The theory of interpersonal relations is a middle-range descriptive classification theory introduced by Hildegard Peplau in the middle of the 20th century. The essence of this theory is the creation of experiences between a nurse and a patient to avoid passively receiving treatment (Hagerty et al., 2017). There are four major phases in nurse-patient relationships, namely orientation (nursing assessment of the patient), identification (the development of a nursing care plan), exploitation (the implementation of a care plan), and resolution (nursing evaluation).
As with any nursing theory, Peplau’s theory consists of four components. Person is defined as a developing organism that has to reduce unfavorable changes due to personal needs. Environment includes the existing cultural outside forces, and health is human development through creative and constructive processes. Nursing is an interpersonal process that involves the participation of properly educated nurses who are ready to play several meaningful roles like a stranger, educator, counselor, surrogate, resource person, and leader (Hagerty et al., 2017). Using this concepts and constructions, four critical assumptions are developed. First, a nurse and a patient should interact and develop professional relationships. Second, therapeutic interactions between participants turn out to be a chance to improve knowledge and become mature. Third, communication is an obligatory process that contributes to the enhancement of skills in nursing. Finally, this theory proves that nurses understand their roles and values to support the patient’s growth.
The impact of psychiatry and social sciences cannot be ignored in understanding the worth of Peplau’s theory. The works by Henry Stack Sullivan, Abraham Maslow, and Percival Symonds remain remarkable in developing Peplau’s ideas. Social science theories like structural functionalism and symbolic interactionism also affect Peplau in the intention to recognize the quality of interpersonal relationships. These theories prove the importance of change in interpersonal relationships and underline the necessity to develop personal skills and knowledge in practice. Regarding the identification of roles in nursing and the description of the relationships, Peplau’s theory is chosen for analysis to learn how a nurse and a patient should cooperate, solve their problems, and contribute to health improvement.
Reference
Hagerty, T. A., Samuels, W., Norcini-Pala, A., & Gigliotti, E. (2017). Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relations: An alternate factor structure for patient experience data? Nursing Science Quarterly, 30(2), 160-167. Web.