UNIT 5 INTERPERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP
Mrs Kamwendo
Objectives
• At the end of the Unit, the student should be able to:
• 1 Define interpersonal Relationship
• 2 Explain the types of relationships
• 3 Describe the characteristics of interpersonal
relationship
• 4 Explain the roles of a nurse in interpersonal
relationship
Definition
• Interpersonal relationship is a strong bond between
two or more people.
• It’s a facilitating process in which one person assists
another to solve problems and to face crisis in the
direction the assisted person chooses.
Definition
• Therapeutic communication is an interactive
process between nurse and the client that helps the
client overcome temporary stress, to get along with
other people, to adjust to the unalterable, and to
overcome psychological blocks which stand in the
way of self realization.
Types of relationships
• There are three types of relationships:
1. Reciprocity: This is the ideal relationship.
This type of relationship is characterized by loyalty,
self-sacrifice, mutual affection, and generosity.
• This friendship is based on equality.
Type of relationship t
2. Receptivity: In this type of relationship there is an
imbalance in giving and receiving.
One person is the primary giver and the other is the
primary receiver. However, there is still much to gain
out of this relationship, so it is a positive one.
3. Association: This is a cordial relationship, but there
is no depth.
Nurse Health Care Team Relationship
• Nurses function in a role that requires interaction
with multiple care team members.
• It focuses on estimating a healing working
environment and accomplishing the work and goals
of clinical setting.
• Communication in this type of relationship focuses
on team building, facilitating group process,
collaboration,consultation, delegation, supervision,
leadership and management.
Nurse Community Relationships
• Many nurses form relationships with community
groups by participating in local organizations and
volunteering for community service.
• Nurses in community based practice need to be
able to establish relationships with their community
to be effective change agents.
• Communication within the community occurs through
• channels such as neighbourhood, radio and
television.
Characteristics of Interpersonal
relationship
• Interpersonal relationships involves the following:
A. an intellectual and emotional bond between the
nurse and the client and is focused on the client.
B. Respecting the client as an individual, including:
• Maximizing the client’s abilities to participate in
decision making and treatments.
• Considering ethnic and cultural aspects
• Considering family relationships and values.
Characteristics of Interpersonal
relationship
• C. Respect clients confidentiality
• D. Focuses on client’s well-being
• E. Is based on mutual trust, respect and acceptance
Roles of A Nurse in Interpersonal
Relationship
(a) Nurse/client relationship
• This is also known as a helping relationship. It is the
foundation of clinical nursing practice.
• In this relationship, the nurse assumes the role of
professional helper and comes to know the client as
an individual who has unique health needs, human
responses and patterns of living.
Roles of A Nurse in Interpersonal
Relationship
• The role a nurse plays in providing care to a patient
can make a significant impact on how well and how
quickly a patient is able to recover.
• When a client chooses a medical facility to receive
long-term care for a chronic illness it is important that
the client watch how the nurses interact with other
patients before the patient makes a decision on
which facility he or she will go to for treatment.
Components of the nurse-client
relationship
• Trust
• Trust is critical in the nurse-client relationship
because the client is in a vulnerable position.
• Initially, trust in a relationship is fragile, so it’s
especially important that a nurse keep promises to a
client.
• If trust is breached, it becomes difficult to
reestablish.
Components of the nurse-client
relationship
Respect
• Respect is the recognition of the inherent dignity,
worth and uniqueness of every individual, regardless
of socio-economic status, personal attributes and the
nature of the health problem.
Components of the nurse-client
relationship
Professional intimacy :In the type of care and services
that nurses provide.
• It may relate to the physical activities, such as
bathing, that nurses perform for, and with, the client
that createn closeness.
• Professional intimacy can also involve psychological,
spiritual and social elements that are identified in the
plan of care.
Components of the nurse-client
relationship
• Access to the client’s personal information, within the
meaning of the Freedom of Information and
Protection of Privacy Act, also contributes to
professional intimacy.
Empathy
• Empathy is the expression of understanding,
validating and resonating with meaning that the
health care experience holds for the client.
• In nursing, empathy includes appropriate emotional
distance from the client to ensure objectivity and an
• appropriate professional response.
Power
• The nurse-client relationship is one of unequal
power. Although the nurse may not immediately
perceive it, the nurse has more power than the client.
• The nurse has more authority and influence in the
health care system, specialized knowledge, access
to privileged information, and the ability to advocate
for the client and the client’s significant others.
• The appropriate use of power, in a caring
manner,enables the nurse to partner with the client
to meet the client’s needs.
• A misuse of power is considered abuse.
Barriers in interpersonal relationship
• Barriers in interpersonal relationship may develop
due to varieties of reasons like
• mistrust and fear of rejection is the life blood of
any relation whether it is friendship or business or
husband–wife relations.
• No relationship can last longer, if the persons
• involved in relationship start losing trust on each
other that will eventually lead to suspicion, hiding
information and emotions, and gradually the ending
of the relationship.
• So, for the initiation and maintenance of IPR, it
requires trust between both the persons involved in a
relation.
• Some people don't/can't think positive about
themselves.
• They have a preoccupation that the other person will
not accept him/her as a friend or girlfriend/boyfriend.
• So, the person never tries to initiate relationship with
the other person because it is unacceptable to
him/her to be rejected. For example, fear of rejection
can be seen when a person of low socioeconomic
status wants to initiate some social relationship with
a person of high socioeconomic status.
Summary
• We have now come to the end of our discussion in
this unit were we looked at interpersonal relationship
which is an interactive process between the nurse
and the client.
• This relationship helps the client overcome
temporary stress, get along with other people, adjust
to the unalterable, and to overcome psychological
blocks which may stand in the way of self realization
of the client.
Summary
• Therapeutic nursing services contribute to the
client’s health and well-being.
• The relationship is based on trust, respect, empathy
and professional intimacy, and requires appropriate
use of thepower inherent in the care provider’s role.
• We also talked about some of the barriers
• to interpersonal relationships like mistrust, fear of
rejection and lack of respect.
