Hildegard Peplau developed Interpersonal Relations Theory which describes the nurse-patient relationship as occurring in four phases: orientation, identification, exploitation, and resolution. The nurse takes on roles like stranger, resource person, teacher, leader, and counselor to help the patient through these phases.
Ida Jean Orlando developed Nursing Process Theory which uses the nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation) as the framework for the reciprocal relationship between nurse and patient.
Joyce Travelbee developed the Human-to-Human Relationship Model which describes the interactional phases between nurse and patient (original encounter, emerging identities, empathy, sympathy, rapport) that build their relationship.