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Burgess JE, Gorton KL, Lasiter S, Patel SE. The Nurses' Perception of Expressive Touch: An Integrative Review. J Caring Sci 2023; 12:4-13. [PMID: 37124409 PMCID: PMC10131170 DOI: 10.34172/jcs.2023.31903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Nurses use physical touch to interact with patients and address their needs. Human touch benefits social development, stress/anxiety reduction, and rapport building. Touch has been a part of nursing care for centuries, however nurses' perceptions of expressive touch are not easily ascertained from the literature. Literature currently offers one review on the perceptions of various medical professionals regarding touch of all kinds. No reviews specific to the nurses' perception of expressive touch exist. This integrative review provides a greater understanding of nurses' perceptions of expressive touch. Methods: Using Cooper's steps for integrative review, CINAHL, Medline, Academic Search Premier, and Complimentary Index were searched from 2000-2022; using search term expressive touch or caring touch or compassionate touch and nurse/nurses/nursing and perception or perspective. Results: Of 283 articles identified, 22 articles remained for full-text review after duplicate removal and application of inclusion/exclusion criteria. Five topics on nurses' perceptions of expressive touch were identified: Comfort with touch and job satisfaction, expressive touch as an essential part of nursing practice, expressive touch as a form of compassion and/or communication, the impact of expressive touch on the humanization of patients in the nurses' perception, and nurse discomfort with expressive touch. Conclusion: This integrative review provides findings that assist in understanding nurses' perceptions of expressive touch. Further research should examine the impact of gender, education, and experiences on nurses' perceptions as they use expressive touch in nursing practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade Elyse Burgess
- School of Nursing & Health Studies, University of Missouri – Kansas City, Kansas City, USA
- *Corresponding Author: Jade E Burgess,
| | - Karen L. Gorton
- School of Nursing & Health Studies, University of Missouri – Kansas City, Kansas City, USA
| | - Sue Lasiter
- School of Nursing & Health Studies, University of Missouri – Kansas City, Kansas City, USA
| | - Sarah E. Patel
- School of Nursing & Health Studies, University of Missouri – Kansas City, Kansas City, USA
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2
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Vafeiadou A, Bowling NC, Hammond C, Banissy MJ. Assessing individual differences in attitudes towards touch in treatment settings: Introducing the touch & health scale. Health Psychol Open 2022; 9:20551029221137008. [DOI: 10.1177/20551029221137008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals commonly receive touch in treatment settings, but there is limited research on how they perceive it. The current project sought to address this gap by: 1) developing the Touch & Health Scale (THS) - a novel instrument to measure attitudes to touch in treatment settings 2) assessing inter-individual differences in THS scores, and 3) examining the association between individuals’ THS scores and wellbeing. Data of a large U.K. adults sample ( N > 12,000) were used. THS showed Cronbach’s α between 0.636 and 0.816 and significant correlations ( p < 0.001) with day-to-day attitudes to touch. THS scores differed as a function of extraversion and avoidant attachment style. Participants with more positive attitudes to touch in treatment settings showed greater wellbeing. Overall, the study highlights the importance of a personalised approach to touch in treatment settings and provides a new scale that may act as a screening tool for this purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michael J Banissy
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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3
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Lemermeyer G. In good hands: the phenomenological significance of human touch for nursing practices. MEDICAL HUMANITIES 2022; 48:230-237. [PMID: 35110371 DOI: 10.1136/medhum-2021-012220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Prevailing understandings of the nurse's touch tend to be focused on its consoling, instrumental and communicative utility. What seems to be missing is an exploration of the ethical and existential significance of the nurse's touch. As an aspect of nearly every human experience, touch has a depth and breadth of meanings that are hard to compass. We experience the world through our bodies, feeling our way through our lives. In the nurse's world, touching contact with the person in care is often considered to be a fundamental gesture, inherent to nursing practices. Still, touch is often hidden, subsumed by the tasks of nursing themselves. In order to explore the meaningfulness of the nurse's touch, I start with considering the sense of touch itself, exploring possibilities of the nurse's touch. The experience of the nurse's touch is investigated further through phenomenological reflection on descriptive accounts of the nurse's touch from poetry, fictional prose, neonatal nurse interviews, as well as scholarly and personal accounts. These examples show insights into the nurse's touch as a site for an ethical encounter.
