In this instructional YouTube video, the presenter walks nursing students through essential therapeutic communication techniques needed to succeed on NCLEX exams and clinical rotations. The content begins with a brief personal hook and a promotion for a free critical‑thinking cheat sheet, then systematically covers a series of high‑yield communication skills: active listening using the SURETY mnemonic (posture, eye contact, respectful touch, staying present), therapeutic use of silence, open‑ended questioning, clarifying and validating client feelings, paraphrasing versus restating, focusing the conversation, summarizing for closure, and offering self (being present). For each skill, the presenter provides concise definitions, practical examples, and exam‑focused memory aids. The second half of the video shifts to “communication killers” – non‑therapeutic behaviors that undermine the nurse‑client relationship and are frequently tested on the NCLEX. These include asking personal questions or offering opinions, giving false reassurance, using “why” questions, changing the subject or minimizing feelings, becoming defensive or argumentative, relying on stereotyped responses, and approving/disapproving the client’s actions. The presenter emphasizes why each behavior is detrimental and offers alternative therapeutic phrasing. The video concludes with a call‑to‑action for related content, likes, comments, and a motivational sign‑off. Overall, the video serves as a concise, exam‑oriented review of therapeutic communication, blending mnemonic devices, clinical examples, and test‑taking strategy.
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Are you worried about picking the most therapeutic answer on your nursing school exams or are you worried about saying the wrong thing to your client at clinical or looking like you have no idea what you're doing at clinical in front of your nursing instructor? Yeah, I totally felt the same way in nursing school, my friend. So in this video today we're gonna break down the top therapeutic communication techniques that you have to know to pass your nursing school exams and rocket at clinical. So hit that subscribe button and click the notification bell and let's dive in. Now, before we dive in, I want to make sure that you know about my free critical thinking cheat sheet. This is so, so great because it is just pure gold for when you are studying in nursing school, my friend. If you want to learn things faster and to really, really hone your critical thinking skills so that you can pass your exams, then you have got to have this one. All right, it's totally free and I'm going to put the L down below for you in the description for you to snag it. Now let's dive into the therapeutic techniques that you'll use. And I have some great memory tricks to help you with these. The first is active listening. This is more than just hearing words. It's paying full attention to what your client is saying, both verbally and non verbally. And here's a helpful mnemonic for you. You can think surety. This is a big, big NCLEX.0, right? Sit at an angle facing your client and then uncross your legs and your arms to appear more open and relax and establish and maintain eye contact with them. Touch that is respectful and appropriate can be used and then you are staying present. That's huge. And just a quick note on the T for touch. That can be a powerful therapeutic, therapeutic tool. But you've got to always be mindful of cultural norms and your patient's comfort level with it. So always ask for permission or pay close attention to their nonverbal cues before touching a client. So remember surety for active listening posture and kind of presentation. This will show up on your nursing exams all the time. Active listening is a big deal. And then we have silence. Don't be afraid of pauses, my friend. So here is a key critical thinking point for you. Silence gives both you and your client time to think and organize your thoughts. It's not an awkward thing, it's therapeutic. So think of silence as giving your client the space to kind of breathe and process their thoughts. And then we have open ended questions. So this is huge. For the nclex, instead of asking, are you in pain? Which gets you a yes or no answer, you could ask, tell me about what you're feeling. So open ended questions like this encourage detailed or spontaneous responses. And that's what we want in our therapeutic communication, in our therapeutic relationship. And then clarifying and validating. So think, I'm not sure what you mean. When you're not sure, ask for clarification. You might say, I'm not sure I understand what you mean by I feel woozy. Can you describe that feeling for me? So saying something like this will help you both be on the same page with how the client is feeling and then paraphrasing and restating. So here's how I want you to think about the difference for these Paraphrasing is putting the client's words into your words to show that you're listening and verifying that meaning. Like it sounds like you're frustrated because you haven't gotten any clear answers yet. And then restating is repeating their exact words back to them. And this can really help them to reflect on what they said. And then focusing. This is when you gently guide the conversation to concentrate on what's most important. Especially if your patient is being vague with something or rambling on, you might say you've mentioned several things. Let's focus on the pain that you're experiencing right now. That's an example of focusing and then summarizing. At the end of a conversation, pull together the important points of the conversation and review what was discussed. This is especially helpful during the termination phase of the nurse client relationship and it provides a sense of closure to it. So think of it like wrapping up a gift. You're putting a nice bow on the conversation. And that termination phase is really the end of that nurse client interaction. And then offering self. This demonstrates your willingness to spend time with a client. Even if you're just sitting with them quietly. It shows that you're being present and you're being available. You might say, I'll stay here with you for a while. This is about being genuinely present for your client. Now let's talk about what not to do. These are the communication killers that will shut down your therapeutic relationship with your clients. The first is asking personal questions or offering your personal opinion. The focus should always be on the client, not on you. Don't share your own problems or give advice like, well if I were you, I would do this, that, and the other. This takes the focus away from them and can be really unhelpful. So remember Therapeutic communication is client centered, not nurse centered. It's about them, not us. And then giving false reassurance. Now this one is a big NCLEX favorite. Don't say, don't worry, everything will be fine. It might seem nice, but it actually minimizes their feelings and it can shut down communication. And the NCLEX will test you on this. False reassurance is not therapeutic. And then asking why questions. So here's a big critical thinking point for you. Never ask these why questions. Why are you anxious? Why are you doing that? Why are you acting that way? It makes patients feel like they have to justify their feelings and can make them defensive, obviously. Instead, try something like, you seem upset. What's on your mind? Do you see the difference? One of them puts them on the defensive and then the other opens up more of that conversation. And then changing the subject or minimizing their feelings. If a client is sharing something that's difficult, changing the topic or saying it's not that bad, that sends the message that their feelings are unimportant. That's not what we want. And then being defensive or arguing when a client expresses frustration or criticism, don't become defensive. Listen to their concerns with an open mind. And then we have making automatic or kind of stereotyped responses. These are like cliches and generalized assumptions about groups of people. Like you might hear, older adults are always confused. It's not okay. It shows a genuine lack of engagement. And then approving or disapproving your job isn't to judge whether the client is doing the right thing. So saying that's the right thing to do, that implies that they need your validation. While disapproval can be seen as passing judgment. So saying stay neutral and stay supportive instead. Now of course the NCLEX is going to test you on a gajillion things, right? And therapeutic communication, well, that is just a small part of that. So click on this video right here where I'm going to walk you through how to choose the most correct answer that's right on your exams. So no matter what topic that they're asking you about, you will have a much better shot at getting it right. And of course, if you liked this video, hit that like button. Write love in the comments below because that is just what we do around here in our community. And go become the nurse that God created only you to be. And I'll see you over there in that next video.
