Mental health nursing

In this discussion, we’ll talk about the nurse-client relationship and the use of therapeutic communication as an important part of that relationship. Please answer the following questions:

• What are your concerns or fears about mental health nursing in general? Are you interested in mental health nursing, or do you approach the topic with some anxiety?

• What do you feel are essential aspects of a good nurse-client relationship?

• Please include an example of how you established good rapport and a good professional relationship with a patient in the work or clinical setting. What nonverbal and verbal techniques did you use in this relationship?

appropriate writing mechanics including using proper language, cordiality, and proper grammar and punctuation. If you refer to any outside sources or reference materials, be sure to provide proper attribution and/or citation.

Answer preview

There was a time I worked with my friend in a local hospital. One day I encountered a depressed patient who asked me whether he would get better. To establish a good rapport and a professional relationship, I had to create a common ground by agreeing to the patient’s concerns. For example, the patient said that he was losing hope in life. I told the patient that it is normal to feel that, but assured him that his situation would soon go away after following the nurse’s advice.  Besides, I had to maintain the conversation to allow the patient to explain everything about his mental health condition. To sustain the relationship, the nonverbal techniques I used included keeping eye contact to show the patient that I was listening. Another nonverbal technique was referring to the patient by his name to show him that I was addressing him. Apart from nonverbal techniques, the verbal techniques that I used were asking questions and using a polite tone, which encouraged the patient during the conversation.

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