Establishing therapeutic relationships in the context of public health nursing practice

• Author / Creator

  Porr, Caroline Jane

• I employed classical grounded theory methodology to formulate a theory of establishing therapeutic relationships in the context of public health nursing practice. Targeting Essence: Pragmatic Variation of the Therapeutic Relationship emerged as the theoretical model that elucidates how public health nurses develop therapeutic rapport with vulnerable and potentially stigmatized clients, specifically lower income lone-parent mothers. Data sources consisted of interview transcripts and dyadic observations. Public health nurses and lower income lone-parent mothers were the primary participants. During analysis, other sources for data were sought to achieve saturation of conceptual categories and theoretical integration. Targeting Essence: Pragmatic Variation of the Therapeutic Relationship is a six-stage process that evolved from theoretical interpretive analysis of the participants’ general pattern of relating. Public health nurses strategically modify the therapeutic relationship during their efforts to ascertain main concerns of mothers within the constraints of contemporary practice. Lower income lone-parent mothers with heightened sensitivities enact interactional behaviours to discern the intent of public health nurses. The study’s focused context elicited a nuanced explanation of the dynamic process that builds on the fundamentals of communication. Targeting Essence: Pragmatic Variation of the Therapeutic Relationship has the potential to enhance relational practice capacity, to advance nursing communication training curricula, and, ultimately, to promote maternal/child health and well-being.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Therapeutic relationships, public health nursing, grounded theory

• Graduation date

  Fall 2009

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3F120

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.