Mental health articles

A psychiatric patient may display bizarre behavior during a psychiatric episode. Bizarre behavior can invoke a nontherapeutic response from the psychiatric nurse when the psychiatric nurse reacts intuitively to the patient’s bizarre behavior and sends an inappropriate nonverbal message to the patient. It is important that the psychiatric nurse avoid responses that are barriers to effective therapeutic communication.

Here are some traps to avoid.

• Judging or criticizing the patient

• Stereotyping the patient

• Providing false reassurance

• Not focusing on what the patient is saying

• Criticizing other patients and staff in front of the patient

• Becoming angry or argumentative with the patient

• Asking too many questions or not giving the patient time to answer your questions

• Not letting the patient finish talking before you respond

Tags: therapeutic communication