“Permission to Touch”: Nurses’ Perspectives of Interpersonal Contact during Patient Care

The purpose of this study was to describe nurses’ perceptions about the use of interpersonal touch in their clinical practice. A qualitative descriptive approach with content analysis method was used to identify common themes. Registered nurses (N = 22) participated in focus groups and individual in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Western journal of nursing research 2022-05, Vol.44 (5), p.456-465
Main Authors: De Luca, Enrico, Wilson, Marian, Shaw, Michele R., Landis, Tullamora T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clinical medicine
Content analysis
Educational programs
Focus Groups
Humans
Massage
Nurses
Occupational roles
Patient Care
Patients
Permission
Qualitative Research
Role conflict
Touch
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Summary:The purpose of this study was to describe nurses’ perceptions about the use of interpersonal touch in their clinical practice. A qualitative descriptive approach with content analysis method was used to identify common themes. Registered nurses (N = 22) participated in focus groups and individual interviews. Three themes emerged from the analysis: (a) touch and massage as a resource, (b) individualized boundaries, and (c) professional role conflict. While the approach to touch varied, stories about the positive impacts that touch can have on patient care were consistently evident throughout the data. Implications for practice include incorporating areas from the themes into the development of educational programs focusing on how to integrate touch into practice as a comforting resource, while keeping individual’s preferences in mind.
ISSN:0193-9459
1552-8456
DOI:10.1177/01939459211000087