THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATIONA distinguishing aspect of therapeuticcommunication is its application to long-term communi-cation interactions. Therapeutic communication isdefined as the face-to-face process of interacting thatfocuses on advancing the physical and emotionalwell-being of a patient. This kind of communicationhas three general purposes: collecting information todetermine illness, assessing and modifying behavior,and providing health education. By using therapeuticcommunication, we attempt to learn as much as we canabout the patient in relation to his illness. Toaccomplish this learning, both the sender and thereceiver must be consciously aware of the con-fidentiality of the information disclosed and receivedduring the communication process. You must alwayshave a therapeutic reason for invading a patient’sprivacy.When used to collect information, therapeuticcommunication requires a great deal of sensitivity aswell as expertise in using interviewing skills. Toensure the identification and clarification of thepatient’s thoughts and feelings, you, as the interviewer,must observe his behavior. Listen to the patient andwatch how he listens to you. Observe how he gives andreceives both verbal and nonverbal responses. Finally,interpret and record the data you have observed.As mentioned earlier, listening is one of the mostdifficult skills to master. It requires you to maintain anopen mind, eliminate both internal and external noiseand distractions, and channel attention to all verbal andnonverbal messages. Listening involves the ability torecognize pitch and tone of voice, evaluate vocabularyand choice of words, and recognize hesitancy orintensity of speech as part of the total communicationattempt. The patient crying aloud for help after a fall iscommunicating a need for assistance. This cry for helpsounds very different from the call for assistance youmight make when requesting help in transcribing aphysician’s order.The ability to recognize and interpret nonverbalresponses depends upon consistent development ofobservation skills. As you continue to mature in yourrole and responsibilities as a member of the healthcareteam, both your clinical knowledge and understandingof human behavior will also grow. Your growth in bothknowledge and understanding will contribute to yourability to recognize and interpret many kinds ofnonverbal communication. Your sensitivity inlistening with your eyes will become as refined as—ifnot better than—listening with your ears.The effectiveness of an interview is influenced byboth the amount of information and the degree ofmotivation possessed by the patient (interviewee).Factors that enhance the quality of an interview consistof the participant’s knowledge of the subject underconsideration; his patience, temperament, andlistening skills; and your attention to both verbal andnonverbal cues. Courtesy, understanding, andnonjudgmental attitudes must be mutual goals of boththe interviewee and the interviewer.Finally, to function effectively in the therapeuticcommunication process, you must be an informed andskilled practitioner. Your development of the requiredknowledge and skills is dependent upon yourcommitment to seeking out and participating incontinuing education learning experiences across theentire spectrum of healthcare services.PATIENT EDUCATIONLEARNING OBJECTIVE: Recognize theimportance of patient education.Patient (health) education is an essential part of thehealthcare delivery system. In the Navy MedicalDepartment, patient education is defined as “theprocess that informs, motivates, and helps peopleadapt and maintain healthful practices and life styles.”Specifically, the goals of this process are toassist individuals acquire knowledge and skillsthat will promote their ability to care forthemselves more adequately;influence individual attitudinal changes from anorientation that emphasizes disease to anorientation that emphasizes health; andsupport behavioral changes to the extent thatindividuals are willing and able to maintain theirhealth.All healthcare providers, whether they recognize itor not, are teaching almost constantly. Teaching is aunique skill that is developed through the applicationof principles of learning. Patient teaching begins withan assessment of the patient’s knowledge. Throughthis assessment, learning needs are identified. Forexample, a diabetic patient may have a need to learnhow to self-administer an injection. After the learner’s2-9
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