Patient and nurse roles in the therapeutic community

A therapeutic community consists of an interdisciplinary team working collaboratively with the patient to maximize the patient's potential health. This process requires nursing facilitation of the patient's movement towards and assumption of behaviors inherent in the roles of newcomer, member, and leader. The nurse contributes to the therapeutic milieu in many ways: as a change agent of human behavior, as a manipulator of the dynamic environment, as a confronter of discrepancies, as a role model of interpersonal skills, and as an identified leader with diversified functional skills. The nurse enhances her utilization of the therapeutic community by knowledge of roles enacted by staff, patients, and self.