UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE
PROGRAM IN NURSING SCIENCE
SPRING 2015
Communication Analysis*
Definition of terms
Transference: redirection of a patient's feelings from a significant person to a health
professional/therapist; unconscious redirection of feelings for one person to another person.
Countertransference: redirection of a health professional/therapist’s feelings toward a patient;
or the entire body of feelings that the health professional/therapist has toward the patient, and
also includes cases where the therapist literally takes on the suffering of his/her patient.
Guidelines for your communication analysis:
1. Complete patient information (demographics, diagnosis & treatments, medications,
individual, family, milieu, group, occupational, recreational, or pet therapy).
2. Describe the setting or environment in which the interaction took place. Briefly describe
what occurred prior to your interaction.
3. State your patient-centered goal for the interaction. How is the patient going to benefit
from a therapeutic dialogue with you? What therapeutic topic are you going to plan to
implement (anger management strategies, improving coping skills, positively reinforcing
self esteem, encouraging a sober lifestyle, relapse prevention promoting medication
compliance, medication teaching, discharge teaching, offering self)?
4. Summarize your feelings, countertransference, about the patient interaction
5. Analyze the patient’s transference behavior and content of the interaction and relate
this to the patient’s mental illness/diagnosis.
6. Formulate two NANDA Nursing Diagnoses for your patient using the PES format
P = Problem (NANDA)
E = Etiology or Pathophysiology/Psychophysiology—what is the cause for the problem
S = Symptoms or data to support and validate your choice of NANDA nursing diagnosis
For example:
Ineffective individual coping related to loss of self control and acute stress response
As evidenced by (AEB)
1) patient swallowed 500 Tylenol tablets after spouse filed for divorce
2) patient has not been able to care for self (poor grooming/ hygiene) and
3) patient has been unable to function at work and in social relationships since
divorce papers were filed
7. Develop a goal or plan for the next patient interaction. Were there areas for follow up
with your patient? Did they require reinforcement of information you presented?
8. Evaluate your strengths and areas for improvement during this interaction. Were you
therapeutic? Were you able to stay on task to achieve the stated goal for the
interaction?
9. This clinical assignment requires documentation of a therapeutic communication
between the RN nursing student and a patient from the unit to which the student is
assigned. The student will demonstrate an orientation phase, a working phase, and a
termination phase reflective of the therapeutic communication process. A minimum of
20 satisfactory interactions (student statement or question with the patient response
equals one interaction)
 Column I: Record student verbal communication (statements, questions,
observations).
 Column II: Analyze student comments, behavior, and nonverbal communication.
Label the therapeutic or nontherapeutic communication technique
implemented (broad opening, seeking clarification, focusing, summarizing,
changing the topic). Indicate with a (T) if the item in column I was therapeutic or
(NT) nontherapeutic.
 Column III: Record the patient comments.
 Column IV: Analyze the patient’s comments, behavior, nonverbal
communication. Identify any ego defense mechanisms or themes of importance.
* This assignment was modified from an original assignment designed and developed by
Stephen Brown NP, APRN-BC
Communication Analysis
Name: ________________________________
Date: __________________________
1. Patient information: Initials: ______ Age: _____ Sex: _____
Diagnosis:
Treatments:
2. Setting:
3. Patient-centered goal for the therapeutic interaction:
4. Countertransference:
Unit: ____________
5. Analyze the patient’s behavior / transference:
6. Formulate two NANDA nursing diagnoses:
7. Plan for next patient interaction:
8. Evaluation of your strengths and areas for improvement:
9. Evaluation of your patients strengths and areas for improvement:
Column I
Student Communication
Column II
Analysis of Student
Communication
(T) (NT)
Column III
Patient Communication
Column IV
Analysis of Patient
Communication
Column I
Student Communication
Column II
Analysis of Student
Communication
(T) (NT)
Column III
Patient Communication
Column IV
Analysis of Patient
Communication
Column I
Student Communication
Column II
Analysis of Student
Communication
(T) (NT)
Column III
Patient Communication
Column IV
Analysis of Patient
Communication
Column I
Student Communication
Column II
Analysis of Student
Communication
(T) (NT)
Column III
Patient Communication
Column IV
Analysis of Patient
Communication