask patients what they think
they should do, which encourages patients to be
accountable for their own actions and helps them
come up with solutions themselves.

REFLECTING
 Sometimes during a conversation,
patients mention something
particularly important. When this
happens, nurses can focus on their
statement, prompting patients to
discuss it further. Patients don’t
always have an objective perspective
on what is relevant to their case; as
impartial observers, nurses can more
easily pick out the topics to focus on.

FOCUSING
 CONFRONTING
Nurses should only apply this technique
after they have established trust. It can be
vital to the care of patients to disagree with
them, present them with reality, or
challenge their assumptions. Confrontation,
when used correctly, can help patients
break destructive routines or understand
the state of their situation.
VOICING DOUBT

DOUBT Voicing doubt can be a

gentler way to call

attention to the incorrect
or delusional ideas and
perceptions of patients. By
expressing doubt, nurses
can force patients to
examine their assumptions.
 OFFERING HOPE
AND HUMOUR

Because hospitals can be stressful

places for patients, sharing hope that
they can persevere through their
current situation and lightening the
mood with humor can help nurses
establish rapport quickly. This
technique can keep patients in a more
positive state of mind.
QUESTIONS
 1. What is the main
purpose of therapeutic
communication?
 The purpose of therapeutic
communication, then, is to help clinicians
build trust with patients while also helping
clinicians and patients collaborate
efficiently and effectively toward the
patient's physical and emotional wellness
2. What is the most
important factor in
therapeutic
communication?
Perhaps the most important characteristic of a
therapeutic relationship is the development of
trust. Trust facilitates constructive
communication; it also encourages confidence
and autonomy. Being nonjudgmental is
necessary in verbal and nonverbal
communication.
3. What are the 4
characteristics of
therapeutic
communication?
Interaction between nurse
and patient is caring,
sincere, empathetic, and
trustworthy.
4. What is an example of
therapeutic
communication in
nursing?
 An example of therapeutic nursing
communication is when that same nurse
also communicates why they are performing
the tasks and asks the patient if they have
any concerns or questions, speaks in a
congenial and welcoming manner, and
indicates through body language that the
patient's viewpoints are respected.
5. What are the three
essential goals of
therapeutic
communication?
Therapeutic communication focuses on
advancing the physical and emotional
well-being of a patient. it involves three
general objectives: collecting
information to determine illness,
assessing and modifying behavior, and
pro-viding health education.
NON
THERAPEUTIC
COMMUNICATION
WHAT IS NON-THERAPEUTIC
COMMUNICATION

nontherapeutic communication involves various words,

phrases, actions, and tones that make a patient feel
uncomfortable, increase their stress, and worsen their
overall mental, and perhaps even physical, wellbeing.
NON-THERAPEUTIC
TECHNIQUE
Asking personal question
Giving personal opinion
Changing the subject
Automatic responses
False assurance
Sympathy
Asking for explanation
 Giving premature advice
Assumes the nurse knows best and

NON- 01 the patient can’t think for self.

Inhibits problem solving and

THERAPEUTIC fosters dependency.

EXAMPLE Minimizing feelings

Indicates that the nurseis unable to

02 understand or empathize with the

patient. Here the patient’s feelings or
experiences are being belittled, Which
can cause the patient to feel small or
insignificant.

Falsely reassuring
Underrates a person’s feelings and

03 belittles a person’s concerns. May

cause the patient to stop sharing
feelings if the patient thinks he or she
will be ridiculedor not taken seriously.
 Closed Ended Questions
Question that can be
04 answered with a simple Yes

CONTD- or No or with a brief, factual

statement

Belittling
05 misjudging the degree of
the client's discomfort

Social Responding
Framing a response with
06 the goal of social
attention.
 REFERENCE
RETRIEVE FROM...
1. Madam Norazilah's Notes
2. https://study.com/academy/lesson/therapeutic-communication-definition-
goals-types-principles.html
3. https://www.rivier.edu/academics/blog-posts/17-therapeutic-
communication-techniques/
4. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/therapeutic-
communication
5. https://www.rivier.edu/academics/blog-posts/17-therapeutic-
communication-techniques/
6. https://www.ncchc.org/cnp-therapeutic-communication
7. https://healthfully.com/188795-therapeutic-and-non-therapeutic-
communication.html
8. https://www.rnpedia.com/nursing-notes/psychiatric-nursing-
notes/therapeutic-non-therapeutic-communication/
9. https://study.com/academy/lesson/nontherapeutic-communication-in-
nursing-techniques-types-examples.html
THANK YOU!
ANY QUESTIONS?