Touch. Research findings and use in preoperative care

Reflecting on paediatric oncology nursing practice using Benner's Helping Role as a framework to examine aspects of caring

This paper uses Benner's helping domain (Benner 1984) to reflect on two aspects of paediatric oncology nursing practice. Exemplars of care will illustrate the use of therapeutic touch and bereavement skills whilst caring for two children with cancer. Children need to be given time and opportunity to express their feelings, fears and anxiety to enable them to understand and cope with their loss. They may also need support of a familiar adult and the multi-disciplinary team. In establishing a commitment to a healing relationship touch can be a valuable tool. Touch is a complex form of non-verbal communication that can be used to convey warmth, empathy and comfort. It is important that nurses are aware of both the types and meaning so it can be used therapeutically and appropriately. Paediatric oncology nurses are ideally placed to establish meaningful relationships with children who have cancer and their families but must be aware of their own limitations. To further improve care we must continue to reflect on the richness of our practical experiences and chart our expert knowledge.

Clinical decision-making processes in perioperative nursing

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to reveal the processes of clinical decision making by expert perioperative nurses. Six nurses with a minimum of five years experience who considered themselves to be experts in OR nursing were asked to describe perioperative situations in which they had made a difference in patient outcomes. In every situation described, an intricate pattern of concern was present and associated with further assessments. The pattern was labeled Seeing the big picture: Engendered through caring. This study provides initial documentation to support how RNs make critical contributions to the quality of perioperative patient care.

Administrators and patients: using the personal touch

Although rarely discussed in management training, taking the time for a handshake or gentle touch on a patient's arm can yield multiple benefits for the administrator. The patient's confidence in the facility is increased, and the administrator is reminded that the patient is the true bottom line of the hospital. Moreover, both are reassured that, at the other end of the chain of service, there is another human being.

Energy balancing through touch for health

Through reflection on other types of energy work, the basis is laid for Touch for Health (TFH) as an energetic, touch, body therapy. TFH offers an opportunity for increased awareness of the subtle messages that our bodies are communicating to us. This communication is enhanced through the biofeedback quality of muscle testing. By introducing us to the feeling of well-being that occurs through energy balance, TFH makes individuals more aware of the meaning of optimal-level wellness. It assists people to move to a higher level of self-care. This health maintenance technique can be used anytime, anywhere for ourselves and others. By putting us back in control of our own health and well-being, TFH can increase self-esteem. Applications for nursing practice are explored.

Toward a theory of touch: the touching process and acquiring a touching style

Methods of grounded theory were used to explore the questions: How do intensive care nurses perceive touch and the process of touching? How do intensive care nurses learn to touch? Data were collected by in-depth interviews with eight experienced intensive care nurses from the same intensive care unit of a large urban Canadian hospital. Findings revealed two substantive processes, the touching process and acquiring a touching style, neither of which has been previously reported. The stages and phases of these processes are described as well as cueing, the core variable. Based on the data analysis, touch was conceptualized as a gestalt with multiple dimensions, suggesting that valid operational definitions of touch must incorporate more than skin-to-skin contact.