Peplau's Interpersonal Relations Theory 1952 (USA)

Peplau's Interpersonal Relations Theory 1952 (USA)

A pioneer in nursing, named Dr.Hildegard Peplau published the book 'Interpersonal Relations in Nursing' in 1952 at the age of 43 years . Nursing is a therapeutic healing art, assists the individual who is sick and in need of health care. The relationship between nurse and patients develops based on need or problems from one of them, they begin to develop goal and objectives, prepares plan of action, implement to solve a problem. They approach this course of action from diverse backgrounds and with individual uniqueness. 

Peplau divided the interpersonal relationship into four phases. 

1. Orientation
2. Identification
3. Exploitation 
4. Resolution

In 1997, Peplau wrote that the nurse patient relationship is composed of three phases such as orientation, working and termination phases.

Orientation Phase

In the initial phase, the nurse and patient meet as two strangers. The person are in the need of help and the other side, the person who are ready to help. Both of them are deeply influenced by values, culture, race, preconceived ideas, beliefs, past experiences and expectations. While understanding this, the nurse, the patient and the family work together to recognize, clarify and define existing problem. In the beginning, they are strangers. At the end of the stage, they are working together to identify the problem and providing comfortable environment with one another.

Working Phase

This is otherwise described as identification and exploitation phase. During identification phase, both the patient and the nurse clarify each other's perceptions and expectations, build a working relationship for identifying the problem and choosing appropriate assistance. Once the problem is identified and the goals are set, both of them move to working phase, in which the patient takes advantage of all services available.Thus, the nurse and the patient utilize the available services to solve it.Progress is made toward the final step, the termination phase.

Termination Phase

It is in the process of terminating a professional relationship. Once the problems are solved and the goals are met, both of them move into termination phase. During successful termination, the patient drifts away from identifying with the helping person, the nurse. The patient becomes independent from the patient. Termination occurs only with the successful completion of the previous phase. 

To conclude, Peplau stressed that both the patient and the nurse mature as the result of therapeutic interaction. When two persons are met in a creative relationship, there is a continuing sense of mutuality and togetherness throughout the experiences. She has developed a unique view for understanding the nurse patient relationship.