Therapeutic Interventions: A Nurse’s Guide

• Learn common therapeutic interventions nurses can use to support patients in treatment.
• Understand how to effectively administer medication to patients while keeping them calm and informed.
• Review communication strategies to help patients understand the importance of painful therapeutic interventions. 

Therapeutic nursing interventions are actions nurses take to provide care for the patient’s overall well-being and address any issues that may arise during recovery. It does not mean that therapeutic nursing interventions are more critical than medicinal ones but that they support medicine and more traditional care.  

Due to this, it entails ensuring not just that the patient is comfortable but that symptoms will be alleviated, decreasing the pain being experienced, and helping the nurses typically have a holistic outlook on healthcare, meaning their primary goal is to improve the patient’s quality of life as opposed to seeking just healing of the illness or injury.  

These nursing interventions do not necessarily speed the process of the healing process; however, they will alleviate symptoms, decrease the pain experienced, and help to heal; however, they will alleviate symptoms, decrease the pain being experienced, and help to make patients feel empowered and a part of their healthcare journey. 

In the 21st century, terms such as “therapeutic” or “holistic” can have negative effects. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, doctors sold medicines that claimed to be therapeutic and heal any ailment a person may suffer from.  

In the modern day, many sellers of holistic remedies will sell completely ineffective medicines while testifying to their effectiveness. However, while these words may have a negative effect on some outside the medical world, these two words have a very clear and useful meaning.  

Nurses who strive to provide therapeutic and holistic care are focused on healing the entire patient as opposed to simply stabilizing the patient after their surgical treatment.  

One of the first nurses to recognize the importance of healing the whole patient was Florence Nightingale, who identified that while someone shot with a bullet needs the bullet removed, this act will not cure someone.  

She recognized that the job of nursing was to put the patient in the best position for nature to heal them. This would include addressing any problems the patient has physically, emotionally, or mentally while healing from the physical wound. 

What are Examples of Therapeutic Nursing Interventions? 

In the case of healing patients, therapeutic nursing makes the distinction between healing and comfort. For example, when patients suffer severe physical trauma, which results in the loss of a limb or will substantially alter the way they will live their lives in the future, they may begin to suffer from depression.  

This is understandable because patients in this position, once healed, will be confronted with many new unknowns in their lives. For those simply concerned with the physical healing of patients, depression may go unnoticed.  

In this situation, to provide the patient with comfort, not healing, a nurse would provide a therapeutic nursing intervention. By being concerned with the healing of the entire patient, a nurse would identify the new mental health challenge and begin to offer antidepressant medication or give the patient access to therapy sessions to address the patient’s concerns and fears. 

Other examples of therapeutic nursing interventions similarly involve nurses remaining perceptive to the challenges patients confront when healing. This remains important while caring for the patient because any issues patients experience can be an opportunity to provide comfort.  

This can be as simple as identifying times or procedures to provide medicine, food, and other resources that feel more natural to the patient. This approach contrasts with medicinal interventions that focus on providing scientific medicine to heal the body.  

If medication is viewed as the only source of comfort available to a patient, they may leave the hospital without having a positive recovery process. This can result in less thorough healing of the patient or simply make the patient less inclined to seek medical attention in the future. 

Therapeutic treatments as routine in nursing as providing medicine may not seem therapeutic, and an attentive nurse can make changes to a patient’s care plan. These types of interventions can be therapeutic to the patient and provide comfort even though they may themselves seem to be minor changes. 

How to Administer Medication  

Therapeutic nursing interventions can be as simple as providing a snack with medication. Medication is typically one of the most important parts of the healing process. Medication can help patients to heal faster, reduce the chances of infection, and reduce the pain being experienced.  

Medications must be delivered and taken regularly to give patients the best chance of maximum healing. However, if patients do not like needles or suffer side effects from oral medication, their comfort may be significantly reduced.  

Traditionally, a nurse or health care provider may have seen this discomfort as a part of the cost of healing, but therapeutic nursing interventions such as providing food to patients with their medication will reduce the chance of side effects such as an upset stomach, while also making the patient feel attended to.  

This simple intervention improves the experience of the patient. Additionally, by identifying that a patient has a fear of needles, a nurse will have the opportunity to seek potential alternatives, such as oral medication, or simply take the time to practice a breathing exercise with the patient. 

This therapeutic nursing intervention will help to calm the patient while, again, making them feel attended to and more willing to go through with the injection. Also, asking the patient which arm they would like the shot to help make them feel like they are important in their care plan.  

Also, being flexible with the time patients take their medicine may provide comfort all by itself. Many patients struggle with sleeping in the hospital, so being attentive to how tired a patient is in the morning could alleviate unnecessary conflict when providing medication.  

Often, the most important thing a nurse can do is recognize the concerns patients have as valid as opposed to dismissing fears as incompatible with the care plan or view the patient as noncompliant with treatment. 

How to Make Painful Treatments Therapeutic 

Therapeutic nursing interventions can also help when administering painful treatments. Many patients and hospitals are recovering from joint damage, joint replacement, or any other surgery that may require countless sessions of physical therapy.  

This means that movement will be painful for these patients. While a session of physical therapy may hurt at times, or even getting dressed may hurt, these are both necessary tasks.  

For this reason, it is extremely important for nurses to get to know their patients as much as possible. By understanding their unique personality and specific preferences, nurses can make simple modifications to a patient’s usual routine to make necessary tasks more acceptable and, as a result, more valuable.  

For example, if a patient prefers to eat after physical therapy or eat before getting dressed, a nurse will need to make modifications to the routine. However, if a patient’s preferences are considered, they may be more physically or mentally able to endure the pain associated with the tasks.  

These opportunities to personalize care have multiple positive effects on the healing and comfort of the patient. Nurses must be flexible regarding the timing of treatments to provide effective therapeutic nursing interventions. 

The Bottom Line

In conclusion, therapeutic nursing interventions are an important part of providing high-quality nursing care and achieving positive health outcomes. When providing nursing care, keep these tips in mind and observe improvements in your patient’s satisfaction. 

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