Theory

of
Interpersonal
Relations
By Althea Abella
LET'S PLAY!
 Objectives

01 03
Showcase the significance
Provide an educational
and relevance of Peplau's
presentation about
Theory of Interpersonal

02
Hildegard Peplau's theory
Relations to the current
of interpersonal relations
nursing practice

Apply the aspects of Peplau's

Theory to a current clinical
example
Hildegard Peplau
(1909- 1999)

Mother of Psychiatric Nursing

Graduated from Pottstown,
Pennsylvania Hospital School
of Nursing in 1931
BA in Interpersonal Psychology
at Bennington College in 1943
Published her first book
"Interpersonal relations in
Nursing" in 1952
 CAREER OF HILDEGARD PEPLAU
Studied at Chestnut lodge with Ench Fromm, Frieda Fromm Rechmann and Harry
Stack Sullivan
1943-1945 Served as an Army Corp Nurse. Stationed in England.
Early 1950's created and taught first classes for graduate nurses at Teacher's
College.
1954 1974 member of faculty of the College of Nursing at Rutgers University.
Created first graduate program for clinical specialists in psychiatric nursing.
1950's-1960's taught summer workshops for nurses through out the United States
on Interpersonal Theory concepts.
Served as an advisor to World Health Organization (WHO).
Visiting professor at Universities in the United States and throughout the world.
Served as consultant to United States Surgeon General, United States Air Force,
National Institutes on Mental Health
.1975-1976 Created first European graduate nursing program at University of
Leuven in Belgium.
 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NURSING

Theory of Interpersonal Relations

Assisted to reform the United State's mental health system, through the

National Mental Health Act of 1946

Advocated for the development of nursing practice through research

Advocated for policy change, was involved in various policy-making groups

Served as president of the American Nursing Association from 1970-1972

and as vice president from 1972-1974

Hildegard Peplau's contributions to nursing are immeasurable, rightfully so

of someone nicknamed "Nurse of the Century

 Peplau's Theory on
Interpersonal Relations
1952 PUBLISHED INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS IN
NURSING
 THEORY OF
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS
Middle - range descriptive
Focus is the Nurse- Patient
classifications theory relationship.
Developed based on work of Based on Four Stage
Psychiatrist Harry Stack Nursing Model
Sullivan and his Theory Six Major Nursing Roles
Interpersonal Relations Nurse and Patient work
Nursing is an interpersonal together to become

process. Involves interaction knowledgeable and work

between two or more through the process

individual with a common goal. together

 Assumptions

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 avoid limiting

their choices to those that nurses value.

 THEORY OF
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS

This theory emphasized the nurse-client relationship as the

foundation of nursing practice. It emphasized the give-and-
take of nurse-client relationships emphasizing the need for
a partnership between nurse and client as opposed to the
client passively receiving treatment and the nurse passively
acting out doctor's order.

 THERAPEUTIC
NURSE- CLIENT RELATIONSHIP

A professional and planned relationship

between client and nurse focuses on the
client’s needs, feelings, problems, and
ideas.

It involves interaction between two or more

individuals with a common goal.

 FOUR (4) SEQUENTIAL PHASES

ORIENTATION IDENTIFICATION EXPLOITATION RESOLUTION

 Orientation Phase
directed by the nurse and involves engaging
the client in treatment, providing explanations
and information, and answering questions.

Problem defining phase

Starts when client meets nurse as stranger
Defining the 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,
identifies problems, and uses available
resources and services.
 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.
 Exploitation Phase
the client makes full use of the services offered.

Use of professional assistance for problem-solving

alternatives
Advantages of services are used based on the
needs and interests of the patients.
The individual feels like an integral part of the
helping environment.
The principles of interview techniques must be used
to explore, understand and adequately deal with the
underlying problem.
Nurse aids the patient in exploiting all avenues of
help, and progress is made towards the final step.
 Resolution Phase
the client no longer needs professional services and
gives up dependent behavior. The relationship ends.

Termination of professional relationship

The patient’s 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.
Subconcepts of the Interpersonal
Relations Theory

STRANGER COUNSELORS

RESOURCE
SURROGATE
PERSON

TEACHER LEADER
 NURSING ROLES

01 02 03
Resource
Stranger Teacher
Person

?
Acceptance of
patient as a
person

Change responses to
the patient’s level of
understanding

who imparts
knowledge in
reference to a need
or interest

 NURSING ROLES

04 05 06

Leader Surrogate Counselors

helps to understand and

Act in behalf of nurse as a
integrate the meaning of
the patient’s surrogate role current life circumstances ,
best interest (temporary care provides guidance and

giver) encouragement to make

changes
 METAPARADIGM IN NURSING

NURSING PERSON HEALTH ENVIRONMENT

 NURSING

A significant therapeutic interpersonal

process. It functions cooperatively with
other human process that make health
possible for individuals in communities.

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.”
 PERSON

A man who is an organism that lives in

an unstable balance of a given system.

Man as an organism that “strives in its own way

to reduce tension generated by needs.”
 HEALTH

“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.”
 ENVIRONMENT

The outside pressures in the context of

culture from where customs and beliefs
are acquired.
APPLICATION OF THE THEORY
The Interpersonal Relations theory became
significant in all areas of nursing practice and
stressed the importance of nurses’ ability to
understand their own behavior to help others
identify perceived difficulties.

It taught the relevance to:

- critically look at an existing practice in a specific
situation;
- incorporate that theory into practice;
- evaluate the outcome.
LIMITATIONS OF THE THEORY
Though Peplau stressed the nurse-client
relationship as the foundation of nursing practice,
health promotion and maintenance were less
emphasized.

The theory cannot be used in a patient who

doesn’t have a felt need, such as with withdrawn
patients.
l
 Conclusion

Peplau’s theory has proved greatly used to later nurse

theorists and clinicians in developing more sophisticated and
therapeutic nursing interventions, including the six nursing
roles, which show the dynamic character roles typical in
clinical nursing.

Studying Peplau’s Interpersonal Relations Theory of Nursing can

be very substantial, especially to aspiring to be part of the
profession. Knowing the six nursing roles, future nurses can
apply for different roles in different situations, which will
guarantee their patients acquire the best care possible and
ultimately speed along with treatment and recovery.
THANK
YOU
BY ALTHEA ABELLA