On this exploratory-description study, we analyzed the nurse's nonverbal communication during 11 interactions in mental illness attendance. We came to the conclusion that among nonverbal sins observed, a greater number used to the feelings demonstration, the codified especially, as interest, attention, quietness/relaxing, tension/fear, indifference, anxiety and irritation. We identified also the nonverbal contradicting the verbal, alerting us that the contradictory of sending messages can give a double or distorted understanding of the message sent. In our perception, most of the nurses researched are not enough attentive to realize consciously how much the nonverbal way of communicating can influence on assistance and humanization of attendance.
nonverbal communication; psychiatric nursing; interpersonal relationship
