Communication and the therapeutic relationship in intensive care : improving the patient’s voice.

Providing nursing cares for a critically ill patient in an intensive care setting requires the registered nurse to use additional skills to overcome establish effective communication with the patient and allow for the establishment of an appropriate and effective therapeutic relationship. In reports on patient’s experiences of being in intensive care, voicelessness has been described as an extremely unpleasant experience that can lead to feelings of fear, anger, vulnerability and loss of dignity (Almerud, Alapack, Fridlund, & Ekebergh, 2007; Granberg, Engberg, & Lundberg, 1998; Karlsson, Bergbom, & Forsberg, 2012; Karlsson, Lindahl, & Bergbom, 2012). In a review of the literature, the current dissertation aims to explore the cause of the experience of voicelessness and examine the potential impact on the patient’s intensive care experience. This review also identifies some ways that registered nurses can assist the patient with finding their voice, with a focus on the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship. The impact that improving the patient’s voice may have on particular health outcomes for that patient has also been discussed. Finally a brief proposal for future research has also been included