Nurse-patient interaction through touch

Abstract

This descriptive exploratory study was conducted in a medical and a surgical ward of a large general hospital in Malta. The kind of touch most commonly used by the nurses and the patients, the body parts most often touched and the response of the nurse and patient to touch were analyzed. Additionally, it sought to understand how variables like age and gender of both the nurses and patients influence the use of touch and the response to touch. Data from a convenient sample of 8 dependent different patients was collected through non - participant observation with a structured observation schedule. Results tentatively suggest that most nurse - patient touch interactions in a ward were instrumental in nature. The little expressive touch observed was used in connection with a wide range of activities: making statements and waking up. The majority of the touches given occurred during the main body of the interaction between the nurse and the patient. The body parts most frequently touched, for both men and women were the arms, hands, legs, feet and shoulders. Expressive touches wee predominantly given to body extremities. Variables that were analyzed to see their effect on the use and response of touch, were age, gender, ethnicity, educational background and level of experience of the nurse and the age and gender of the patient. These variables in the present study seemed to influence more how touch is used rather than who initiates touch and how the patient and nurse respond to touch. Infact, there was no significant difference in the initiation of touch and in the response to touch by the nurse and the patient. Response to touch by the nurse and the patient was given mainly in the form of touch. Negative response to touch often involved procedures which were discrepant with the needs of the individual. The findings obtained from the present study about the influence of all these variables, use and response of touch were not always in accordance with findings obtained in other studies on touch. Further qualitative research, on a larger scale, using an interview technique is recommended, to analyze how these variables influence the use and response to touch in greater detail.