Nursing

Literature Review Guidelines and Grading Rubric

Purpose

The literature review is assigned to introduce the nursing student to evidence-based research, using online databases to search scholarly references, and writing scholarly work in APA format.

Topic

The effect of therapeutic communication on client outcomes.

Course Objectives

This assignment enables the student to meet the following course objective:

• CO 3: Utilization of therapeutic communication while providing patient care.

Student Learning Outcomes

This assignment enables the student to meet the following student learning outcome:

• SLO 8: Differentiate appropriate therapeutic communication techniques to meet the individualized needs of the client.

Points

This assignment is worth 100 points.

Criteria for Format

1. Paper (excluding title page and reference page) should be 3 pages.
2. Times New Roman 12 point or Arial 11 point.
3. Minimum of 3 scholarly references must be used. References must be current within the past 5 years or less.
4. Title, body, and reference page must follow APA guidelines.
5. Citations and references must be used.
6. As per the APA manual (6^th edition) rules of grammar, spelling, word usage, and punctuation apply.
7. Paper will be graded based on quality of information, use of citations, grammar, and sentence structure.

Grading Criteria

Grading Rubric

ANSWER

The Effect of Therapeutic Communication on Client Outcomes

Therapeutic communication is the face-to-face process of interaction that focuses on advancing the physical and emotional well-being of the patient. Therapeutic communication is employed in nursing to ensure that the patient receives the education and support they need while the nurse maintains objectivity and professional distance (Fite et al., 2019). There are various techniques that can be applied in therapeutic communication, including the use of open-ended questions, acknowledgment and acceptance, use of silence, clarification, active listening, and reflecting and summarizing. An example of therapeutic communication in nursing is whereby the nurse talks to the patients as they perform tasks around them. The nurse can ask the patients questions and be open to questions from the patient. They can also explain the procedure. For example, a nurse can tell the patient that they will change the dressing to avoid infection, and if the patient has any questions, they can ask the nurse.

Therapeutic communication is an essential part of medicine. According to a study by Ronning & Bjorkly (2019), nurses need to be exposed to the hospital setting during training for them to have first-hand experiences on what to expect in the field. According to the study, carrying out role-playing reflections in class is not enough as students are likely going to meet a different environment than the one they were prepared. According to the study in mental health education, the students practice their skills in a safe environment. However, they are likely to experience conflict in the field and thus should be prepared to handle clients through therapeutic communication schools. The study suggests that therapeutic communication skills are added to the teaching formats, such as simulation techniques, role-play, and reflective practice.

The benefits of therapeutic communication are numerous. According to an article by Bradley University, therapeutic communication goes beyond making the patient feel comfortable and at ease during treatment. According to Nightingale, in the 1800’s it is essential for the nurse to maintain eye contact with their patients and ensure that they were in a position where the patient did not struggle when talking to them. The quality of interactions between the nurses and patients significantly influences patient outcomes. Communicating effectively with the patient reduces medication errors. This is because the nurse has taken the time to talk to the patient and understands them. For example, when taking a patient’s vitals, one can involve them in conversation by asking them how they feel, if they have any allergies, and whether there are any other symptoms, they are experiencing. This ensures the patient feels at ease and can talk to the physician, and the nurse also gets all the information they need, thus preventing errors.

Fite et al. (2019) studied the predictors of therapeutic communication between nurses and hospitalized patients. The study was carried out with the aim of implementing therapeutic communication and its predictors. The results of the study showed that therapeutic communication was poorly implemented in the settings where the study was carried out, and there was a need for the implementation of educational programs teaching nurses the importance of therapeutic communication (Fite et al., 2019). Therapeutic communication improves patient outcomes in the hospital setting as it helps patients who are suffering from anxiety to calm down. They also feel more at ease in the setting and are ready to talk to the nurses about their problems. If the nurse does not effectively communicate with the patient, there are chances that the patient will withhold some of the information as they do not feel comfortable sharing their health information with the nurse.

Nurses are responsible for caring for a patient as a whole. While the patient is in the hospital because of their physical pain, it is important to also think about their emotional well-being. It is important for a patient to get out of the hospital feeling happy about the services they received the hospital. Lack of therapeutic communication could lead to the patient leaving the hospital feeling unhappy, beaten down, and like they were not given holistic care. The emotional well-being of the patient is as important as their physical well-being. If a victim of domestic violence shows up in the hospital setting and the nurse does not give them the attention they need, the patient is likely going to get treated and go back to the abusive setting. A nurse with therapeutic communication skills will engage the patient to understand how they got the injuries. The patient might open up about their situation, and the nurse will help them. If the patient does not open up, they can still give them a helpline number and connect them to a social worker for when they are ready.

Communication is an important aspect of nursing. Therapeutic communication is useful in all the hospital wings, especially the mental health department. Most patients in the mental health section are scared and do not understand what is going on with them, and thus it is important for the nurse to talk to them and involve them in calming conversations to help them come to terms with their situation.

References

Bradley University. Therapeutic communication in nursing: definition techniques and resources. https://onlinedegrees.bradley.edu/nursing/master-science-nursing/msn-fnp/theraputic-communication-in-nursing/#:~:text=Therapeutic%20communication%20is%20not%20just,their%20current%20health%20care%20situation.

Fite, R. O., Assefa, M., Demissie, A., & Belachew, T. (2019). Predictors of therapeutic communication between nurses and hospitalized patients. Heliyon, 5(10), e02665.

Rønning, S. B., & Bjørkly, S. (2019). The use of clinical role-play and reflection in learning therapeutic communication skills in mental health education: an integrative review. Advances in medical education and practice, 10, 415.