Development of Therapeutic Alliance in Nursing

This assignment discusses the development of the therapeutic alliance within healthcare, focusing on the major role of nurses. It explores the factors such as trust, communication, empathy, respect, confidentiality, empowerment, and continuity that contribute to the development of a healthy nurse-client relationship. The importance of therapeutic alliance in mental health nursing and its impact on patient recovery is also discussed.

Running Head: NURSING
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Nursing
3/25/2019

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The assignment discusses about the development of the therapeutic alliance within
healthcare, involving the major role of nurses. Therapeutic alliance within healthcare are
based upon certain factors such as trust, communication, empathy, respect, genuineness,
confidentiality, empowerment, and continuity.
Trust: it is one of the most important factors in the development of a healthy relationship
between the nurse and client in healthcare. This is because trust helps in regaining the
confidence and self-esteem of the patient towards improvement in their health condition, and
further recovery.
Communication: it is one of the vital components of effective and successful therapeutic
alliance between the nurse and their clients in the healthcare. The relationship between a
nurse and patient is well supported through open communication, where the patient finds easy
to share and discuss their pain, problems, and needs related to the process of treatment.
Genuineness: It states about the factor that through showing a genuine interest in the health
and life of the patient, and situation is another best way to develop therapeutic alliance. This
might be developed easily through listening to the patient’s needs and expectations, and
treating them accordingly (Ruchlewska et al., 2016).
Respect: this is another major components or factor through which healthy relationship is
developed amongst the healthcare professionals and patients, as patients must be respected in
their condition, and must receive good treatment (Frajo-Apor et al., 2016).
Confidentiality: A nurse develops healthy therapeutic alliance by respecting the patient’s
health condition, and maintaining the confidentiality of the patient’s details and other aspects.
Continuity: The factor of continuity of care of the patient is essential as a nurse is responsible
to monitor the change or progress in the health of patient, and provide treatment accordingly.
The relationship is developed in every kind of healthcare need or primary or secondary care,
but is required at a high level in the case of mental through focusing on the needs and
problems of patients, and responding them. The process of building effective relationship
usually takes time and efforts of the nurses to understand to show positive behaviour towards
gaining health outcomes. It is essential to address and suggest recommendations to the
patients to focus on their health and diet to lead change in their health condition. Trust is one
of the major factor, which states about the confidence and reliance upon others, and working

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in accordance to the social, legal and ethical norms. Thus, a nurse maintains effective levels
of mutual trust with their clients or patients, in order to avoid any complications (Jones and
Wright, 2017).
On the other hand, the factor of communication and confidentiality play major role as a nurse
need to communicate effectively about the process of treatment, medications, and the process
of management. Genuineness and empowerment is also crucial in delivering effective care
services to the patients of schizophrenia. Nurses through giving respect to the current health
condition of the patient gain effectiveness in their therapeutic alliance. Moreover, patients
also expect confidentiality and privacy to be maintained with them, when they entrust their
health information with a nurse. Thus, in this way nurse-client relationship or therapeutic
alliance is established and maintained within healthcare (Frajo-Apor et al., 2016).
Recovery of the patient
In this way, an effective therapeutic relationship will help in attaining positive change in the
health of patients and gain recovery from mental disorders, improving the quality of life
(Castro et al., 2016).
Thus, the above discussion has stated well how the nurses in healthcare focus on
development of effective therapeutic alliance with patients affected by health issues (Jones
and Wright, 2017). Now, later part of this essay will mention the reason that why the nurses
establish therapeutic alliances with the consumers of mental illness. Mental health nurses
focus on developing therapeutic alliances with their clients due to the reason that relationship
has formed the core of the services users’ experiences. The aspects of the treatment,
freedom, and environment within hospitals are established based on sound nurse-client
relationships (Turner, Bryant-Waugh and Marshall, 2015).
In addition, it has been found that the healthcare recognise the patient experience as one of
the major factor in developing and providing excellence in the healthcare. The initiative to
improve the patient experience is achieved with the aspect of successful therapeutic
relationships within healthcare (Zugai, Stein-Parbury and Roche, 2015). Surveys has revealed
about the positive ratings by the patients to the hospitals in consideration to several factors
such as, general satisfaction, physical environment, staff-patient relationships,
communication, trust, information and the process of treatment. Thus, these aspects are vital
in mental health nursing to deliver effective care services especially to the patients with

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mental disorders. The goal of the therapeutic alliance is to facilitate personal growth and
change in the health patients (Varcarolis, 2016).
Therapeutic alliances in mental health nursing serve two different purposes of professional
relationships and social relationships with the patients. As the nurses become friendly with
their patients enabling them to share their healthcare problems, pain, and other issues during
treatment. Therapeutic alliance leads to develop a positive hope in the mind of the patient,
and their family towards improving health. Therefore, it has been analysed that therapeutic
alliance in the mental health nursing and enhances mental health of patient. For an example,
the one-to-one relationship is mutually defined, leading the patient get relief from the signs
and symptoms of mental disorder. This is sometimes better than the long-term psychotherapy
and other services rendered to the patients with mental health disorder. The psychiatric
mental health nurse allows the patient to share their experiences, issues freely and openly, to
avoid any misunderstanding or misadventure (Aleman et al., 2017).
Avoiding or control over any misadventure event: This is important within healthcare is also
achieved through practicing effective therapeutic alliance with the patients. For an instance,
the issue of medication errors has been one of the common problems in undertaking the care
of the patient. Through therapeutic alliance, a nurse will be able to understand the
requirement and state of the health of the patient, and accordingly determine the treatment to
be given. In a similar manner, it will also help them to plan and provide correct medications
with the help of documentation of each patient. This will further improve the mental state of
the patient, as they will be relieved from unnecessary stress regarding their illness or health
condition. Hence, it has been analysed that therapeutic alliances form a crucial part of the
treatment of the patients with mental disorders (Viswanathan et al., 2015).
Nurses play a significant role in assuring good health of the individuals or patients within
healthcare settings, and due to this, it is essential to ensure healthy relationship with them.
Therapeutic alliances assure the psychosocial and physical safety of the patient, which states
about the need of the nurse to develop relationship with their clients. It also considers the
aspect of energy interaction, within the environment of nursing care to help them evolve and
recover from the disease or issue (Shattock et al., 2018).

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References
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H. (2017) Treatment of negative symptoms: where do we stand, and where do we
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Castro, E.M., Van Regenmortel, T., Vanhaecht, K., Sermeus, W. and Van Hecke, A. (2016)
Patient empowerment, patient participation and patient-centeredness in hospital care: a
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Frajo-Apor, B., Pardeller, S., Kemmler, G. and Hofer, A. (2016) Emotional Intelligence and
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Viswanathan, M., Kahwati, L.C., Golin, C.E., Blalock, S.J., Coker-Schwimmer, E., Posey, R.
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Zugai, J.S., Stein-Parbury, J. and Roche, M. (2015) Therapeutic alliance in mental health
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