Touch in health professional practice: a review

Abstract

Summary Background The appropriate use of touch is central to effective and compassionate care in the clinical environment; however, in a time of the #MeToo movement, and with heightened awareness of child and elder abuse, the notion of physical contact is frequently viewed negatively, and may be associated with gender and power divides. The use of touch in the clinical context has increasing layers of complexity and is highly context specific. Methods We reviewed relevant literature, including textbooks, and have drawn on our own experiences to explore the concept and use of touch across medicine, nursing and dentistry. Results In the context of learning and teaching in health we recognised two types of physical touch: expressive and procedural. Discussion Our review legitimises the importance of learners and educators being equipped to consider the role and nuances of touch when engaging in professional behaviour. We provide suggestions for how this complex concept may be embedded into entry‐to‐practice curricula and approached in faculty development.

Physical Touch in a Changing World: Guidance for the Mental Health Nurse

“…Instead, each of the three types of physical contact that they identify has a clear clinical or health-related focus. The first of the categories identified by Pedrazza et al (2015) is task-oriented contact, which is similar to the procedural touch described by Davin et al (2019), as discussed in previous paragraphs. The second category is the physical touch used to promote comfort and could include repositioning the patient in bed or massaging painful muscles.…”

“…Likewise, physical contact is used to connect people socially through, for example, greeting one with a handshake or, in some cultures, kissing cheeks or touching noses (Prisco, 2014). Physical touch can also be used inappropriately, as evidenced by ongoing reports of child and elder abuse or exploitation through unequal or gendered power roles (Davin, Thistlethwaite, Bartle, & Russell, 2019).…”

Embodying empathy: A phenomenological study of physician touch

“…An implication of our research is that it would be valuable to acknowledge more explicitly the role of touch in medical practice. Promoting targeted reflective practice on touch as part of instruction in NVC would be a useful starting point for learners, who are often unsure about the appropriateness (or not) of touch . Given the lack of attention to touch in the literature, faculty members may also need support.…”

Türkiye’deki Hemşirelerde Merhametin Araştırılması: Uluslararası Araştırma Sonuçları

“…Dokunma hemşireler ve hastalar arasındaki engelleri aşmak için bir güvence, rahatlık biçimi ve bir araç olarak kullanılabilir. Burada hemşirenin hastaya fiziksel bakım yaparken uyguladığı dokunmanın dışında merhametli bir şekilde elini tutması, sırtına veya başına dokunması yer almaktadır 29,30 . Bu çalışmada da hemşireler dokunma yolu ile hastalara onların yanında olduklarını hissettirmenin merhameti göstermede kullandıkları bir yol olduğunu belirtmişlerdir.…”