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4
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Jørgensen L, Pedersen B, Lerbæk B, Haslund-Thomsen H, Thorup CB, Albrechtsen MT, Jacobsen S, Nielsen MG, Kusk KH, Laugesen B, Voldbjerg SL, Grønkjær M, Bundgaard K. Nursing care during COVID-19 at non-COVID-19 hospital units: A qualitative study. NORDIC JOURNAL OF NURSING RESEARCH 2022; 42:101-108. [PMID: 35729941 PMCID: PMC9204132 DOI: 10.1177/20571585211047429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The maintenance of physical distance, the absence of relatives and the relocation of registered nurses to COVID-19 units presumably affects nursing care at non-COVID-19 units. Using a qualitative design, this study explored registered nurses’ experiences of how COVID-19 influenced nursing care in non-COVID-19 units at a Danish university hospital during the first wave of the virus. The study is reported using the COREQ checklist. The analysis offered two findings: (1) the challenge of an increased workload for registered nurses remaining in non-COVID-19 units and (2) the difficulty of navigating the contradictory needs for both closeness to and distance from patients. The study concluded that several factors challenged nursing care in non-COVID-19 units during the COVID-19 pandemic. These may have decreased the amount of contact between patients and registered nurses, which may have contributed to a task-oriented approach to nursing care, leading to missed nursing care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lone Jørgensen
- Clinic for Surgery and Cancer Treatment, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Birgith Pedersen
- Clinic for Surgery and Cancer Treatment, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Clinical Cancer Research Centre, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Lerbæk
- Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Clinic for Internal and Emergency Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Helle Haslund-Thomsen
- Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.,Clinic for Anesthesiology, Children, Circulation and Women, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Charlotte Brun Thorup
- Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.,Clinical Cancer Research Centre, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Sara Jacobsen
- Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Marie Germund Nielsen
- Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Britt Laugesen
- Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Center for Clinical Guidelines, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Siri Lygum Voldbjerg
- Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Nursing Education, University College North Denmark, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Mette Grønkjær
- Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Karin Bundgaard
- Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.,Clinic for Neuro-, Head and Orthopaedic Diseases, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
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5
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De Luca E, Fatigante M, Zucchermaglio C, Alby F. "Awareness to touch": A qualitative study of nurses' perceptions of interpersonal professional contact after an experiential training. Nurse Educ Pract 2021; 56:103187. [PMID: 34534725 DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
AIM This study aimed to explore nurses' perceptions of touch in their professional practice and how these perceptions were articulated in discourse, among participants who attended a specific training on touch and those who did not. BACKGROUND Touch is an essential part of nursing practice. Research showed that the use of touch influences patients' general well-being, improving a sense of presence and infusing security and encouragement. Nurses' attitude towards touch influence positively their job satisfaction and reduces burnout syndrome risks. Nevertheless, there are very few studies describing specifically nurses' perceptions and opinions about the use of interpersonal physical contact in the clinical setting. Also, an educational perspective focusing on touch seems missing from nursing curricula and research. DESIGN A qualitative methodology was adopted. Focus groups were organized to explore how nurses define and interpret touch and its relevance in their professional practice. The findings obtained in a previous quantitative step of this research inspired the formulation of the questions posed to nurse participants. METHODS Six focus groups were conducted in three Italian hospitals, which also hosted a one-day training on touch. For each hospital, a purposive sampling approach was used to organize two focus groups: one was made up of nurses who attended the training, and one was made up of nurses who did not. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to identify recurring patterns of meaning by which touch is discussed and interpreted in the focus groups. RESULTS Registered nurses (N = 39) from different clinical experiences participated in six focus groups. The analysis identified four themes: 1) Touch preferences, 2) Touch and Contact as a natural dimension, 3) Touch as a "praxis" and 4) Reflexivity on Touch. All six focus groups showed a general awareness of interpersonal touch and discussed it as a highly valorized (personal and professional) dimension. Specifically, the trained nurses showed a greater variety and richness of their lexicon, a semantic and imaginary repository by which they described their experience and competence. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights that nurses consider touch as an important, essential part of their practice. Moreover, it suggests that specific training on interpersonal touch in nursing care facilitate nurses to shift their perceptions from a generic, abstract and "personal" dimension, into an articulated, disciplined and specialized practice. This has implications for education on touch in nursing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico De Luca
- University of Rome 'Sapienza', Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Via Dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, via Università, 43121 Parma, Italy.
