What Is Therapeutic Communication?
Purposeful, patient-centered communication techniques—such as open-ended questions, reflection, and silence—used to build trust and encourage a patient to express feelings. NCLEX rewards responses that acknowledge the patient's emotions over those that give false reassurance or advice.
Therapeutic Communication across 2 exams
Therapeutic Communication appears on the following exams. Each defines it in the context candidates are tested on:
- NCLEX-RN
- Purposeful, patient-centered communication techniques—such as open-ended questions, reflection, and silence—used to build trust and encourage a patient to express feelings. NCLEX rewards responses that acknowledge the patient's emotions over those that give false reassurance or advice.
- NCLEX-PN
- Purposeful conversation techniques (active listening, reflection, open-ended questions, avoiding judgment) that establish trust and gather information from patients. LPNs use these skills to improve patient understanding, compliance, and emotional support.