FACTORS AFFECTING THE RAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP:

A  rapport  is developed between the nurse and  the patient. Rapport  is defined as, a relationship of mutual sympathy and understanding especially between patient and therapist. The ingredients for establishing an effective therapeutic relationship are warmth, genuineness, empathy, self-awareness, honesty, trust, confidentiality, maintenance  a  respect  for  the patient  and  concreteness. 

Warmth Refers  to  the act of  receiving  the patient by calling hisher name, accepting the patient with symptoms of mental disorders, a willingness to care for the patient even though his symptoms are severe and his language harsh (which may be due to his illness). It may be annoying at times but keeping this in mind the nurse needs to help the patient in overcoming his problems by knowing the psychodynamics  of  the disease. 

Genuineness Refers  to the actual feelings or concern with which a nurse cares  for  the patient. In other words, the nurse is honest and sincere  to herself and  to  the patient. For example, if patient asks, 'sister  do you think I am seeing things that others cannot see (visual hallucination)'. The nurse explains by saying, "as you are unwell and your illness  is of different kind that is why you have this problem. But as you are on  treatment these symptoms will not be there after some  time". Nurse honestly explains to the patient about his visual hallucination with genuine interest  and concern.

Empathy It is described as one's  capacity for understanding other's feeling by placing oneself in his situation or position. It also involves projecting the feelings of an individual who is going through the problem.