Therapeutic vs non therapeutic technique

[puddingpie]

I need help with an assignment, we are given a case scenerio and we are suppose to name the technique used and whether it is therapeutic or non therapeutic- but how do I do this? I have no book on this. I just need a list of techniques. Does anyone have a list of techniques?????????

Nurse- Hi Mr. Good How are you today? (sitting next to him at the kitchen table)

Client- Glad to see you Mary. Who would have thought a broken leg would give a body such trouble? (laughs a little)

Nurse- Well, it wasn't just a broken leg you know. It was pretty severe! What is it that's giving you trouble? (Makes eye contact and smiles)

Client- I'm having trouble negotiating around the house. The furniture and rugs are still in my way even though you helped us move them. (sighs) And I'm really having trouble with those crutches.

Nurse- (Assesses the client's ability to use the crutches and makes some suggestions for improving technique) There, that will work better.

Client- (Trying the new techniques) Yes, I guess so. Could I ask you something else? (client looks embarrassed but determined)

Nurse- Sure (sits quietly and makes eye contact)

Client- Um... I seem to be having some trouble in the bathroom.

Nurse- Oh well, we can move some things around in there so you can walk with the crutcjes in there.

Clieny- (Looks more embarrassed than before) Um... it's not that. It's the positioning of this darned leg when Aileen and I try to, um, you know, get close. She gets all worried and I get annoyed and everything goes all heck! (sounds frustrated)

Nurse- (Turning her back to the client to retrieve some pamphlets) Here are some booklets that will tell you how to avoid that sort of thing. It's full of new techniques for you to use.

Clients- I don't know about trying any new techniques. We're pretty happy with the way we do things. (Looks skeptical)

Nurse- Well, other orthopedic clients use them and like them just fine. I'll chck back with you in a few days to see if trying these techniques has worked for you too.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I suspect that your instructor is not asking you to "match" the example with a given list of techniques. Instead, she is probably asking you to think critically and analyze the situation. Is the nurse helping the client? Is this strategy likely to be successful or not? ... based on what you know about human nature, principles of communication, etc.

That's what makes nursing challenging. Good care can not be taken word for word from a textbook as with following a recipe in a cookbook. You have to take what you know (about theory, human nature, etc.) and then go beyond the mere memorization of facts or matching strategies ... to analyze situations critically and make a decision about the best course of action to take.

Which of your course materials include principles that might be useful in this situation? Review those and see if you can identify some things about the nurse's actions in the scenario that are either consistent with those principles or inconsistent with them. That process will tell you whether or not the nurse's actions are likely to be helpful (theapeutic) or not.

Good luck,

llg