Who is known as the 'mother of psychiatric nursing'?

Who is known as the 'mother of psychiatric nursing'?

• A. Hildegard Peplau
• B. Ida Jean Orlando
• C. Madeleine Leininger
• D. Nola J. Pender

Answer: (A)

Hildegard Peplau is recognized as the mother of psychiatric nursing because she reframed mental health care around the therapeutic nurse–patient relationship and introduced a clear theory of interpersonal relations that guides practice. She showed that nursing in psychiatric settings is an interpersonal process where the nurse helps patients reduce anxiety and mobilize their resources for growth. Her model describes the four stages of the nurse–patient relationship—orientation, identification, exploitation, and resolution—highlighting how nurses actively participate in patients’ psychological and social adjustment, not just perform procedures. Her landmark work, Interpersonal Relations in Nursing, published in 1952, established a foundation for psychiatric nursing education, research, and practice. Other prominent figures include Ida Jean Orlando, who emphasized the nursing process and patient responses; Madeleine Leininger, who developed transcultural nursing; and Nola J. Pender, who proposed the Health Promotion Model. Among these, Peplau is the one most closely associated with the title in question.

Hildegard Peplau is recognized as the mother of psychiatric nursing because she reframed mental health care around the therapeutic nurse–patient relationship and introduced a clear theory of interpersonal relations that guides practice. She showed that nursing in psychiatric settings is an interpersonal process where the nurse helps patients reduce anxiety and mobilize their resources for growth. Her model describes the four stages of the nurse–patient relationship—orientation, identification, exploitation, and resolution—highlighting how nurses actively participate in patients’ psychological and social adjustment, not just perform procedures. Her landmark work, Interpersonal Relations in Nursing, published in 1952, established a foundation for psychiatric nursing education, research, and practice. Other prominent figures include Ida Jean Orlando, who emphasized the nursing process and patient responses; Madeleine Leininger, who developed transcultural nursing; and Nola J. Pender, who proposed the Health Promotion Model. Among these, Peplau is the one most closely associated with the title in question.