Nursing on paper: therapeutic letters in nursing practice

Abstract

Nursing on paper: therapeutic letters in nursing practice This paper offers a selected piece of interpretive research extracted from the context of a larger research study. The hermeneutic research inquiry described in this paper involved the examination of the nursing and family therapy intervention of therapeutic letters. It incorporated the textual interpretation of 11 therapeutic letters, clinical sessions with three families, clinical team discussions, and research interviews with four family members and three nurse clinicians who participated in the writing of the letters. This particular paper extracts segments of the research related to the letters received by two participants, as well as some general findings, with a focus on the possibilities and influences of therapeutic letters in nursing practice. The findings of this research offer suggestions, not as a template, but as an inspiration and evocation to write therapeutic letters that address the obligation of meeting people experiencing illness at the point of their suffering, with words and questions that invite relationship, reflection, and are large enough to sustain a meeting.

Therapeutic Letters as Relationally Responsive Practice

“…Parry and Doan (1994) succinctly described some of these intentions, including (a) ensuring the clinician has heard the client's story accurately, (b) providing time to ponder the clinical session outside the rapid-fire atmosphere of therapeutic conversation, (c) rendering a new story more "newsworthy," and (d) expanding on the clinician-client relationship. In parallel with the recent growth and visibility in the professional literature about letter writing, several studies have begun to more extensively map out the adjunctive use of letters in therapeutic conversations (e.g., Epston, cited in M. White, 1995;Moules, 2000Moules, , 2002Moules, , 2003Nylund & Thomas, 1994;Pyle, 2004Pyle, , 2006Whyte, 1997).…”

Therapeutic Letters and the Family Nursing Unit

“…A case study from the research of Moules (2000Moules ( , 2002 is offered to further illustrate the usefulness of therapeutic letters as a family nursing intervention. …”

How to Conclude or Terminate with Families

“…This letter provides the opportunity to highlight the family strengths, reinforce the changes made, offer the family a review of their efforts and what they have accomplished, and list the ideas (interventions) that were offered to them. At the Family Nursing Unit, University of Calgary, closing letters are routinely sent to each family on completion of treatment (Moules, 2002;Wright, 2004;Wright et al, 1996). Many families have commented about how much they appreciate the letters and how they frequently refer back to them.…”