| | - Marilena Fatigante
- University of Rome 'Sapienza', Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Via Dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Zucchermaglio
- University of Rome 'Sapienza', Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Via Dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Alby
- University of Rome 'Sapienza', Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Via Dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
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6
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The meaning of caring touch for healthcare professionals in an intensive care unit: A qualitative interview study. Intensive Crit Care Nurs 2021; 68:103131. [PMID: 34456109 DOI: 10.1016/j.iccn.2021.103131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The way health care professionals touch patients and relatives in the intensive care unit plays a significant role. A negative feeling can be caused by being touched in the wrong way, this is why a holistic approach with respect for the patient is important for the ability to make the patient and their relatives feel secure, avoiding unnecessary suffering. AIM The aim of the study was to describe the meaning of caring touch that is given in the ICU from the health care professionals perspective. METHOD Qualitative interview study with health care professionals in the intensive care unit, analysed using inductive content analysis, resulting in two themes and four main categories. FINDINGS Two themes emerged: Imperative touch and emotional touch and four main categories: touch as a natural tool, create a prerequisite for touch, empathetic touch and conversant touch. CONCLUSION Caring touch can be used as a natural tool in the daily work in order to bring comfort and calm to the patient in the intensive care unit.
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7
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Qin F, Meng G, Luo C, Wei H, Zhang L, Shi L. Comfort With Touch and Influencing Factors Among Chinese Midwives: A Cross-sectional Survey. J Perinat Neonatal Nurs 2021; 34:330-337. [PMID: 33079806 DOI: 10.1097/jpn.0000000000000480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify comfort with touch (CT) and influencing factors among Chinese midwives. Midwives (N = 252) from 7 hospitals in Guangdong, China, were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire between November 2018 and April 2019. The questionnaire included the Nurses' Comfort with Touch Scale (NCTS), the Nurses' Perceived Professional Benefits (NPPB) Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS), and a self-designed demographic questionnaire. Multivariate linear regression was used to identify influencing factors for CT. Mean NCTS total score was 88.90 ± 14.40, and the mean item score was 5.23 ± 0.91, which indicated a respectable score. Within the NCTS, CT was highest in the comfort support category (5.32 ± 0.29) whereas CT was lowest in the physical comfort category (4.28 ± 0.28). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that CT among Chinese midwives was associated with positive experiences or feelings surrounding the patient-nurse relationship (B = 3.239, P < .001), perceived professional benefit (PPB, positive professional identity) (B = 0.240, P < .001), emotional exhaustion (B = -0.414, P < .001), depersonalization (negative attitude toward the work setting) (B = -0.773, P < .001), and personal accomplishment (evaluation of self-worth) (B = 0.170, P = .015). Touch training and educational programs are recommended for Chinese midwives to enhance awareness and acceptance of touch care. In addition, promoting positive patient-nurse relationships, improving PPB, and reducing burnout are recommended to enhance CT among Chinese midwives. Because of the size and racial homogeneity of the sample, further studies are recommended to identify CT and influencing factors in a larger, more diverse population of midwives worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Qin
- Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China (Mss Qin and Meng and Drs Luo, Zhang, and Shi); and Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China (Dr Wei)
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8
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Abstract
This study was a phenomenological exploration of the ethics of the nurse's touch in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). I explore several examples of touching encounters as gathered from NICU nurses through interview and observation, and organize the lived meanings around several thematic statements. These include the learning touch: finding a way to hold the baby, the marking touch: when touch lingers long after physical contact, the missing touch: touching without physical contact, the gnostic touch: the possibility of knowing an other and ourselves, and the call of touch: drawn to hold. Exploring the touching gestures of NICU nurses discloses the relational ethics inherent to caring practices. By attempting to articulate these practices, the hope is that the significance and contribution of the nurse's touch might be recognized and brought forward to our individual and professional consciousness, conversations, and curricula.
