Motivational Interviewing

Mr Eberhard, a 66-year-old patient with chronic arthritis, would like to go home. In order to regain his independence, he should go for a walk every day. The nurse, Mr Schwerowski, asks Mr E whether he would like to enjoy the sunny day with a walk in the garden.

E: "I don't really feel like going out into the garden today because it's too hot."
S: "I can understand that. What options do you see for yourself to get some exercise anyway?"
E: "Maybe I could just walk up and down the corridor here today."
S: "That sounds good. How do you plan to put that into practice?"
E: "My wife is coming to visit later, then I'll take her for a walk in the corridor."

Motivational interviewing is a client-centred, targeted method of conducting conversations that helps to resolve ambivalence and strengthen motivation to change behaviour. The method is of great importance in the care sector and supports patients in achieving their health goals and promoting their independence.

Joint training day

On the LTT day (training and transfer learning area), the HF nursing students experienced a teaching and learning-rich lesson on "Motivational Interviewing". In the morning, the students worked on the theoretical technical content under the moderation of Lucia Fusco (Hohenegg Clinic) and Claudia Seitz (Lengg Clinic), who are responsible for education. There was intensive discussion, joint analysis and the foundations were laid for understanding the communication strategy (ORAS). The afternoon was dedicated to transfer and training. Role plays, group exercises and practical scenarios taught the students how to apply and consolidate what they had learnt.

The feedback from the students was consistently positive. Many emphasised how valuable it was to put theory into practice straight away and apply what they had learned in a safe environment. The opportunity to work together with colleagues from other clinics and exchange ideas was also greatly appreciated.

It was a successful day that not only expanded the students' knowledge and skills, but also strengthened cooperation and dialogue between the two clinics. It shows how important and enriching interdisciplinary and inter-institutional cooperation is in the field of education. We look forward to further joint LTT days and ongoing dialogue to promote nursing training.