Ways to Develop Therapeutic Relationship with Patients of Schizophrenia

Running head: THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT
THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT
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THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Question number 1:
Ways to develop therapeutic relationship with patients of schizophrenia:
Therapeutic relationship with the patients can be defined as establishment of an
interaction between two people like that of nurse and patient where collaboration between the
two can result in development of a curative climate along with the promotion of the growth or
prevention of the disorders. Studies are of the opinion that caring of the schizophrenia
patients would require great capacity of the nurses for understanding the patients and
developing empathy and displaying non-stigmatisation of the mental ailments (Westermann
et al. 2015). The nursing professional should be able to see beyond the different types of
symptoms where a patient is present in stage of excessive mental suffering and filled with
hopelessness, despair, even suicidal thoughts. Nursing professionals must have the ability in
understanding that such affected people are seen to live in a frightening as well as the unreal
world. They are also seen to have the difficulty to distinguish the reality from hallucinations
and delusions, as all the things seem real for the patient (Cavelti et al. 2016).
For establishing therapeutic relationship between the nurses and the patients, Peplau’s
theory of interpersonal relations can be applied. This theory talks about putting the most
significant and prior approach “to nurses’ action-centred on provide care in partnership with
the patient rather than doing things to the patient”. Peplau is of the opinion that nursing is one
of the therapeutic as well as interpersonal procedures occurring among two or more people
and they should know that this interaction can become therapeutic if the nursing professionals
are aware of her communication and takes the responsibility for it. Studies are also of the
opinion that in order to develop such relationship with schizophrenia, nurses need to have
high levels of self-knowledge and at the same time need to be genuine, as well as authentic
and even be capable of expressing and exhibiting empathy (Klingaman et al. 2015). Nurses

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THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT
following the Peplau model need to follow four psychobiological experiences that would
compel the patients in developing “constructive responses to need frustration, conflict, and
anxiety”. They should also identify the four phases of nurse-patient relationships, which are
“orientation, identification, exploitation and resolution”.
Studies are of the opinion that orientation phase is extremely difficult and complex in
patients with schizophrenia. In this beginning phase, it is essential to have the schizophrenia
patient understand the various types of complications they are facing and they need
cooperation. This is followed by the next stage called the identification stage. In this stage,
the patient has developed awareness of the problems and the disorder where there are found
to be highly interdependent setting targets. This is followed by the exploitation phase where
the patient would be expected for exploring all the possibilities and services that are offered
(Sendt et al. 2015). In this stage, it is the duty of the nurse in making all the possibilities
available to the patients with schizophrenia for the recovery known and thereby presents the
different forms of the psychosocial rehabilitation programmes. Finally, in the resolution
phase, the unique and individual needs of the patients would be met for completion of this
relationship. In case of patients with schizophrenia, this phase can only take place when the
procedure of psychosocial rehabilitation occurs that is when the patient is able to live with the
disorder and become autonomous in meeting their own needs.
Developing therapeutic relationship with the schizophrenia patient is thereby not easy
and it requires special attention from nursing professionals. Studies opine that active listening
along with attributes of the empathy is important and nurses need to focus on experiences of
the patients. Nurses also need to follow authenticity that is significant in allowing the patient
to distinguishing what are the parts of the disorder and what are not the parts of the disorder
and what is real and what is not (Searles 2018). Nurses need to help the patients in finding
their personal resources and help them in identifying achievable goals that can be set for