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9
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De Luca E, Wilson M, Shaw MR, Landis TT. "Permission to Touch": Nurses' Perspectives of Interpersonal Contact during Patient Care. West J Nurs Res 2021; 44:456-465. [PMID: 33764213 DOI: 10.1177/01939459211000087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to describe nurses' perceptions about the use of interpersonal touch in their clinical practice. A qualitative descriptive approach with content analysis method was used to identify common themes. Registered nurses (N = 22) participated in focus groups and individual interviews. Three themes emerged from the analysis: (a) touch and massage as a resource, (b) individualized boundaries, and (c) professional role conflict. While the approach to touch varied, stories about the positive impacts that touch can have on patient care were consistently evident throughout the data. Implications for practice include incorporating areas from the themes into the development of educational programs focusing on how to integrate touch into practice as a comforting resource, while keeping individual's preferences in mind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico De Luca
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marian Wilson
- College of Nursing, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - Michele R Shaw
- School of Nursing & Human Physiology, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA, USA
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10
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Ben-Arye E, Portalupi E, Keshet Y, Bonucci M, Can G, Kading Y, Samuels N, Livas M, Gressel O, Silbermann M, Breitkreuz T. Enhancing Palliative Care With Mindful Touch: Impact of a Manual and Movement Therapy Training Program in an International Multidisciplinary Integrative Oncology Setting. J Pain Symptom Manage 2021; 61:229-236. [PMID: 32795608 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Manual and movement therapies (MMTs) play a central role in the integrative oncology setting, significantly improving patients' quality of life (QOL). Despite research supporting the effectiveness and safety of these modalities, most oncology health care providers (HCPs) lack any MMT training. OBJECTIVES In this study, we examine the impact of an MMT-based integrative oncology training program with the participation of an international and multidisciplinary group of oncology HCPs. The feasibility of implementing these skills in palliative cancer care is examined. METHODS A three-day evidence-based hands-on teaching program was designed to train oncology HCPs working in supportive cancer care MMT modalities from traditional Chinese and anthroposophic medicine. Prequalitative and postqualitative assessments of the trainees' narratives were analyzed using ATLAS.Ti software (Scientific Software Development GmbH, Berlin, Germany) for systematic coding. RESULTS The training program was attended by 30 participants from Israel (15), Germany (7), Italy (6), Turkey (1), and Cyprus (1). The group included 13 nurses, 10 physicians, 6 complementary/integrative HCPs, and 1 psycho-oncologist. The pretraining expectations that were met at post-training included gaining knowledge and practical QOL-oriented skills, which could be implemented in the palliative and supportive care setting. A significant change in the attitude of trainees to touch therapy was also identified, with respondents seeing MMTs promoting patient-centered palliative care, including nonverbal communication. CONCLUSION An MMT training program for oncology HCPs for QOL-related indications is both feasible and likely to be implemented in palliative and supportive cancer care. Nonspecific effects of MMTs were also recognized for their ability to facilitate patient-centered care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eran Ben-Arye
- Integrative Oncology Program, Lin, Zebulon & Carmel Medical Centers, Clalit Health Services, Haifa, Israel; Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel; Middle East Research Group in Integrative Oncology (MERGIO), Middle East Cancer Consortium, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Emanuela Portalupi
- Associazione Italiana di Ricerche e Studi per la Medicina Antroposofica (ARESMA), Milan, Italy; Association Research on Integrative Oncology Therapies (A.R.T.O.I.), Rome, Italy
| | - Yael Keshet
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Western Galilee Academic College, Galilee, Israel
| | - Massimo Bonucci
- Association Research on Integrative Oncology Therapies (A.R.T.O.I.), Rome, Italy
| | - Gulbeyaz Can
- Florence Nightingale Nursing Faculty, Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Yolanda Kading
- Cyprus Association of Cancer Patients and Friends (PASYKAF), Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Noah Samuels
- Center for Integrative Complementary Medicine, Shaarei Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel; Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Maria Livas
- Staedtisches Klinikum Karlsruhe and Paracelsus-Krankenhaus, Bad Liebenzell, Germany
| | - Orit Gressel
- Integrative Oncology Program, Lin, Zebulon & Carmel Medical Centers, Clalit Health Services, Haifa, Israel
| | - Michael Silbermann
- Middle East Research Group in Integrative Oncology (MERGIO), Middle East Cancer Consortium, Haifa, Israel
| | - Thomas Breitkreuz
- Staedtisches Klinikum Karlsruhe and Paracelsus-Krankenhaus, Bad Liebenzell, Germany; Die Filderklinik, Stuttgart/Paracelsus-Krankenhaus, Bad Liebenzell, Germany; International Federation of Anthroposophic Medical Associations (IVAA), Brussels, Belgium
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11
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Cleary M, Hungerford C. Physical Touch in a Changing World: Guidance for the Mental Health Nurse. Issues Ment Health Nurs 2021; 42:201-205. [PMID: 32633596 DOI: 10.1080/01612840.2020.1764679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Cleary
- School of Nursing, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Catherine Hungerford
- School of Nursing and Health Professions, Federation University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Edited by Michelle Cleary, PhD, RN College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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12
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Jamarim MFM, da Silva CZ, Lima GMPDA, Siqueira CL, Campos CJG. Nonverbal Communication through Touch: Meanings for Physical Therapists Working in a Hospital Environment. AQUICHAN 2019. [DOI: 10.5294/aqui.2019.19.4.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: To know the most used types of touch and understand their meanings for physical therapists working in a hospital environment, from the perspective of their feelings, attitudes and behaviors during care. Materials and methods: Qualitative case study conducted by physical therapists working at a hospital in Brazil. For data collection, participant observation and semi-structured interviews were used as techniques. Data were analyzed according to the thematic content analysis proposed by Minayo. Results: 16 physical therapists participated in the study and, from the analysis of the empirical material, four thematic categories emerged: Instrumental touch as a fundamental resource of hospital physical therapy assistance; expressive touch: Its little presence does not mean absence of affection; physical therapist’s feelings related to touch and difficulty talking about touch means that there is a deficiency in training. Conclusions: The underuse of expressive touch revealed the lack of knowledge and unpreparedness in the formation of the physical therapist, which, added to the lack of self-knowledge, hinders the affection and the creation of bonds in relationships. All of this justifies the rare studies on affective touch in health, which reflects an area to be explored and the need to sensitize professionals to influence the quality and humanization of care.
