title: Therapeutic relationships from the psychiatric nurses' perspectives: an interpretative phenomenological study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to explore the attributes of the therapeutic relationship from the perspective of psychiatric nurses in the United Arab Emirates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interpretive phenomenology formed the framework of the study. Data were collected through unstructured recorded interviews with 17 nurses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study findings revealed that nurses emphasized the importance of the therapeutic relationship. The analysis resulted in four main themes and nine subthemes. The main themes were: provision of physical care, conveying safety and security, protection, and companionship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychiatric nurses can internalize these themes in their practice to improve client outcomes. These themes need to be emphasized in psychiatric mental health nursing courses as well as in nursing management in the orientation of new clinical psychiatric nurses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Sana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hawamdeh
authors.forename: Randa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fakhry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014479:United Arab Emirates
keywords: Interpretive phenomenology; nurse-client interaction; psychiatry; therapeutic relationship