Human-To-Human Relationship Model

Joyce Travelbee(1926-1973)•A psychiatric nurse, educator and writer born in 1926. •1956, she completed her BSN degree at Louisiana State University•1959, she completed her Master of Science Degree in Nursing at Yale University.•1952, Psychiatric Nursing Instructor at Depaul Hospital Affilliate School, New Orleans.•Later in Charity Hospital School of Nursing in Louisiana State University, New York University and University of Mississippi.•Travelbee died at age 47.

Basic Concepts

• Suffering – "An experience that

varies in intensity, duration and depth ... a feeling of unease, ranging from mild, transient mental, physical or mental discomfort to extreme pain and extreme tortured ..."

• Meaning – Meaning is the

reason as oneself attributes

• Nursing – is to help man to find

meaning in the experience of illness and suffering.

– has a responsibility to help individuals and their families to find meaning.

– The nurses' spiritual and ethical choices, and perceptions of illness and suffering, is crucial to helping to find meaning.

• Hope – Nurse's job is to help the

patient to maintain hope and avoid hopelessness.

– Hope is a faith that can and will be change that would bring something better with it. 

– Hope's core lies in a fundamental trust the outside world, and a belief that others will help someone when you need it.

• Communications

"a strict necessity for good nursing care

• Using himself therapeutic – " one is able to use

itself therapeutic."

• Targeted intellectual approach

Nurse must have a systematic intellectual approach to the patient's situation

Nursing Metaparadigms

• Person

– Person is defined as a human being. 

• Health – Health is subjective and objective. – Subjective health is an individually defined

state of well being in accord with self-appraisal of physical-emotional-spiritual status. 

– Objective health is an absence of discernible disease, disability of defect as measured by physical examination, laboratory tests and assessment by spiritual director or psychological counselor.

• Environment

Environment is not clearly defined. 

• Nursing – "an interpersonal

process whereby the professional nurse practitioner assists an individual, family or community to prevent or cope with experience or illness and suffering, and if necessary to find meaning in these experiences.”

Description of the theory For meeting the

goals of nursing it is a prerequisite to achieving a genuine human-to-human relationships.

• This relationship can only be established by an interaction process.

Five phases.

1. The inaugural meeting or original encounter

2. Visibility of personal 

identities/ emerging identities.

3. Empathy

4. Sympathy

5. Establishing mutual understanding and contact/

rapport