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13
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Sanclemente-Vinue I, Elboj-Saso C, Iñiguez-Berrozpe T. The voice of nurses as a means to promote job engagement. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem 2019; 27:e3208. [PMID: 31664415 PMCID: PMC6818659 DOI: 10.1590/1518-8345.3193.3208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this study was to establish the factors that induce nursing professionals to present engagement with their work environment. Method: Qualitative study, using the communicative methodology, with nursing professionals from public and private centers in the city of Huesca. The statements were collected through communicative stories and discussion groups. Result: The methodology used has allowed the establishment of a set of engagement promotion measures in the studied environment. These measures are framed in the three main categories analyzed: the systemic or structural variables, the subject-oriented variables, and those that refer to the relationships between the subjects. Conclusion: Knowledge of the situation regarding engagement among professionals, and the issues that encourage or hinder its appearance, is essential in establishing measures that contribute to its development. The use of qualitative techniques has allowed for the discovery of situations that would have gone unnoticed. After analyzing the interviews and the discussion groups, the following were present: an important lack of recognition that the participants experience, and that contribute, in their opinion, to the appearance of burnout syndrome, and, the lack of cohesion as a collective.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carmen Elboj-Saso
- University of Zaragoza, Department of Psychology and Sociology, Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
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14
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Pedrazza M, Berlanda S, De Cordova F, Fraizzoli M. The Changing Educators' Work Environment in Contemporary Society. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2186. [PMID: 30483193 PMCID: PMC6243055 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we are going to address job satisfaction and perceived self-efficacy withinthe context of residential child-care. A joint report from the European Foundation for the Improvement on Living and Working Conditions and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work revealed that managers in the field of health and education were the most concerned about the psychosocial risk of their employees, although concern is not automatically translated into tools to face the risk and to manage it. So, measuring and improving employees' job satisfaction and self-efficacy can be an important means for organizations to prevent the outcomes of psychosocial risk, and supporting high quality performance of workers. But profound changes are affecting the nature of work at large, and specifically social educator's in the field of residential care with minors. Globalization, radical technological and communication developments, as well as the pressure to frame care as a commodity, are quickly changing procedures and praxis at work, and even the meaning of job itself. All these changes are highly demanding for this category of professionals, as much as the fact that the organizational setting is vanishing as a resource to sustain their professional attitudes and behaviors. Under these circumstances, job satisfaction and self-efficacy can be hard to experience, and isolating their precursors is essential to develop healthy and effective work environments. This paper means to highlight the process of supporting self-efficacy and job satisfaction in the educational work in residential youth care that is still underrepresented in research. It presents data emerging from two studies, study 1 involving 268 educators and study 2 involving 472 educators belonging to different Italian residential child-care services. Study 1 consists of a quantitative study including the following measures: attachment style, job satisfaction, work-related self-efficacy, and length of service. Study 2 consist of a qualitative exploration deepening the sources of educators' work-satisfaction. Quantitative data support the identification of attachment style and length of service as antecedents of work-related self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Qualitative data show the importance of relational issues in shaping the educators' satisfaction at work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Pedrazza
- Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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15
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Trifiletti E, Pedrazza M, Berlanda S, Pyszczynski T. Burnout Disrupts Anxiety Buffer Functioning Among Nurses: A Three-Way Interaction Model. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1362. [PMID: 28848476 PMCID: PMC5554532 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last 40 years, job burnout has attracted a great deal of attention among researchers and practitioners and, after decades of research and interventions, it is still regarded as an important issue. With the aim of extending the Anxiety Buffer Disruption Theory (ABDT), in this paper we argue that high levels of burnout may disrupt the anxiety buffer functioning that protects people from death concerns. ABDT was developed from Terror Management Theory (TMT). According to TMT, reminders of one’s mortality are an essential part of humans’ daily experience and have the potential to awake paralyzing fear and anxiety. In order to cope with death concerns, people typically activate an anxiety-buffering system centered on their cultural worldview and self-esteem. Recent ABDT research shows that individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder are unable to activate such anxiety buffering defenses. In line with these results, we hypothesized that the burnout syndrome may have similar effects, and that individuals with higher levels of burnout will be less likely to activate an anxiety buffering response when their mortality is made salient. Participants were 418 nurses, who completed a questionnaire including: a mortality salience (MS) manipulation, a delay manipulation, and measures of burnout, work-related self-efficacy, and representation of oneself as a valuable caregiver. Nurses are daily exposed both to the risk of burnout and to mortality reminders, and thus constituted an ideal population for this study. In line with an anxiety buffer disruption hypothesis, we found a significant three-way interaction between burnout, MS and delay. Participants with lower levels of burnout reported higher levels of self-efficacy and a more positive representation as caregivers in the MS condition compared to the control condition, when there was a delay between MS manipulation and the assessment of the dependent measures. The difference was non-significant for participants with higher levels of burnout. Theoretical and practical implications of findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monica Pedrazza
- Department of Human Sciences, University of VeronaVerona, Italy
| | | | - Tom Pyszczynski
- Psychology Department, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado SpringsCO, United States
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Pedrazza M, Berlanda S, Trifiletti E, Minuzzo S. Variables of Individual Difference and the Experience of Touch in Nursing. West J Nurs Res 2017; 40:1614-1637. [DOI: 10.1177/0193945917705621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We aim to investigate nurses’ feelings of comfort or discomfort with three different types of touch: task-oriented contact, touch promoting physical comfort, and touch providing emotional containment. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 198 nurses. We present results of multiple regression analysis identifying some antecedents of nurses’ feelings of comfort with touch, namely, attachment style, worry, gender, and length of service. Worry is negatively associated with task-oriented contact and touch promoting physical comfort. Attachment security and length of service are associated with comfort with touch aimed at emotional containment; female nurses feel more comfortable than male nurses in performing this type of touch. Practical implications of findings are discussed in relation to the promotion of focused training courses for practitioners who are willing to improve the quality of care services.
