Ashley Habina

Working Phase: Identifying Health Issues

 Once family arrives, set a plan with patient and family to help patient from relapsing
 Initial problems with drug abuse and health issues for this patient include respiratory distress,
overdose, altered mental status, addiction and dependency issues, anxiety, depression, inability to care
for children safely and unhealthy relationships.
 When patient accepts help, talk over series of events that lead patient to relapse and reassure patient
that she can get through this.
 Sit with patient and spend time with patient in order to understand outside pressures, stressors and
lifestyle issues
 Health issues include compromising quality of life
 Incorporate measures to increase patients understanding of drug abuse
 The patient may make minor requests or use techniques in order to receive special attention, set limits
to ensure patient respects nurse-patient relationship
 Set limits on manipulative tactics
 If patient yells to get out of the room, abusive behavior, be firm and inform patient of
inappropriateness
 Using Peplau’s interpersonal relations theory, it is important to work with a patient in distress and form
a bond in order to guide the patient to seek and enhance mental health help.

Quotes for working phase:

Through Peplau’s nursing career, nursing has been defined as a unique, evolving, everchanging profession
for which theory can be used as a guide for practice. Theory provides meaning in nursing practice and in
everyday life through health promotion (McCarthy & Aquino-Russell, 2009).

When the nurse incorporates Paplau’s work, the identification of ways to truly help her includes
strengthening the positive forces that do exist in the patient’s personality. ( “ T h e o r y o f
i n t e r p e r s o n a l , " 2 0 11 )

“ Peplau's perspective was psychodynamic and her theoretical writing has influenced almost every area of
nursing practice (Buus, 2007).”

References

Buus, N. (2007). The legacy of Peplau: interpersonal relationships in nursing [Danish]. Klinisk Sygepleje,
21(2), 58-67. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Theory of interpersonal relations Hildegard E. Peplau. (2011, February 10). Retrieved from
http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/interpersonal_theory.html

McCarthy, C., & Aquino-Russell, C. (2009). A comparison of two nursing theories in practice: Peplau
and Parse. Nursing Science Quarterly, 22(1), 34-40. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.