Therapeutic Nursing and Technology: Clinical Supervision and Reflective Practice in a Critical Care Setting

Therapeutic relationships in critical care nursing: a reflection on practice

“…Clinical supervision and reflective practice have the potential to support nurses in learning the art of therapeutic loving (Down, 2002; Stickley and Freshwater, 2002). However, clinical supervision has not yet become a reality in critical care nursing in many hospitals.…”

“…Through setting appropriate boundaries (Briant and Freshwater, 1998), the nurse and patient enter into a mutual and reciprocal relationship that enables the provision of nursing care that is individually tailored to meet the patient’s needs (Freshwater, 2002) as well maintain the professional satisfaction of the nurse (McQueen, 2000). However, both Freshwater (2002) and Down (2002) argue that clinical supervision and reflective practice are necessary to support nurses in the development and maintenance of therapeutic relationships with their patients.…”

“…In critical care nursing, where technology can act as a barrier (Johns, 2005) and compromise nurse‐patient communication, it can be very difficult to develop therapeutic relationships. Down (2002) warns that without these, nurses are reduced to objective technologists, while patients become objects to be examined and evaluated. However, critical care nurses are very creative in overcoming the barriers to communication (Bergbom‐Enberg and Haljamae, 1993) as well as minimizing the negative effects of the technological environment (Dyer, 1995; Dyson, 1999; Granberg et al , 2001) in order to engage in relationships with critically ill patients and their families.…”