Hildegard E. Peplau: The Psychiatric Nursing Legacy of a Legend

Abstract

Hildegard Peplau is remembered by nurses worldwide as the "mother of psychiatric nursing." Her scope of influence transcended her psychiatric nursing specialty and had a profound effect on the nursing profession, nursing science, and nursing practice. Peplau played a leadership role by influencing and emphasizing the advancement ofprofessional educational, and practice standards, and the importance of professional self-regulation through credentialing. She made a major contribution to nursing science, professional nursing and, of course, to the psychiatric nursing specialty through development of the Interpersonal Relations paradigm, a mid-range theory that has influenced the importance with which the nurse-patient relationship is regarded. The essential nature of the nursepatient relationship and its significance as a therapeutic modality operationalizes Peplau's scholarship and provides the basis for both the art and science of nursing practice. Peplau would challenge psychiatric nurses to thrive in the new millennium through continued commitment to the importance of the nurse-patient relationship, engagement in evidence-based practice, support of competence in information technology, and provision of leadership in influencing the health care paradigm shift to community-based health care delivery.