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  • Essay / Therapeutic communication - a technique to support the well-being of patients

    Therapeutic communication is a technique used to support the well-being of patients, emotionally and physically (NCCHC, 2011). This communication allows us, as nurses, to not only support our patients, but also keep them informed (NCCHC, 2011). It is important to use therapeutic communication with our patients to build patient-nurse relationships. One way we can guide our patients is through motivational interviewing. There are situations in which we must use this technique to help our patients resolve their ambivalence. Motivational interviewing includes five principles. The five principles include expressing empathy, the ability to develop a gap between the patient's current situation and thoughts and the goal we want the client to achieve, avoiding arguments and confrontations with the patient , resistance and support of the patient. -effectiveness (Wells & Jones, 2018). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'? Get an original essayAn article titled 'Primary care nurses' experiences with motivational interviewing in health promotion practice' studied the effectiveness of motivational interviewing compared to conventional methods. (Brobeck, Bergh, Odencrants, & Hildingh, 2011). The study focused on nurses who used motivational interview questions to ask patients about their lifestyle. The twenty nurses used in the study were all trained in motivational interviewing. The main lifestyle situations these nurses worked with were patients with weight problems, alcohol use problems, or smokers (Brobeck, Bergh, Odencrants, & Hildingh, 2011). The nurses chosen for this study had stated that motivational interviewing is demanding (Brobeck, Bergh, Odencrants & Hildingh, 2011). Not only did it take time to train in this skill, but it also took time to find opportunities to practice and master this skill (Brobeck, Bergh, Odencrants, & Hildingh, 2011). During the interviews, it was important to have a real desire for motivation. interviewing patients because nurses had to be patient with the interview process. It was also important for nurses to keep in mind that these are lifestyle changes that will not happen quickly and may take some time. An important topic raised by nurses regarding motivational interviewing was experience. It is important to have self-confidence and be able to motivate patients to succeed in motivational interviewing (Brobeck, Bergh, Odencrants & Hildingh, 2011). Overall, nurses found that it took a combination of experience, training, respect and understanding, time, and interest to successfully complete a motivational interview (Brobeck, Bergh, Odencrants, & Hildingh, 2011 ). It's important to remember that changes take time, just like motivational interviews. The study found it useful and rewarding (Brobeck, Bergh, Odencrants & Hildingh, 2011), but it appears to be more beneficial when the nurse is able to devote significant time and effort to it. The study found that all experiences were positive and motivational interviewing was used as a guide for nurse-patient relationships (Brobeck, Bergh, Odencrants, & Hildingh, 2011). Working in healthcare, I believe that every day, with every patient, there is an opportunity.