Defining and characterising the nurse–patient relationship: A concept analysis

The nurse-patient relationship involves complex attitudes and behaviours with ethical and deontological implications. It has been linked to improvements in patient health outcomes, although there is still no consensus in the scientific literature as to the definition and characterisation of the concept. This article aim to define the concept of the nurse-patient relationship. A concept analysis was conducted using the Walker and Avant method to identify the attributes defining the nurse-patient relationship. An integrative review of the literature was conducted using the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature databases. A review of the grey literature and other minor non-indexed publications on the topic was also conducted. A total of 36 articles were included in the review. A model case, a contrary case, a related case, and empirical references were produced to clarify the concept and identify its essential attributes. The concept is defined as a helping relationship involving interaction between different players. It is the basis of nursing care and is intended to meet the healthcare needs of the individual receiving this care. It is also viewed as an intervention in itself, requiring a specific training process just like any other nursing skill. The essential attributes of the relationship are empathy, presence, contact, authenticity, trust, and reciprocity. In conclusion, the nurse-patient relationship is a helping relationship established with the patient and/or their family based on interaction, communication, respect for ethical values, acceptance, and empathy in order to encourage introspection and behavioural change. Key components include communication, active listening, and respect. Bioethical values and confidentiality must also be present to ensure that the relationship is built on equality and intimacy.

Parenting in migration: Critical aspects and challenges of “doing family” of refugee families and social workers

Summary Although migrant families comprise a small number of immigrants, they present a significant challenge for the host community. In the Italian context, social services support migrant families through paths to autonomy and integration in the community. The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions that families and social workers have of “parenting” and “doing family” (training and management of family identity, roles and daily practices) in the complexity of migration. The study involved 15 immigrant parental couples, using family interview techniques and 12 social workers in 3 mini-focus groups. The collected materials were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using grounded theory. Findings The main results are identified and discussed as strengths, critical points and challenges. Some of the themes such as “willingness to work” or “lack of job opportunities” are common to both family members and social workers. Other themes are relevant to one group only. Among these, “availability and support of social workers” only emerged among families, whereas “education and respecting the rules” only emerged among social workers. Applications The results indicate that it is necessary for social workers to engage in a meaningful helping relationship with families, build networks of inclusion services, and also with the support of mediators overcome linguistic and cultural barriers. Social workers should involve families throughout he integration process. Furthermore, social services must also consider how families experience the difficulty of relating to social workers, which represents an obstacle to support for social integration.

Leisure and the Therapeutic Relationship: Contributing to Meaningful Lives

The primary goal of human beings is creating meaningful, healthy lives out of their existence, a task tailored to therapeutic recreation (TR). In this article, the core elements of TR, leisure and the helping relationship between professionals and service recipients, are examined through the lens of hermeneutic phenomenology. Hermeneutic phenomenology is a philosophical perspective centered on understanding how people interpret and assign meanings to lived experiences. Applying the philosophical perspective to TR, leisure generates meaningful experiences that therapeutic recreation specialists (TRSs) and service recipients collaboratively weave into personal narratives. The result is service recipients living well and flourishing. Conceiving of TR in this manner entails that our services are germane for all people.

ZNAČAJ ODNOSA STRUČNJAKA I KORISNIKA TE STRUČNIH POSTUPAKA U PREVENCIJI BJEGOVA MLADIH IZ ODGOJNIH USTANOVA

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CARE GIVERS AND BENEFICIARIES AND PROFESSIONAL INTERVENTIONS IN THE PREVENTION OF RUNAWAYS FROM RESIDENTIAL CARE Youth runaways are often mentioned as a burning problem in residential care. Apart from phenomenological aspects and factors that contribute to this phenomenon, and which have previously been analyzed in scientific research studies, this paper is focused on the relationship of young people who have already had an experience of runaway from residential care with professionals, primarily educators. Existing research studies indicate the significance of the relationship between the users and professionals, at which poor relationship is associated with the reasons for youth runaways, and a good relationship with protective factors that prevent the youth from running away and which protect them generally is perceived as a factor that contributes to the success of the treatment. The aim of this paper is to present how young persons experience the relationship with professionals, and which actions of professionals they identify as potentially useful and efficient in the prevention of runaways from residential care. The focus is on the significance and possibilities of professional helping relationship between professionals and young persons with the aim of preventing the occurrence of youth runaways from residential care. The perspective of 15 young persons with the experience of runaway from residential care is presented. The technique of a semi-structured interview was applied for the data collection, and a thematic analysis was conducted for data processing. As a result of the thematic analysis in which three topics were determined as a framework, 12 categories and 57 codes were recognized. The results of this research indicate that the relationships between the users and educators are complex and multi-layered. Young people primarily experience the relationships positively, and the relationships depend on the actions of the educators as well as on their own actions. The actions of the educators that the youth experienced after returning to residential care after runaway can be divided into those happening immediately after the runaway and those with a time lapse. The dominant intervention following runaways is a conversation about the runaway which contains the elements of obtaining the data about the course of the runaway, gaining an insight into the reasons for the runaway, raising awareness about the consequences and giving advice. Apart from conversations, young people mention the consequences which include grounding, lifting privileges and isolation. The results illuminate how the relationship between young people and professionals can become an important prerequisite in the prevention of youth runaways from residential care.

