Perhaps it was the coworker who listened and allowed you to go on endlessly about a problem that you were having. Or, maybe it was the friend to whom you admitted doing something awful and who didn't judge you or love you any less. Physical presence in which the nurse is in physical contact with the person to provide care, including routine tasks. Touching, doing, examining, and inspecting are skills used when one is physically present. Psychological presence whereby the nurse creates a therapeutic milieu that comforts and supports the individual.
Skills used here include active listening, counseling, communicating, and accepting.
Therapeutic presence , the optimal level in which the nurse connects with the person's body, mind, emotions, and spirit. This is a whole being to whole being type of relating. This level of presence utilizes openness, connecting, loving, meditating, centering, imagery, and intentionality. Therapeutic presence allows a person to gain insights and mobilize inner resources that can facilitate healing. The mind can be quieted, anxieties calmed, and a sense of balance achieved.