Therapeutic Communication in Nursing: A Clinical Reflection

Introduction

This report reflects on a particular event that occurred during my placement at a general hospital. The placement afforded me firsthand experience of the importance of therapeutic communication skills in nursing practice. Effective communication is an essential component of medical practice that improves the quality of treatment given to patients. It is an integral part of Hippocratic medicine, and it not only inspires a recovery-oriented approach but also establishes a trusting patient–care provider relationship (Kourkota & Papathanasiou, 2014). It is the best tool for calming an intense atmosphere in a healthcare environment, achieving the full cooperation of patients, and aiding rapid recovery.

Such was my experience with a 43-year-old patient at the hospital where I completed my placement. She was a widow and a mother of two children aged ten and eight. She presented with irritability, restlessness, and other symptoms of clinical depression. She had spent approximately five weeks at the hospital, and her condition had been improving. However, a few days before the night I interacted with her, she had been showing signs of relapse in her recovery process.

Patient Background and Clinical Context

Suddenly, the patient stopped taking her medications, began displaying aggression toward those around her, and preferred to be alone. I became interested in her case and was willing to help in the best way I could. To gain a full understanding of her condition, I approached the resident nurse to learn more about her health challenges. According to the information I gathered, she had enjoyed a happy life with her husband and two children until she lost her husband in a car crash a few months before her hospital admission. The death came as a profound shock.

From that point on, the more she tried to move forward and focus on raising her children, the more difficult it became. She turned to alcohol to cope with her grief. After a few weeks, she became addicted, drinking heavily each night. Her new lifestyle soon affected her work performance and ultimately led to job loss. Being bereaved and losing her job in quick succession proved overwhelming, and the cumulative effects led to clinical depression.

References

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Tollefson, J., & Hillman, E. (2019). Clinical psychomotor skills: Assessment tools for nurses. 3-point standard assessment (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited.