The Roles and Purposes of Caring Touch in Health Professional Practice: A Discourse Analysis

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Practices
• Nursing
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Caring touch is recognized for its contribution to physical and psychological wellness.
• Healthcare practice presents varied acceptance of touch, influenced by context.
• Understanding the factors influencing the use of caring touch in healthcare is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the discourses shaping the role and purpose of caring touch in health practice.
• To identify how social constructions and professional subjectivities influence the application of caring touch.
• To analyze the legitimization and marginalization of caring touch discourses in healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• Utilized poststructural methodology, drawing on Foucault's work.
• Conducted interviews with nurses and other health professionals.
• Analyzed discourses surrounding the use of caring touch in a health setting.

Main Results:

• Caring touch was sometimes viewed as an expression of humanity and at other times as a professional practice.
• Discourses influencing the decision to use caring touch were linked to the social construction of patient-professional relationships.
• Professional subjectivities played a key role in whether caring touch was integrated easily or seen as an 'extra'.

Conclusions:

• The integration of caring touch in healthcare is shaped by a complex interplay of discourses.
• Social constructions of relationships and professional subjectivities are critical factors in the application of caring touch.
• Further research into these discourses can enhance the understanding and application of caring touch in clinical practice.