Therapeutic Communication in Nursing

Vocabulary flashcards covering key therapeutic communication concepts from the nursing lecture notes.

Therapeutic Communication

The purposeful use of communication to build and maintain helping relationships with clients, families, and significant others; foundational to the nurse-client relationship; client-centered, goal-directed; includes verbal and nonverbal aspects.

Client-centered

An approach in which care focuses on the client’s needs, experiences, and participation rather than the nurse’s or others’ perspectives.

Nurse-client relationship

A professional rapport formed to promote trust, safety, and effective communication in nursing care.

Therapeutic relationship

A helping relationship between nurse and client designed to promote health, growth, and well-being through respect, empathy, and professional boundaries.

Verbal communication

Use of spoken or written words to convey information in a therapeutic context.

Nonverbal communication

Messages conveyed through body language, facial expressions, posture, eye contact, touch, and other cues.

Empathy

The ability to understand and share the feelings of another and to respond with genuine concern.

Empathic presence

Demonstrating empathy through actions such as facing the client, open posture, relaxed demeanor, leaning forward, and appropriate eye contact.

Congruence

Consistency between a nurse’s verbal messages and nonverbal behavior.

Trust

Confidence in the nurse’s reliability, integrity, and caring that facilitates openness and safety.

Environment manipulation

Modifying the physical or social environment to reduce distractions and support therapeutic communication.

Active listening

Fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what the client says.

Restating

Repeating the client’s message in the nurse’s own words to confirm understanding.

Reflecting

Echoing the client’s feelings or meanings to show understanding and encourage further exploration.

Paraphrasing

Restating the client’s message in simpler or different words to enhance comprehension.

Clarifying techniques

Methods used to ensure understanding, including restating, reflecting, paraphrasing, and exploring.

Exploring

Asking questions to uncover experiences, feelings, and concerns beyond initial statements.

Summarizing

Providing a concise recap of the client’s statements and progress to confirm understanding and guide next steps.

Giving information

Providing factual data, status updates, explanations, or instructions to the client.

General leads

Broad opening phrases that invite the client to continue talking (e.g., “Tell me more about…”).

Broad opening statements

Initial, open-ended statements that encourage client dialogue and sharing.

Silence

A pause in conversation used therapeutically to give the client time to think and respond.

Open-ended questions

Questions that invite detailed responses rather than yes/no answers.

Focusing

Directing the conversation to specific topics to facilitate communication.

Presenting reality

A technique to acknowledge and gently correct misperceptions to keep conversations grounded in truth.

Barriers to Effective Communication

Obstacles that hinder therapeutic exchange, such as defensiveness, probing, judging, false reassurance, giving advice, or changing the topic.

False reassurance

Dismissing or minimizing a client’s feelings with overly positive, unhelpful statements that shut down discussion.

Cultural considerations

Awareness of cultural differences that affect communication (e.g., eye contact norms, personal space) and the use of interpreters and culturally appropriate materials.

Interpreter

A person who translates spoken language to facilitate understanding between the client and clinician.

Eye contact

Visual attention between speaker and listener; its appropriateness varies by culture and context but generally conveys attention and engagement.

Amplification

Increasing sound level or using assistive devices to improve communication with hearing-impaired clients, especially older adults.

Assistive devices

Tools such as hearing aids or glasses that help clients participate in communication.

Feedback

Information provided to a client about their behavior or communication to guide improvement; should be constructive and client-focused.

Acceptance and recognition

Showing unconditional positive regard and acknowledgment of the client to support therapeutic interaction.

Touch

A therapeutic nonverbal technique used to convey support and empathy (used appropriately within cultural and personal boundaries).