3.2 Interventions in Groups

Question 1

Group Work

Answer 1

• Provides nurses the ability to reach out to more people, and also promotes individuals to help each other.
• A group consists of individuals with shared commonalities (interests, values, norms, purpose)

Question 2

Task Groups

Answer 2

• Can be lead by nurses to create policies, describe procedures, and plan patient care.

Question 3

Therapeutic Groups

Answer 3

• Can be lead by nurses as well

Examples
- Client education groups
- Support groups
- Assertiveness training

Question 4

Function of Groups

Answer 4

Socialization - The cultural group that we are born into is the beginning of our teaching of social norms.

Support - Members are there for each other during a time of need. People find security in group involvement.

Task Completion - Groups work together when 1 person alone cannot complete a task, or a group can achieve the task more effectively.

Camaraderie - Groups provide joy that individuals need from interactions with significant others.

Information Sharing - Knowledge is gained when members of the group learn from others how they have resolved similar issues in which they are struggling from

Normative Influence - As groups interact they influence each other about expected norms of communication and behavior

Empowerment - Groups help bring improvement by providing support to individuals seeking change.

Governance - Rules are made in groups

Question 5

Group Therapy

Answer 5

• Psychosocial treatment
• Groups meet with therapist to share, gain personal insight, and improve interpersonal coping strategies.

Question 6

Therapeutic Groups

Answer 6

• Does not focus on psychotherapy
• Focus is group relations, interactions amongst group members, consideration of selected issues.

Question 7

Types of Therapeutic Groups

Answer 7

Task Groups - Groups formed to accomplish a certain task

Teaching Groups - Focus is to educate a number of individuals

Supportive/Therapeutic Groups - Primary concern to prevent future upsets by teaching effective coping strategies for emotional stress due to stress or crisis

Self-Help Groups - Run by members of the group. Group of individuals with similar problems to reduce emotional stress.

Question 8

Physical Conditions and Group Dynamics

Answer 8

Seating
- Set up so there is no barriers between members (such as a table in between chairs)
- Members are encouraged to sit in different chairs each meeting
- Openness and change promotes discomfort/anxiety that can be explored within the group.

Group Size
- The larger the group, the less time available devoted to each member.
- Larger groups, aggressive individuals more likely to be heard than quieter members
- 7-8 members is optimal

Membership conditions
- Open ended groups where people come and go throughout the meeting. Continuous movement of members encourages unsettling behaviors that can foster exploration of feelings.
- Close-ended groups have fixed timeframes where everyone comes and goes at the same time. This is often composed of people with common issues or problems they want to address.

Question 9

Therapeutic Effects of a Group

Answer 9

Hope
- Individuals observe progress of others and gain hope

Universality
- Individuals realize they are not alone with the problems they are experiencing

Imparting of Information
- Groups and leaders share knowledge which each other

Altruism
- Individuals provide support to each other to create positive self image and promote growth

Corrective recapitulation of primary family group
- Group members can re-experience early family conflicts that remain unresolved

Development of socializing techniques
- Through interaction and feedback, individuals correct maladaptive social behaviors

Imitative behavior
- Group members who have mastered an area serve as role models for others

Interpersonal Training
- Groups offer various opportunities to interact with other people

Group cohesiveness
- Members develop a sense of belonging

Question 10

Catharsis

Answer 10

• Within a group, members can express both positive and negative feelings

Question 11

Existential Factors

Answer 11

• Groups can assist individuals to take direction of their own life and to accept responsibility for the quality of their existence.

Question 12

PHASES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

Question 13

Phase 1 - Initial/Orientation Phase

Answer 13

• Leaders and members work to establish rules for the group
• Leaders promote trust and ensure rules do not interfere with goal attainment
• Members are superficial and overly polite (trust has not been established yet)

Question 14

Phase 2 - Middle/Working Phase

Answer 14

• Productive work towards goal attainment
• Leader role diminishes and becomes a facilitator
• Trust is established (cohesiveness exists aka sense of belonging)
• Conflict is managed by group members

Question 15

Phase 3 - Final/Termination Phase

Answer 15

• Sense of loss and grief may be experienced by group members
• Leaders encourage expression of feelings of loss and reminisce accomplishments of group
• Feelings of abandonment may be triggered or grief by previous losses.

Question 16

Leadership Styles

Question 17

Autocratic

Answer 17

• Focuses on the leader
• Leaders who have personal goals for the group
• May withhold information from group members
• Members depend on leader for problem solving, decision making and permission to preform
• This approach involves persuasion that the leaders ideas are superior.
• HIGH PRODUCTIVITY BUT LOW GROUP MORALE
• LACK OF MEMBER INPUT AND CREATIVITY

Question 18

Democratic

Answer 18

• Focuses on the group members
• Information is shared amongst the group for group decisions
• Members participate in problem solving.
• Leader provides guidance and expertise if needed
• LOWER PRODUCTIVITY BUT HIGHER GROUP MORALE

Question 19

Laissez-Faire (non-involvement)

Answer 19

• Allow the group to do as they please
• No direction from the leader
• NO DECISIONS ARE MADE, NO PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED, NO ACTION IS TAKEN
• PRODUCTIVITY AND MORALE ARE BOTH LOW

Question 20

Member Roles of Therapeutic Group

Answer 20

Task - Group member serves to complete tasks for the group

Maintenance - Group member is responsible for maintaining/enhancing group processes

Individual (personal) - Group member fulfills personal needs.

Question 21

Family Therapy

Answer 21

• Members of a family are viewed as interdependent
• Goal is to facilitate system change (not individual change)

Genogram
- Picture model of families medical history
- It can also show behavioral patterns of the family (divorce, abortion, suicide amongst generations)