Perception Of Touch Instrument Summary

In a lot of cultures touching is considered to be disrespectful and rude but in on our culture it is not a bad thing, it is etiquette. When we first meet someone, whether it is someone of the opposite sex or same sex, at a family gathering or social event they are often greeted with a hug, handshake, or a kiss on the cheek. If you walk in to a scenery of Cubans and do not greet them in any of those forms you are considered to be rude. Touching is a demonstration of affection. It is not taboo and does not carry a sexual connotation (Cuba, 2017). When someone in our culture goes to see a healthcare provider we like to be greeted by our formal name and with a handshake(Graham and Ritter, 2017). That is a respectful and professional way to approach us and makes us feel comfortable. When we feel comfortable in our environment it makes the appointment go by smoother and we are

In my nursing practice I frequently care for long term elderly residents on ventilators and who suffer from stage 3 or 4 pressure ulcers, diabetic, venous ulcers etc. Instead of simply providing pain medications and wound treatment to ease their pain or giving medications to relax them, I wanted to learn ways to enhance the comfort of these residents. This led me to learn more about Katherine Kolcaba’s theory of comfort. I found her theory to be useful in understanding the theory of comfort. Hence as a nurse, it became important for me to analyze, evaluate and research more on its applicability in the world of nursing and also in other health care disciplines.

Not all patients (or staff) are comfortable with using touch but I soon realised the boundaries with each individual patient.

may need to be done with a larger sample and a wider range of patient stressors

The comfort theory is a nursing theory that was first developed in the 1990s by Katharine Kolcaba. The Theory of Comfort considers patients to be individuals, families, institutions, or communities in need of health care (Petiprin, 2015). The environment in which this theory can be applied is in any aspect of the patient, family, or institutional surroundings that can be controlled by a nurse or a patient’s loved one by means to enhance their comfort. Health is considered to be optimal functioning in the patient, as defined by the patient, group, family, or community (Kolcaba, 2005).

When amongst friends, however, they are very expressive and animated, use direct eye contact, and frequently use touch to communicate. Most interactions are very close due to smaller personal space requirements. For these reasons, touch by trusted caregivers is often appreciated.

Touch: touching another person can send signs of care, love, power or sexual interest. You should think before touching someone in a health and social care environment as it could come across as inappropriate. If you give a child a hug when they are upset in a nursery or hospital this shows that you are caring and trying to make them feel better, but if a adult hugged a teenager this may come across as too intimate. You can use this in health and social care when you are in a care home and a client is feeling lonely and upset and you give them a hug they would appreciate that and not feel offended by it , as long as it’s appropriate and you have their permission to touch them.

Heidt (1981) found TT of benefit to cardiovascular patient. Heidt studied therapeutic touch (TT) using 30 patients as the subjects in three groups. Group A received TT, group B casual TT and group C none. Results showed a significant reduction in anxiety in group

This report aims to discuss the communication observed between the Nurse and Patient portrayed in the video. There are two scenarios in which the Nurse addresses the patient’s concerns. The patient’s response is influenced by the Nurse’s approach. In a health care setting, a personal, empathic yet professional approach is most effective in communication from Nurse to Patient. Furthermore this report assesses the therapeutic techniques used by the Nurse to effectively interact with the patient.

When considering touch as a form of communication, the nurse should assess whether the patient draws away, this could be an indicator that they are uncomfortable with this interaction (Giger & Davidhizar, 2017). Because touching is an unavoidable part of the nurse-patient encounter, the nurse should try to establish a trusting and respectful relationship from the very start by asking the patient permission upon touching them for the first time (Giger & Davidhizar, 2017).

This essay discusses the importance of our touch receptors and a component of human exchange; when for once we give our trust to the person that is escorting us through the dark room and that individual becomes our eyes