Expressive touch is a fundamental yet often misunderstood aspect of nursing care. It involves spontaneous, compassionate gestures that are not required by medical procedures but serve to communicate empathy and support. The integrative review titled "The Nurses’ Perception of Expressive Touch: An Integrative Review" provides valuable insights into how nurses perceive and utilize expressive touch in their practice.
The Importance of Expressive Touch
Nurses have long used physical touch as a tool for building rapport with patients, reducing anxiety, and fostering social development. However, the nuances of expressive touch and its perception among nurses have not been extensively explored until now. This review highlights several key findings that can help practitioners enhance their skills and improve patient care.
Key Findings from the Review
- Comfort with Touch and Job Satisfaction: Nurses who are comfortable with expressive touch report higher job satisfaction and lower burnout rates. This suggests that fostering comfort with touch could improve workplace well-being.
- Expressive Touch as an Essential Part of Nursing Practice: Many nurses view expressive touch as a crucial component of their practice, enhancing nurse-patient rapport and self-awareness.
- Expressive Touch as Compassionate Communication: Expressive touch is perceived as a form of compassionate communication, helping to reassure patients and improve communication quality.
- The Humanizing Effect: Expressive touch can humanize patients in the eyes of nurses, strengthening the emotional connection between caregiver and patient.
- Nurse Discomfort with Expressive Touch: Some nurses, particularly male nurses, express discomfort with expressive touch due to fears of misinterpretation or accusations.
Opportunities for Further Research
The review identifies several areas where further research could enhance our understanding of expressive touch in nursing:
- Theoretical Frameworks: Many studies lack a theoretical framework to guide research on expressive touch. Utilizing frameworks like Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relations could provide structure to future studies.
- Demographic Influences: Exploring how factors like gender, age, education level, and experience impact perceptions of expressive touch could reveal valuable insights.
- Educational Interventions: Developing structured educational programs to teach nurses about the appropriate use of expressive touch could reduce discomfort and improve patient care.
Implementing Findings in Practice
Nurses can implement the findings from this review by becoming more aware of their own comfort levels with expressive touch and seeking opportunities to practice it in a supportive environment. Educational programs can be developed to help nurses understand the importance of expressive touch and how to use it effectively without fear of misinterpretation.
The insights from this integrative review offer a path forward for enhancing nursing practice through the thoughtful application of expressive touch. By embracing this compassionate form of communication, nurses can strengthen their relationships with patients and improve overall care quality.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: The Nurses’ Perception of Expressive Touch: An Integrative Review
