Functional Health Patterns Paper

By incorporating Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns, I assess the sleep and rest patterns of a client through an interview. This approach is used in nursing practice in order to provide a more comprehensive nursing assessment of the patient. The questions that are asked by the nurse are vital in order to understand the client’s health status and health practices. The information received while interviewing patients is also extremely important; as it helps health care professionals gain valuable information regarding the client. For the purpose of this paper, I will be going over the key components of interviewing and critiquing my interview with a client by evaluating my use of therapeutic communication techniques. In a client interview, the nurse is responsible for setting the climate and acknowledging the patient’s feelings. The nurse must express interest in the patient by being attentive. When health care professional take patient interviews, it is essential they establish rapport. Bickley, Szilagyi, and Bates (2012) state how active listening, guided questioning, empathetic responses, and nonverbal communication aid in building a positive relationship with the client (Bickley, Szilagyi, & Bates, 2012). The
Health care professionals need to build rapport and trusting relationships to help clients in the long term. Client-centered communication is integral and requires a greater sense of self-awareness for nurses (Arnold, 2016). Additionally, the relationship between the client and the nurse should be therapeutic by stimulating an environment that supports positive change and growth (Jakubec & Astle, 2014). Therapeutic discussions offer a safe, empathetic way for clients to explore the meaning of their health condition and to learn the best ways of coping with it (Arnold,