Heartland Community College - Relationships & Therapeutic Communication Flashcards

A comprehensive vocabulary flashcard set covering Chapters 5 and 7 from Heartland Community College lecture notes, including therapeutic communication, nonverbal cues, boundary definitions, psychotherapeutic models, and milieu therapy.

Therapeutic Use of Self

The ability to use one's personality consciously and in full awareness in an attempt to establish relatedness and to structure nursing interventions.

Problem-Solving Model: Identify Issue

The initial step in the nursing problem-solving model focused on recognizing and defining the patient's primary concern.

Problem-Solving Model: Promote Discussion

Encouraging the patient to talk freely about their experiences and concerns.

Problem-Solving Model: Explore Feeling

Assisting the patient in identifying and processing emotions related to their situation.

Problem-Solving Model: Assist Choice

Helping the patient select an appropriate course of action among evaluated alternatives.

Rapport

A condition essential to relationship development based on warmth, harmony, and mutual understanding.

Trust

Confidence in another person's presence, reliability, integrity, and sincere desire to assist.

Respect

Unconditional positive regard that shows belief in the dignity and worth of an individual regardless of behavior.

Genuineness

The nurse's ability to be open, honest, and real when interacting with a patient.

Empathy

The ability to see beyond outward behavior and accurately understand another's emotional state while remaining objective.

Preinteraction Phase

The phase of the therapeutic relationship where the nurse explores self-perceptions, gathers initial patient information, and prepares for the first meeting.

Orientation (Introductory) Phase

The phase where the nurse establishes trust, builds rapport, gets acquainted, explores feelings, and formulates a contract for intervention.

Working Phase

The therapeutic relationship phase focused on promoting patient change, problem-solving, insight, and overcoming resistance.

Termination Phase

The final relationship phase where goal attainment is evaluated, therapeutic closure is achieved, and feelings related to ending care are explored.

Transference

Occurs when a patient unconsciously displaces feelings formed toward a person from their past onto the nurse.

Countertransference

Refers to the nurse's behavioral and emotional response to a patient based on unresolved feelings from the nurse's own past.

Material Boundaries

Physical property boundaries that can be seen, such as walls or fences.

Social Boundaries

Boundaries derived from culture that define how individuals are expected to behave in social situations.

Personal Boundaries

Boundaries defined by individuals for themselves, including physical and emotional distance.

Professional Boundaries

Boundaries that limit and outline expectations for appropriate professional relationships between healthcare workers and patients.

Boundary Warning Sign: Swapping Assignments

Changing patient assignments specifically to care for a particular patient, indicating potential boundary violation.

Boundary Warning Sign: Keeping Secrets

Maintaining private secrets with a patient, signaling a breach in professional objectivity.

Boundary Warning Sign: Spending Free Time

Choosing to spend off-duty or free time with a patient, indicating over-involvement.

Interpersonal Communication

A transaction between a sender and receiver in which both persons participate simultaneously.

Transactional Model

A communication model where participants simultaneously perceive each other, listen, and co-create meaning in a relationship.

Territoriality

The innate tendency of individuals to claim ownership over physical space.

Density

The number of individuals situated within a specific environmental space.

Intimate Distance

The closest distance that individuals allow between themselves and others during interaction.

Personal Distance

The spatial distance maintained for interactions that are personal in nature.

Social Distance

The distance appropriate for conversations with acquaintances or strangers.

Public Distance

The spatial distance reserved for speaking in public settings or shouting across a distance.

Paralanguage

Vocal cues such as pitch, tone, volume, and emphasis that accompany verbal communication.

Nostril Flare

A nonverbal facial expression commonly associated with feelings of anger or arousal.

Nostril Wrinkling

A nonverbal facial expression associated with feelings of dislike or disgust.

Grin or Smile

A nonverbal facial expression associated with happiness or contentment.

Grimace

A nonverbal facial expression associated with feelings of fear or pain.

Compressed Lips

A nonverbal facial expression associated with anger or frustration.

Canine-Type Snarl

A facial expression associated with the emotion of disgust.

Pouted Lips or Frown

A nonverbal facial expression associated with unhappiness, discontentment, or disapproval.

Pursing Lips

A nonverbal lip cue associated with disagreement.

Sneer

A nonverbal facial expression associated with contempt or disdain.

Brow Frown

A brow movement associated with anger, unhappiness, or deep concentration.

Raised Brows

A nonverbal brow signal associated with feelings of surprise or enthusiasm.

Tongue Sticking Out

A nonverbal expression conveying dislike or disagreement.

Widened Eyes

An eye behavior associated with surprise or excitement.

Narrowed Eyes or Squeezed Lids

An eye behavior associated with perception of threat or fear.

Eye Stare

A continuous nonverbal eye behavior associated with threat.

Stare, Blink, then Look Away

An eye behavior pattern associated with dislike or uninterest.

Downcast Eyes

Lack of eye contact associated with submission or low self-esteem.

Intermittent Eye Contact

An eye behavior associated with self-confidence and genuine interest.

Therapeutic Technique: Using Silence

Allowing quiet pauses to encourage the patient to organize thoughts and put feelings into words.

Therapeutic Technique: Accepting

Conveying an attitude of understanding and willingness to interact without judgment.

Therapeutic Technique: Giving Recognition

Acknowledging and indicating awareness of patient behavior or effort without offering value judgements.

Therapeutic Technique: Offering Self

Demonstrating willingness to spend time with the patient on an unconditional basis.

