About author
• Born in 1909
• Graduated in 1931 from Diploma nursing program
• BA in interpersonal psychology in 1943
• MA in psychiatric nursing 1947
• Certification in psychoanalysis for teachers
• Worked as president of ANA and Director of advanced
program in psychiatric nursing
• Worked with WHO, NIMH
• First published nursing theorist in a century since
Nightingale
• Died in 1999
Contribution & achievement
• Created the nursing middle range theory of
Interpersonal Relations
• Created nursing curriculum including nurse
patient interaction through process recording
• Transformed nursing from a group of skilled
workers to a profession
• Published book on Interpersonal Relations in 1952.
Contd..
• Contributed to mental health reform and laws
• Known as mother of psychiatric nursing
• Professor emeritus
• Ambassador for psychiatric education in nursing
• Inspired generation of students
• Had powerful vision to move nursing forward to a
profession of respect
• Left a legacy of dignified and healing
relationship with patients
Development of the theory
• Work of Sullivan’s theory of Interpersonal relations
• Concepts from other disciplines ( work of Freud, Maslow,
psychoanalytic model)
• Observation of existing nursing practice
• Analysis of interaction of students with patients
• Study of nurse patient interaction through process
recording
• Experience in psychiatric field
• Own concept, values and beliefs about nursing
Basic elements
The interaction
The patient The nurse between the patient
and the nurse
Metaparadigm
•Client/Patient
• Person, couple, groups or community deserving of
human care with dignity, privacy and ethics.
•Environment-
• Physiological, psychological and social fluidity that
may be illness, maintaining or health promoting.
•Health –
• Forward movement of personality and other ongoing
human process in the direction of creative,
constructive, personal and community living.
•Nurse –
• The medium of the art of nursing, a maturing force. The
unique blend of ideals, values, integrity, commitment to
the well being of others.
•Nursing:
• Is an interpersonal process involving interaction between
two or more persons with a common goal.
• Nurse patient interaction is a therapeutic process. It is a
healing art.
Assumptions
• The kind of nurse each person becomes makes a
difference in what each client will learn as she or he is
nursed throughout his or her experiences with illness.
• Fostering personality development in the direction of
maturity is a function of nursing and nursing
education. It requires the use of principles and
method to deal with every day interpersonal problem
or difficulties.
• Since illness provides opportunity for learning and
growth, nursing can assist clients to develop
competencies through nurse client interaction.
• All human behavior is purposeful and goal seeking in
terms of feelings of satisfaction.
• The interaction of nurse and client is fruitful when a
method of communication that identifies and uses
common meanings is at work in the situation.
• Difficulties in interpersonal relations occur in varying
intensities throughout the life of everyone.
• Patient is able to participate in an interpersonal
relationship.
• Interpersonal relations will enhance self maturity
and/or self fulfillment.
Keys for effective IPR
Effective
communication (verbal Interpersonal skill
and non verbal)
Observation and
Positive attitude
perception
The outcome of interaction
Positive Negative
• Understanding Misunderstanding
• Openness Closeness
• No fear & Fear & anxiety
anxiety
IPR process
Importance
• Understanding of one’s own behavior
• Helping others identify felt difficulty
• Application of human relations to problems at all
level of experience
• Applicability in any nurse patient relationship to
meet patient needs
Evaluation of theory
• Concepts are clear, consistent and defined easily
understandable
• Simple in nature, logical , systematic way of viewing nursing
• Consistent with nursing values and mission
• Holistic in nature
• Descriptive middle range theory
• Can be used in any specialty and all areas of
relationship
• Can be learned with practice and easy to use
• Contributes to nursing process
• Easily accessible to practitioners to guide and
improve practice
