Hildegard Peplau: Interpersonal Relations Theory

HILDEGARD PEPLAU:
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS THEORY
Submitted by:
Abraham, Zhanne Mae
Laderas, Reign Carisse
Rascon, Christine Korei
Villanueva, Erica
(GROUP 9 BSN 1-C)
Submitted to:
Mrs. Susan Maglaqui
Hildegard Peplau: Interpersonal Relations Theory
HILDEGARD PEPLAU (SEPTEMBER 1, 1909 – MARCH 17, 1999)

Was an American nurse who is the only one to serve the American Nurses Association (ANA) as
Executive Director and later as President. She became the first published nursing theorist since Florence
Nightingale.
Peplau was well-known for her Theory of Interpersonal Relations, which helped to revolutionize the
scholarly work of nurses. Her achievements are valued by nurses all over the world and became known to
many as the “Mother of Psychiatric Nursing” and the “Nurse of the Century.”
HILDEGARD PEPLAU’S INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS THEORY (1952)
Hildegard E. Peplau’s theory defined Nursing as “An interpersonal process of therapeutic interactions
between an individual who is sick or in need of health services and a nurse especially educated to
recognize, respond to the need for help.” It is a “maturing force and an educative instrument” involving
an interaction between two or more individuals with a common goal.
ASSUMPTIONS OF HILDEGARD PEPLAU'S THEORY
1. Nurse and the patient can interact.
2. Peplau emphasized that both the patient and nurse mature as the result of the therapeutic interaction.
3. Communication and interviewing skills remain fundamental nursing tools.
4. Peplau believed that nurses must clearly understand themselves to promote their client’s growth and
to avoid limiting the client’s choices to those that nurses value.
MAJOR CONCEPTS OF THE INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS THEORY
The theory explains the purpose of nursing is to help others identify their felt difficulties and that nurses
should apply principles of human relations to the problems that arise at all levels of experience.
 Man - Peplau defines man as an organism that “strives in its own way to reduce tension generated by
needs.” The client is an individual with a felt need.
 Health - is defined as “a word symbol that implies forward movement of personality and other
ongoing human processes in the direction of creative, constructive, productive, personal, and
community living.”
 Society or Environment - Although Peplau does not directly address society/environment, she does
encourage the nurse to consider the patient’s culture and mores when the patient adjusts to hospital
routine.
 Nursing - Hildegard Peplau considers nursing to be a “significant, therapeutic, interpersonal
process.” She defines it as a “human relationship between an individual who is sick, or in need of
health services, and a nurse specially educated to recognize and to respond to the need for help.”
THERAPEUTIC NURSE-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
A professional and planned relationship between client and nurse that focuses on the client’s needs,
feelings, problems, and ideas. It involves interaction between two or more individuals with a common
goal. The attainment of this goal, or any goal, is achieved through a series of steps following a sequential
pattern.
4 Phases of the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship:
1. Orientation Phase
-The orientation phase is directed by the nurse and involves engaging the client in treatment,
providing explanations and information, and answering questions.
 Problem defining phase
 Starts when the client meets nurse as a stranger
 Defining problem and deciding the type of service needed
 Client seeks assistance, conveys needs, asks questions, shares preconceptions and expectations of
past experiences
 Nurse responds, explains roles to the client, helps to identify problems and to use available resources
and services
2. Identification Phase
-The identification phase begins when the client works interdependently with the nurse, expresses
feelings, and begins to feel stronger.
 Selection of appropriate professional assistance
 Patient begins to have a feeling of belonging and a capability of dealing with the problem which
decreases the feeling of helplessness and hopelessness
3. Exploitation Phase
- In the exploitation phase, the client makes full use of the services offered.
 In the exploitation phase, the client makes full use of the services offered.
 Use of professional assistance for problem-solving alternatives
 Advantages of services are used is based on the needs and interests of the patients
 The individual feels like an integral part of the helping environment.
 They may make minor requests or attention-getting techniques
 The principles of interview techniques must be used in order to explore, understand and adequately
deal with the underlying problem
 Patient may fluctuate on independence
 Nurse must be aware of the various phases of communication
 Nurse aids the patient in exploiting all avenues of help and progress is made towards the final step
4. Resolution Phase
- In the resolution phase, the client no longer needs professional services and gives up dependent
behavior. The relationship ends.
 In the resolution phase, the client no longer needs professional services and gives up dependent
behavior. The relationship ends.
 Termination of professional relationship
 The patients needs have already been met by the collaborative effect of patient and nurse
 Now they need to terminate their therapeutic relationship and dissolve the links between them.
 Sometimes may be difficult for both as psychological dependence persists
 Patient drifts away and breaks the bond with the nurse and healthier emotional balance is
demonstrated and both becomes mature individuals
ROLES OF THE NURSE IN THE THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP IDENTIFIED BY
PEPLAU:
1. Stranger: offering the client the same acceptance and courtesy that the nurse would to any stranger
2. Resource person: providing specific answers to questions within a larger context
3. Teacher: helping the client to learn formally or informally
4. Leader: offering direction to the client or group
5. Surrogate: serving as a substitute for another such as a parent or a sibling
6. Counselor: promoting experiences leading to health for the client such as expression of feelings
ANXIETY
Was defined as the initial response to a psychic threat. There are four levels of anxiety described below.
Four Levels of Anxiety:
1. Mild anxiety is a positive state of heightened awareness and sharpened senses, allowing the person to
learn new behaviors and solve problems. The person can take in all available stimuli (perceptual field).
2. Moderate anxiety involves a decreased perceptual field (focus on immediate task only); the person
can learn a new behavior or solve problems only with assistance. Another person can redirect the person
to the task.
3. Severe anxiety involves feelings of dread and terror. The person cannot be redirected to a task; he or
she focuses only on scattered details and has physiologic symptoms of tachycardia, diaphoresis, and
chest pain.
4. Panic anxiety can involve loss of rational thought, delusions, hallucinations, and complete physical
immobility and muteness. The person may bolt and run aimlessly, often exposing himself or herself to
injury.

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HILDEGARD PEPLAU:

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS THEORY

HILDEGARD PEPLAU (SEPTEMBER 1, 1909 – MARCH 17, 1999)

 Starts when the client meets nurse as a stranger

 Defining problem and deciding the type of service needed

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