Importance of Therapeutic Communication in Nursing

This essay discusses the importance of therapeutic communication in nursing, using examples from the film 'Wit'. It highlights the need for patient-centered approaches, empathy, and effective non-verbal communication. The essay also provides a personal improvement plan for enhancing communication skills as a registered nurse.

Running head: NURSING THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION
NURSING THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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In accordance to the standards of practice formulated by the Nursing and Midwifery
Board of Australia (NMBA), registered nurses are required to adhere to Standard 2, which
requires adherence to therapeutic and professional relationships with patients and additional
health professionals, for which conductance of therapeutic communication is of utmost
importance (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia 2019). Therapeutic communication
encompasses nursing usage of interpersonal verbal as well as non-verbal interactions with the
patient, using cultural competence and patient-centered approaches, which will allow the nurse to
incorporate the patient’s personalized needs, opinions and preferences further resulting in patient
perceptions of positive treatment satisfaction and feelings of dignity, respect and security
associated with the healthcare organization (Weber and Farrell 2016).
The following paragraphs of the essay will reflect upon the need for engaging in
therapeutic communication in nursing by extensively critiquing scenes from the film ‘Wit’
directed by Mike Nichols, which portrays importance of communication and compassion amidst
a background of the lead character, Vivain contemplating key moments from her life as she
receives no empathy during her end-of-life hospital stay.
Part 1: Upon viewing the film ‘Wit’ - several unfortunate events demonstrate a
significant lack in therapeutic communication, especially after the lead character ‘Vivian’ was
admitted at the hospital upon being diagnosed with stage 4 of ovarian cancer. One of the primary
examples of lack of adherence to therapeutic communication can be identified in the scene where
Vivian is being explained the details of her health and physiological condition by the lead doctor,
Dr. Kelekian. The doctor can be observed to engage in the usage of terms which are not only
highly scientific but extremely difficult for Vivian to comprehend or absorb – a key example of
lack of consideration of therapeutic communication. Taking insights from Galbany-Estragués

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and Comas-d’Argemir (2017), it is worthwhile to mention that health professionals are entitled to
possess a degree of freedom to engage in authority over patients - due to them possessing
extensive levels of health literacy compared to patients. However, in criticism, taking insights
from the recommendations by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare,
healthcare must focus on improving the quality of care and life of patients via usage of the
therapeutic communicative strategies of patient centered approaches - which necessitates
clinician’s encouragement of directly involving patient preferences in their care plan resulting in
positive health outcomes in the patient (O’Loughlin et al. 2017). Hence, taking insights from the
above, the doctor’s avoidance of therapeutic communication is not justified and highly inhumane
for the patient.
Another key example which is worthy of discussion, is the lack of non-verbal
communication by the doctor or the associated healthcare workers during obtaining personal
information from the patient as well during conductance of an MRI assessment where Dr.
Kelekian or his workers did not feel the need to smile or make eye contact with Vivian or
attempt to at least patiently explain her the procedures and reasons for administering such
invasive procedures, resulting in considerable anxiety in Vivian. In contrast, commendable usage
of therapeutic communication, empathy, patience and effective non-verbal communication can
be observed in Susan, the registered nurse allocated for Vivian’s care. It can be observed that
Susan adhered to Vivian’s privacy, assured her for need of any assistance and considerable
advocacy by requesting the doctor to decrease Vivian’s dose of chemotherapy upon complaints
of side effects. According to Machiels et al. (2017), therapeutic communication encompasses key
skills such as engagement in patient centered approach of communicating the care details to the
patient, being empathetic to the patient’s needs and issues as well as adhering to the patient’s

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health issues with patience and advocacy. While the registered nurse can be observed to engage
in such skills extensively, a stark contrast can be observed in Dr. Kelekian who did not even
attempt to convey the results of the assessment to Vivian.
Additional examples of outrageously unprofessional care can be observed when Vivian is
left all alone in the room for radiology as the worker apparently went out for a ‘break’, with no
regard as to how she may feel amidst such a critical care situation. According to Petrucci et al.
(2016), one of the key pre-requisites of therapeutic communication is empathizing with the
personalized needs of the patient which in Vivian’s case was absolutely not adhered. In contrast
extensive examples of empathy can be observed the registered nurse Susan who patiently
listened to Vivian’s concerning while sharing a popsicle with her as well as advocating for
Vivian against the prescription of harmful morphine. Empathy is essential in therapeutic
communication since it results in the patient feeling safe, secure, comforted and comfortable in
the healthcare organization (Kim and Yi 2015). Indeed, it can be observed that Susan’s usage of
therapeutic communication seemed to be the only respite for Vivian amidst a background of
unprofessionalism and lack of empathy.
Despite the registered nurse Susan engaging in considerable empathy and advocacy,
especially during massaging lotion and attempts to combat the false claims of code blue on
Vivian, she could have engaged in adhering to Vivian’s concerns at the earliest upon detection.
Taking insights from the same, Susan should have consulted senior nurses concerning Vivian’s
medications especially after being disregarded by Mr. Kelekian. Nurses must engage in ethical
care of patients which necessitates raising their voices against any observed evil or
communicating with supervisors along the chain of command in order to obtain alternative care

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insights and conduct comprehensive care as per standard 4 dictated by the NMBA codes of
practice (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia 2019).
Part 2: Hence, it must be stated that the viewing of the film ‘Wit’ resulted in significant
impacts on my learning and future professional practice as a registered nurse. This film has
encouraged me to actively consider the importance of therapeutic communication and patient
centered approach in my future transitioning experience as a registered nurse. As researched by
Asadizaker et al. (2015), adherence to a personal improvement plan after reflecting on one’s
experiences, strengths and weaknesses are essential problem oriented coping strategies which
can pave the way for increasing future professional potential. Hence, to improve my existing
skills on therapeutic communication, after taking insights from ‘Wit’ – I have formulated the
following improvement plan.
Firstly, I must adhere to the standard 1 of the NMBA codes of practice for the purpose of
improving my skills of therapeutic communication (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
2019). Standard 1 involves usage of patient centered and culturally competent care by registered
nurses which necessitates empathizing and considering the unique needs of the patient (Guzys
and Tori 2018). Secondly, in order to improve skills of therapeutic communication, I must
enhance my existing skills of non-verbal communication. Non-verbal interpersonal gestures such
as smiling, maintenance of eye contact and patient listening results in positive health outcomes in
the patient. by making him/her feel comforted respected (Lewis, Gaffney and Wilson 2017).
Lastly, I must maintain my adherence to such skills in the future, I must adhere to standard 5.1
(Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia 2019). This will require the registered nurse to
formulate and adhere to a nursing care plan which is evidence based and patient centered, in
order to ensure high care quality deliverance (Nagle et al. 2017).

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Conclusion
Hence, to conclude, it can be stated the film ‘Wit’ provides an extensive insight on the
importance of therapeutic communication in patient care, via rich detail of various scenarios
highlighting usage and adherence to the same. For the conductance of adequate therapeutic
communication, registered nurses must adhere to standardized codes of practice, patient centered
approaches, empathy and active listening with the patient. Adhering to practice standards and a
personal improvement plan will help to improve existing communication skills.

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