Helping Adolescents Exposed to Dangers: A Support Experience in Cameroonian Schools

Adolescent problems constantly evolve due to societal and demographic factors and the changes taking place in adolescents. Supporting adolescents in schools is an enriching and fulfilling experience. This complex work allows us to see not only the wealth of skills, diverse perspectives, resilience and motivation adolescents display during their schooling process, but also the difficulties they encounter in the process. From 2008/2009 to 2017/2018 academic year (10 years), 2,916 students from form one to upper six in a college in Cameroon, with various requests was supported. Adolescents were supported by intruding into their psychic, school and family worlds, to understand the influence of the events that they experience on their learning. With the help of clinical interviews and educational talks, they were able to overcome several challenges facing them at home and in their social environment at school, a different social system in which they must navigate to find their feet. Adolescents can suffer from parental disaffection, anxiety, poor family interactions, adolescent crisis, and even socio-economic precariousness of parents, violence, loss, bereavement and sometimes mental imbalance. The main difficulties are due to family dysfunction. Psychoeducation, helping relationship, counselling and psychotherapy were the means by which the adolescents were helped to regain their self-confidence, and have a sense of security in school, to find their way despite the daily family dysfunctions.

Some methods of psychological counseling for psychologists involved in solving psychological problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the educational space

In order to overcome the problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic in the educational space of Georgia, the specialists working on the psychological hotline need to have deep knowledge of psychological counseling issues and methods in order to provide timely and qualified assistance to those seeking help. The presented article discusses the characteristics of establishing a helping relationship by a consultant.

Around ethical dilemmas in the work of a family assistant

The purpose of the article is to describe selected ethical dilemmas in the work of a family assistant, based on the typology of ethical dilemmas of Frederic Reamer. In accordance with the typology adopted in the article, in the area of cooperation with families, ethical dilemmas regarding direct work with families, implementation of social assistance programs and relationship between representatives of the profession arise. The information presented in the text is based on publications, studies and reports on family assistantship. The first group of ethical dilemmas is revealed when constructing supportive and helping relationship between assistants and families. It refers to such areas as: voluntary cooperation, limits of cooperation, the right to self-determination or limits of responsibility. The second group of ethical dilemmas is related to the planning and implementation of various solutions in the field of social policy and also support and assistance programs offered to the family. The last group of ethical dilemmas results from a different understanding of family assistantship in the structures of the social assistance system. They are also revealed in the construction of relationships with social workers. The text also includes solutions how to cope with these dilemmas.

Student Perspectives on Educational Helping Instructor–Student Relationships

The instructor–student relationship may be understood as an educational helping relationship. Through interviews with 15 participants enrolled in masters or doctoral programs in education, this qualitative study explored graduate students’ perceptions of educational helping instructor–student relationships over the entirety of their higher education experiences. Participants discussed the structuring of instructor–student relationships in terms of perceived level of care and nurture, family as a metaphor for instructor–student relationships, and the quality of class participation. Implications for practice and research are offered.

Support practices by an interdisciplinary team in a palliative-care unit for relatives of patients in agonal phase

Background In the absence of extant recommendations, the aim of this study was to formalise support practices used by an interdisciplinary team in a palliative-care unit (PCU) for the relatives of patients in the agonal phase preceding death. The secondary objective was to understand the expectations of relatives during this phase in terms of the support provided by professionals and volunteers. Methods Thirty-two people took part in this study; all were interviewed through focus groups (FGs). Each FG comprised one category of individuals working in the PCU: nurses, care- assistants, doctors, psychologists, other professionals, palliative-care volunteers, and relatives. Groups were surveyed using an interview guide, and the interviews were recorded and transcribed to enable identification and characterization of all practices. Care practices were classified into four categories: current consensual practices (i.e. performed by all team members), occasional consensual practices, non-consensual practices (performed by one or a few participants), and practices to be developed. Results In total, 215 practices were mentioned by professionals and palliative-care volunteers: 150 current consensual practices, 48 occasional consensual practices, 1 non-consensual practice, 16 practices yet to be developed, and 29 practices for relatives. Many practices were mentioned by different categories of participants; thus, after cross-checking, the number of practices decreased from 215 to 52. A list of practices deemed desirable by all was drawn up and then validated by the entire interprofessional team. These practices were organised around four themes: providing care and ensuring comfort; communicating, informing, and explaining; interacting; and mobilising interdisciplinary skills. Conclusions These results underline the importance of the quality of care provided to patients, the attention given to the relatives themselves, and they highlight the importance of the helping relationship. Following this study, which established a list of varied practices aimed at supporting the relatives of patients in agonal phase, it will be important to set up a broader study seeking to establish a consensus on these practices with an interprofessional group of experts from other PCUs using broad surveys and an adapted methodology. Such studies will make it possible to develop training modules for teams working with relatives.

Navigating helping relationships amidst heavy workloads: An institutional ethnography of social workers’ accounts

Summary One major effect of the demise of the welfare state on public social services is increased heavy workload which leads to stress, burnout, and compromised well-being among social workers. Less explored are the ways in which heavy workload shapes the helping relationship between social workers and clients. Extrapolating from the narratives of 14 Israeli social workers who participated in an institutional ethnographic study, this paper offers a nuanced understanding of the toll that heavy workload takes on the helping relationship. Findings Results showcase heavy workload as a ruling relation, an organizational reality outside the control of social workers and clients. The damaging effects of heavy workload on the helping relationship as well as on the social workers were apparent: social workers expected to slice themselves thin and deal with frustration and guilt in the face of an organizational reality that deters them from investing in their clients the time and energy required to cultivate helping relationships. Application The helping relationship has been paramount to social work throughout the history of the profession. This research contributes to this longstanding focus with a renewed understanding of the helping relationship in public social services as a political and public encounter between social workers and clients, one that is governed by extra-local relations of ruling. Heavy workload is one such ruling relation that organizes the helping relationship. As such, this organizational reality can be reorganized to eliminate, or at least reduce, the toll that heavy workload takes on the helping relationship.