Patient teaching takes place in which phase of nurse-patient relationship?

PGICH Noida NO-2025

Nursing Foundation

Easy

Appeared in: PGICH Noida NO-2025

Explanation

The working phase is the active, problem-solving stage of the therapeutic relationship where the nurse and patient collaborate to achieve health goals.
During this phase, the nurse implements various interventions, including providing the information and skills necessary for the patient to understand their health and manage their care.
This act of providing information and skills to facilitate understanding and behavior change is the core of patient teaching.

Option A: The orientation phase focuses on establishing trust, assessing the patient, and setting goals. While some introductory information might be shared, comprehensive teaching is not the primary goal of this phase.
Option B: The termination phase is for evaluating outcomes and concluding the relationship. While teaching may be reinforced, the main educational interventions have already occurred.
Option D: The pre-interaction phase occurs before any contact with the patient. The nurse is gathering information and planning for the first meeting, so no patient teaching can take place.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Phases of the Nurse-Patient Relationship (Peplau's Theory) to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Understanding the phases of the therapeutic relationship allows nurses to structure their interactions purposefully, build trust effectively, and guide patients toward their health goals in a systematic way.
Timing patient education correctly within the working phase is crucial for its effectiveness. By this stage, a foundation of trust has been built, and the patient is more receptive to learning and participating in their care.
What if? If a nurse attempts extensive, complex teaching during the orientation phase, the patient may feel overwhelmed or distrustful, as a therapeutic rapport has not yet been fully established. This can hinder learning and damage the relationship.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the keywords in the question: 'Patient teaching' and 'phase of nurse-patient relationship'.
This is a recall-based question that requires knowledge of the different stages of the therapeutic relationship, often based on Peplau's model.
Think about the purpose of each phase: Pre-interaction (preparation), Orientation (assessment/planning), Working (action/implementation), and Termination (evaluation).
Categorize 'patient teaching' as an action or intervention designed to help the patient achieve a goal.
Match this action to the corresponding phase. The 'Working' phase is the implementation stage where actions are taken.
Eliminate the other options based on their primary purpose: Orientation is for setting goals, not achieving them; Termination is for evaluating goals; and Pre-interaction involves no patient contact.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 2 p. 115-117

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Taylor p. 87-89