Therapeutic Technique: Giving Broad Openings

Allowing the patient to direct the topic and focus of the conversation.

Therapeutic Technique: Offering General Leads

Providing minimal encouragement for the patient to continue talking.

Therapeutic Technique: Placing Event in Time or Sequence

Clarifying the chronological order of events to help organize thoughts.

Therapeutic Technique: Making Observations

Verbalizing what is observed about a patient's behavior or appearance to increase self-awareness.

Therapeutic Technique: Encouraging Description of Perceptions

Asking the patient to verbalize internal experiences or hallucinatory perceptions.

Therapeutic Technique: Encouraging Comparison

Asking the patient to identify recurring similarities or differences in life situations.

Therapeutic Technique: Restating

Repeating the main idea expressed by the patient to confirm whether it was understood correctly.

Therapeutic Technique: Reflecting

Referring questions or feelings back to the patient to empower independent problem-solving.

Therapeutic Technique: Focusing

Directing attention to a single key word or idea to encourage specific discussion.

Therapeutic Technique: Exploring

Delving more deeply into a relevant theme or situation mentioned by the patient.

Therapeutic Technique: Seeking Clarification and Validation

Striving to explain vague statements to ensure mutual understanding between patient and nurse.

Therapeutic Technique: Presenting Reality

Defining the nurse's perception of the environment without directly challenging patient misperceptions.

Therapeutic Technique: Voicing Doubt

Expressing uncertainty regarding the objective truth of a patient's delusional beliefs.

Therapeutic Technique: Verbalizing the Implied

Putting into words what the patient has expressed indirectly or left unspoken.

Therapeutic Technique: Attempting to Translate Words into Feelings

Desymbolizing abstract statements to uncover underlying emotional states.

Therapeutic Technique: Formulating a Plan of Action

Helping the patient identify actionable steps for future behavioral change and coping.

Nontherapeutic Technique: Giving False Reassurance

Minimizing patient concerns by stating that outcome will be fine, discouraging emotional expression.

Nontherapeutic Technique: Rejecting

Refusing to consider or showing open contempt for a patient's ideas or feelings.

Nontherapeutic Technique: Approving or Disapproving

Passing moral judgment on patient thoughts or behaviors as 'good' or 'bad'.

Nontherapeutic Technique: Agreeing or Disagreeing

Passing judgment on whether patient opinions are 'right' or 'wrong', fostering defensiveness.

Nontherapeutic Technique: Giving Advice

Telling a patient how to act, which fosters dependency and inhibits independent decision-making.

Nontherapeutic Technique: Probing

Persistently questioning a patient about uncomfortable topics they prefer not to discuss.

Nontherapeutic Technique: Defending

Defending an entity or person criticized by the patient, ignoring the patient's underlying feelings.

Nontherapeutic Technique: Requesting an Explanation

Asking 'why' a patient performed an action, forcing them into a defensive position.

Nontherapeutic Technique: Indicating External Source of Power

Attributing thoughts or feelings to outside entities, encouraging projection of personal blame.

Nontherapeutic Technique: Belittling Feelings Expressed

Minimizing emotional distress with trite remarks like 'everyone feels that way'.

Nontherapeutic Technique: Making Stereotyped Comments

Using trite, meaningless cliches in response to genuine patient concerns.

Nontherapeutic Technique: Using Denial

Refusing to acknowledge that a problem exists, blocking further exploration of difficulties.

Nontherapeutic Technique: Interpreting

Telling the patient the hidden meaning of their experience, which should be reserved for specialized therapy.

Nontherapeutic Technique: Introducing an Unrelated Topic

Changing the communication topic abruptly, signaling unwillingness to discuss the patient's concern.

Motivational Interviewing

An evidence-based, patient-centered communication style promoting behavior change by guiding patients to explore their own motivation and decision pros/cons.

Process Recordings

Written reports of verbal interactions created by nursing students or nurses as a learning tool to analyze and improve communication skills.

Descriptive Feedback

Useful feedback that objectively describes observed behaviors rather than evaluating or passing judgment.

Well-Timed Feedback

Communication feedback provided at an appropriate moment when the receiver is receptive.

Complementary Care

Adjunctive interventions such as OTC supplements, dietary modifications, exercise, and acupuncture used alongside main treatments.

Integrative Health

A holistic approach combining conventional medical therapies with evidence-based complementary care.

Individual Psychotherapy

One-on-one therapy provided by qualified practitioners, such as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, to help clients resolve psychological issues.

Automatic Thought: Personalizing

A cognitive distortion where an individual inappropriately attributes external events to themselves (e.g., 'I'm the only one who failed').

Automatic Thought: All or Nothing

A black-and-white cognitive distortion viewing outcomes in absolute terms (e.g., 'I'm a failure at everything I do').

Automatic Thought: Mind Reading

Arbitrarily assuming others hold negative thoughts about oneself (e.g., 'He thinks I'm foolish').

Automatic Thought: Discounting Positives

A cognitive distortion that minimizes positive experiences or achievements as insignificant.

Milieu Therapy

The scientific structuring of an environment to effect behavioral changes and improve psychological health and functioning.

Therapeutic Community Conditions: Containment

A essential milieu condition focused on establishing safety, boundaries, and physical security.

Therapeutic Community Conditions: Validation

A milieu condition that affirms the patient's worth, feelings, and unique human identity.

Assertiveness Training

Training designed to teach individuals to express feelings and needs directly without becoming defensive or violating others' rights.

Religion

An organized system of beliefs, practices, and rituals through which an individual's spirituality may be expressed.