Therapeutic Communication Techniques
Therapeutic communication builds trust and supports healing. Nurses use techniques such as active listening, open-ended questions, and reflection.
Practice Therapeutic Communication with PassMate AI →Key Points to Know
What you must know about Therapeutic Communication
Therapeutic techniques include active listening, open-ended questions, reflection, clarification, and silence.
Empathy and unconditional positive regard build a trusting nurse-patient relationship.
Non-therapeutic responses include giving advice, false reassurance, and asking "why" questions.
Open-ended questions encourage the patient to express feelings freely.
Non-verbal communication (eye contact, posture, tone) is a key part of the message.
Silence can be therapeutic, giving the patient time to reflect and respond.
NMCN Exam Tips
How this topic appears in the NMCN exam
Open-ended, exploring responses are usually the "correct" therapeutic option.
Avoid false reassurance ("Everything will be fine") — it is non-therapeutic.
Do not give advice or ask "why" — these block communication.
Reflecting feelings shows empathy and encourages expression.
Practice Question
Test yourself
A patient says, 'I feel like nobody cares about me.' Which is the MOST therapeutic response by the nurse?
Explanation
Reflecting the patient's feeling ('You feel that no one cares about you?') uses restatement/reflection to encourage the patient to explore and express emotions. The other options give false reassurance, ask 'why', or dismiss the feeling — all non-therapeutic.
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