Reflection

         In many ways, the interviews carried out by my peers enabled me to better understand the role that therapeutic communication plays in the mental health assessment process, as well as the intervention itself. For instance, in each patient interaction, the interviewers began by introducing themselves in order to establish the nurse-patient relationship. This appeared to be effective, especially in the first interview, in which the patient seemed to be somewhat hesitant in responding to the nursing team. Gaining the client’s trust and creating this relationship helped to break down barriers that stood in the way of the patient verbalizing her feelings of anxiety and guilt. The benefits of therapeutic communication were also apparent with the second patient interviewed, Mr. Riley. In his case, completing a full assessment and successfully obtaining all information was made possible due to the therapeutic relationship. With the third and final patient interviewed, communication did not come as easy. However, as the interview progressed and the relationship became more established, the interviewers learned more about what the patient was willing to talk about. For example, the nursing team asked about what activities the client enjoyed, which coaxed more of an answer from him. It is evident in all three of these patients that this therapeutic relationship is beneficial for both nurses and the patient, and will eventually lead toward a faster recovery process.

Plan of Care

Social Domain

Psychological Domain

Biological Domain