Enhancing staff nurses' interpersonal skills: theory to practice

Area of Science:

• Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing
• Nursing Education
• Therapeutic Relationships

Background:

• Psychiatric-mental health nurses need diverse skills for patient assessment, intervention design, and care evaluation.
• Interpersonal psychiatric nursing is centered on the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship.
• Effective nursing care relies on strong interpersonal dynamics and patient-centered approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an educational approach for psychiatric nursing care.
• To integrate Peplau's model themes: learning acquisition, language competencies, and anxiety reduction.
• To explore the role of clinical supervision in skill development.

Main Methods:

• A coordinated series of classes and clinical supervision sessions were implemented.
• Peplau's theoretical model guided the educational content and supervision.
• Clinical supervisors modeled supervisory sessions using elements of Peplau's theory.
• Nurses participated in clinical supervision and reflected on their experiences.

Main Results:

• Utilizing Peplau's interventional techniques in supervision facilitated knowledge and skill validation.
• Reflective practice during supervision enhanced the integration of new nursing skills.
• Nurses engaging in supervision benefited from experiential learning opportunities.

Conclusions:

• Clinical supervision, guided by Peplau's theory, is effective for developing psychiatric nursing skills.
• Experiential learning through supervision strengthens the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship.
• This model supports nurses in managing patient anxiety and improving care outcomes.