Situation: A nurse on the psychiatric ward of a general hospital is assigned to a 34-year-old woman admitted for major depressive disorder. The nurse will hold one-to-one sessions with her three times a week during her expected 4-week stay. In which phase of the nurse–client relationship should the nurse tell her the date on which their sessions will end?

The end date is set in the orientation phase as part of the contract, together with the time, place, frequency, roles, goals, and limits of confidentiality. Knowing from the start when the relationship will end prevents unrealistic expectations and gives the client time to prepare for separation.

Therapeutic relationship phase and setting the end date

The correct phase is the orientation phase. In Peplau’s Interpersonal Relations Theory, the nurse–client relationship moves through predictable phases, and each phase has distinct tasks. The orientation phase is when the nurse and client first meet, establish trust, clarify roles, and negotiate the practical structure of the relationship ^[1]. Setting the end date belongs to this early contracting work because it defines the relationship as time-limited from the very beginning.

During the orientation phase, the nurse and client agree on the contract: when and where sessions occur, how often they meet, what each person’s role is, what goals they will pursue, and the limits of confidentiality. The termination date is part of that same contract. Telling the client the end date during orientation prevents unrealistic expectations and gives her time to prepare emotionally for separation. This is especially important in major depressive disorder, where feelings of abandonment or loss can intensify if the ending feels sudden or unannounced.

The other phases serve different purposes. In the pre-interaction phase, the nurse prepares before meeting the client—reviewing the chart, examining personal feelings and assumptions, and planning the first encounter. No contract is made yet because the client is not present. In the working phase, the client uses the relationship to explore feelings, practice new coping skills, and work toward the identified goals; the structure of the relationship has already been established. The termination phase is when the ending is processed and evaluated—but the date itself was set much earlier.

Phase	Key task	Is the end date set here?
Pre-interaction	Nurse self-preparation, chart review, anticipating reactions	No
Orientation	Building trust, clarifying roles, negotiating the contract including time, place, frequency, goals, confidentiality limits, and termination date	Yes
Working	Exploring problems, practicing new skills, achieving goals	No
Termination	Reviewing progress, processing feelings about ending, evaluating the relationship	No

Watch out! The termination phase is about processing the ending, not deciding when it will happen. The date is announced in the orientation phase so that termination work can be planned and anticipated throughout the relationship.

Key point! A time-limited contract established in the orientation phase supports therapeutic boundaries and reduces the risk of dependency or unrealistic expectations. Peplau’s framework emphasizes that relationship progress mirrors patient progress, and a clear beginning, middle, and end provides the structure that makes that progress possible ^[1].