Observed Therapeutic Communication & Reflection

Running Head: THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION
OBSERVED THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION & REFLECTION

THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION
Introduction
In the current scope of reflective analysis, the therapeutic communication was observed
and analysed using Gibbs reflective cycle. There are six stages of the cycle to evaluate the
nurses’ therapeutic communications against the professional standards of NMBA professional
guidelines.
Reflection Analysis
Gibbs Cycle Stage 1: Description
During the video, I watched Bronwyn, John, and Taylah waiting for the test results of
further investigation of Bronwyn's breast lump. The doctor provides the diagnosis that the
pathological tests of mammogram and biopsy confirmed breast cancer. The GP calls Bronwyn
for giving her test results and she is found to be anxious regarding the results. The GP honestly
tells her regarding her condition. The doctor tells Bronwyn regarding the metastasis of breast
cancer has spread to other regions beyond the breast. The GP asks her for any recent changes she
has noticed in her body or any specific condition. To which she responds that she has a back pain
that does not seem to go away. The GP then asks if the back pain had been discrete or continuous
in nature. To which she responds that her back pain had been continuous to some extent.
The nurse attempts to provide advice and care which Bronwyn needs to adopt for her
ongoing cancer treatment. The nurse also suggests her to meet oncologists for her further
treatment. The nurse asks her and her family members to share any questions if they had
regarding the disease. The nurse said that she would keep in touch in the treatment process and
asked her to call regarding any questions or queries she had.
2

THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION
Gibbs Cycle Stage 2: Feelings
I felt bad about communication in the entire video. The doctor's and nurse's communication was
direct and lacked empathy. Both the GP and the nurse tried to put forward their point of view and
did not show any feelings for the patient. I was disgusted at the way the GP and nurse introduced
the patient to her current condition. The facts and way of treatment were presented to the patient
in a rather direct manner, which hurt my feeling. I felt the patient could have been told regarding
her situation in a much gradual and planned manner.
Gibbs Cycle Stage 3: Evaluation
Evaluating the video, it can be said that there were some good and some bad aspects. It
had challenged my assumption to think whether the GP and the nurse will be able to indulge in
positive therapeutic communication. From my observation and research, I discovered that there
were present several positive aspects of communication.
The positive aspects of the video are eye contact (evidence) that the GP and nurse
maintained throughout the discussion with the patient. Direct eye contact helps communicate in a
positive manner non-verbally (Halcomb, Stephens, Bryce, Foley & Ashley, 2016). Example,
when the GP told the patient about her condition, he maintained steady eye contact. The nurse,
while providing a care plan and guidance to the patient also was maintaining steady eye contact
with the patient.
A good aspect of this video was the therapeutic communication process used was explicit
communication technique (Riley, 2015). As for example, the GP when explaining regarding the
spread and extent of the disease used explicit communication by clearly stating that the patient
3