Interaction Phases

Joyce Travelbee assumes that nursing is fulfilled by means of human-to-human relationship. She defined nursing as “an interpersonal process whereby the professional nurse practitioner assists an individual, family or community to prevent or cope with experience or illness and suffering, and if necessary, to find meaning in these experiences”. Inspired by being a psychiatric nurse, she struggles for a “Humanistic Revolution” in nursing, with devotion on caring and compassion for patients. She expressed that achieving the goal of nursing necessitates a genuine human-to-human relationship, which can only be established by an interaction process, this process is further divided into five phases. The 5 interactional phases of Travelbee's model are in consecutive order and developmentally achieved by the nurse and the patient as their relationship with each other goes deeper and more therapeutic.

Phase of the original encounter

Emotional knowledge colors impressions and perceptions of both nurse and patient during initial encounters. The task is "to break the bond of categorization in order to perceive the human being in the patient" and vice versa. Patients are the same human beings as us and families; only, that they need other human beings specifically nurses and doctors for maintaining health. Health, which, Travelbee defines in two categories: subjective and objective. Subjective health is an individually defined state of well-being in accord with self-appraisal of physical-emotional-spiritual status. Objective health is an absence of discernable disease, disability of defect as measured by physical examination, laboratory tests and assessment by spiritual director or psychological counselor.

Phase of emerging identities

Tasks in the second phase (visibility of personal or emerging identities) include separating oneself and one's experiences from others AND recognizing the differing qualities that each possess, transcending roles by separating self and experiences from one another – not using oneself to judge others. The nurse nor the patient is not to stereotype the other as having a particular vexatious characteristic as this is not facilitative to building a relationship. Tasks include and avoiding "using oneself as a yardstick"by which to evaluate others. Barriers to such tasks may be due to role envy, lack of interest in others, inability to transcend the self, or refusal to initiate emotional investment.
This phase is described by the nurse and patient perceiving each other as unique individuals. At this time, the link of relationship begins to form.

Phase of empathy

This phase involves sharing another's psychological state but standing apart and not sharing feelings. It is characterized "by the ability to predict the behavior of another".

Phase of sympathy

Sharing, feeling and experiencing what others are feeling and experiencing is accomplished. This phase demonstrates emotional involvement and discredits objectivity as dehumanizing. The task of the nurse is to translate sympathy into helpful nursing actions.

Sympathy happens when the nurse wants to lessen the cause of the patient’s suffering. It goes beyond empathy. “When one sympathizes, one is involved but not incapacitated by the involvement.” The nurse should use a disciplined intellectual approach together with therapeutic use of self to make helpful nursing actions.

Phase of rapport

Rapport is described as nursing interventions that lessens the patient’s suffering. The nurse and the sick person are relating as human being to human being. The sick person shows trust and confidence in the nurse. “A nurse is able to establish rapport because she possesses the necessary knowledge and skills required to assist ill persons, and because she is able to perceive, respond to, and appreciate the uniqueness of the ill human being.”

http://mhayabninal.blogspot.com/2010/09/human-to-human-relationship-model-by.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existentialism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logotherapy

http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Joyce_Travelbee.html

http://www.nursing-theory.org/theories-and-models/travelbee-human-to-human-model-of-nursing.php

Nursing-Theory-Presentation.pptx by Pamela Salisbury Smith