ABSTRACT
There is a significant difference between taking responsibility for the care of patients and being therapeutically responsive to each patient. This chapter shows that nurses and patients hold views on the therapeutic effect of nursing. It explains the issue of how nursing actions affect patient welfare and satisfaction, and how the educational implications of findings can help to develop nurses’ ability to work with patients in a therapeutic way, when appropriate. The chapter describes a strong belief amongst nurses and patients in the therapeutic consequences of the nonverbal aspects of nurses’ actions. The relationship of nurse-patient interaction to the bureaucratic context of the hospital and the implications for patient, has received little attention. The therapeutic potential of nurses’ expressive actions has received limited mention in the literature. The chapter also presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book.
