The Nurses' Perception of Expressive Touch: An Integrative Review.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Communication
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Physical touch is integral to nursing practice, influencing patient well-being and rapport.
• Existing literature lacks a focused review on nurses' specific perceptions of expressive touch.
• Understanding nurses' views on expressive touch is crucial for optimizing patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an integrative review of nurses' perceptions of expressive touch.
• To synthesize current knowledge on how nurses view and utilize expressive touch in their practice.

Main Methods:

• An integrative review methodology following Cooper's steps was employed.
• Searches were conducted in CINAHL, Medline, Academic Search Premier, and Complimentary Index (2000-2022).
• Keywords included 'expressive touch,' 'caring touch,' 'compassionate touch,' and 'nurse perception.'

Main Results:

• Five key themes emerged regarding nurses' perceptions: comfort and job satisfaction, touch as essential, touch as compassion/communication, humanization of patients, and nurse discomfort.
• The review identified 22 relevant articles from an initial search of 283.
• Nurses view expressive touch as a critical component of patient care and humanization.

Conclusions:

• This review enhances understanding of nurses' perspectives on expressive touch.
• Further research is recommended to explore the influence of gender, education, and experience on these perceptions.
• Findings can inform nursing education and practice regarding the use of expressive touch.