HILDEGARD PEPLAU

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS THEORY

BY: MARY BERNADETTE REMPIS

- Born on September 1, 1909 at Reading Pennysylvania.

- In 1943, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Personal Psychology, a Master of

Psychiatric Nursing from Teacher’s College.

- In 1953, Doctor of Education in Curriculum Development

- At the age of 89, Peplau died peacefully at her home.

Metaparadigm in nursing

 PERSON/CLIENT

 HEALTH

 ENVIRONMENT

 NURSING

4 Phases of nurse-patient relationship

 ORIENTATION

Interaction between the nurse and the patient wherein the latter has a felt need and
expresses the desire for professional assistance. The nurse assists the patient in
recognizing and understanding the patient experience.

 IDENTIFICATION

The nurse assist the patient in reorienting his feelings and sustaining a constant
positive environment.

 EXPLOITATION

He/She moves on from a dependent role to an independent one. New goals are
projected by the nurse, but the power is shifted to the patient as these goals would be
achieved through personal or self-effort.

 RESOLUTION
In its final stage, the patient earns independence over his care as he gradually puts
aside old goals and formulates new ones. Patient since illness and assuming a dependent
role is a unique human experience.

6 Nursing roles

 Role of the Stranger

As the nurse attempts to know the patient better, she must treat him with outmost
courtesy, which includes acceptance of the patient as a person and due respect over his
individuality.

 Role of the Resource Person

As the patient assumes a dependent role ,the nurse provides specific answers to his
queries which include health information ,advices ,and a simple explanation of the
healthcare teams course of care . It is responsibility of the nurse to appropriately
change her responses to the patient s level of understanding.

 Teaching Role

As the interaction progresses, the nurse assumes a teaching role as she gives much
importance for self-care and in helping him understand the therapeutic plan.

 Leadership Role

The nurse as a leader must act in behalf of the patient’s best interest, and at the same
time enable him to make decisions over his own care. This is achieved through
cooperation and active participation.

 Surrogate Role

The patient’s dependency for his care gives the nurse a surrogate (temporary care giver)
role. The nurse must assist the patient to make sure that her surrogate role is different
and only temporary.

 Counseling Role

The very core of the interpersonal technique is for the patient to remember and to
understand the experience and how could it be integrated into his daily life.

ANALYSIS

SIMPLICITY

Focus on Interpersonal relations, is easily understood. The theory’s basic assumption

and key concepts were clearly given, explained, broken down and outlined.
Demonstrated how this model could be used as a process when she introduces Four
Phases of Nurse-Patient Relationship.

The different roles of the nurse added further understanding on how nurses could
effectively use the Interpersonal Model by identifying which role is appropriate at a
given phases or situation in perfect harmony with the nursing process.

GENERALITY

The theory can be used only to situations that communication can occur between the
nurse and the patient.

The use of the model is limited or impossible in working with senile, comatose or
newborn patients. The nurse-patient relationship is one sided.

EMPIRICAL PRECISION

Peplau provides a theory based on reality. Her theory could be observed using pure
observation.

The relationship between the practical area and empirical data could be validated and
verified.

Peplau personally categorizes the four phases of the interpersonal process, with role
taken into consideration together with the patient’s level of independence.

DERIVABLE CONSEQUENCES

In historical perspective, Peplau is one of the first theorists after Florence Nightingale to
present a theory in nursing. Her works are highly as pioneering, and more so, widening
the perception of the nursing double profession.

Peplau’s work, thoughts and ideas have greatly touched lives patients, and nurses form
students to practitioners. Although her work has been published five decades ago, it
never ceases in providing the information for nursing practice, education, and research.