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Pedrazza M, Berlanda S, Trifiletti E, Bressan F. Exploring Physicians' Dissatisfaction and Work-Related Stress: Development of the PhyDis Scale. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1238. [PMID: 27588013 PMCID: PMC4988987 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Research, all over the world, is starting to recognize the potential impact of physicians' dissatisfaction and burnout on their productivity, that is, on their intent to leave the job, on their work ability, on the amount of sick leave days, on their intent to continue practicing, and last but not least, on the quality of the services provided, which is an essential part of the general medical care system. It was interest of the provincial medical board's ethical committee to acquire information about physician's work-related stress and dissatisfaction. The research group was committed to define the indicators of dissatisfaction and work-related stressors. Focus groups were carried out, 21 stressful experience's indicators were identified; we developed an online questionnaire to assess the amount of perceived stress relating to each indicator at work (3070 physicians were contacted by e-mail); quantitative and qualitative data analysis were carried out. The grounded theory perspective was applied in order to assure the most reliable procedure to investigate the concepts' structure of "work-related stress." We tested the five dimensions' model of the stressful experience with a confirmatory factor analysis: Personal Costs; Decline in Public Image and Role Uncertainty; Physician's Responsibility toward hopelessly ill Patients; Relationship with Staff and Colleagues; Bureaucracy. We split the sample according to attachment style (secure and insecure -anxious and avoidant-). Results show the complex representation of physicians' dissatisfaction at work also with references to the variable of individual difference of attachment security/insecurity. The discriminant validity of the scale was tested. The original contribution of this paper lies on the one hand in the qualitative in depth inductive analysis of physicians' dissatisfaction starting from physicians' perception, on the other hand, it represents the first attempt to analyze the physicians' dissatisfaction with reference to attachment styles, which is recognized as being a central variable of individual difference supporting caregiving practices. This study represents an original and innovative attempt to address physicians' dissatisfaction and job satisfaction. The PhyDis scale has been developed and, in line with international findings, our results indicate that role uncertainty and loss of social esteem are the most dissatisfying factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Pedrazza
- Department of Human Sciences, University of VeronaVerona, Italy
| | | | | | - Franco Bressan
- Department of Economics, University of VeronaVerona, Italy
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Meng R, Luo Y, Liu B, Hu Y, Yu C. The Nurses' Well-Being Index and Factors Influencing This Index among Nurses in Central China: A Cross-Sectional Study. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144414. [PMID: 26680594 PMCID: PMC4682979 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Backgrounds/Objectives A discussion and analysis of factors that contribute to nurses’ happiness index can be useful in developing effective interventions to improve nurses’ enthusiasm, sense of honor and pride and to improve the efficiency and quality of medical services. Methods In this study, 206 registered nurses at the 2011 annual encounter for 12 Hanchuan hospitals completed a questionnaire survey that covered three aspects of the well-being index and thus served as a comprehensive well-being and general information tool. Results Based on their index score, the nurses’ overall happiness level was moderate. The dimensions of the happiness index are listed in descending order of their contribution to the nurses’ comprehensive happiness levels: health concerns, friendly relationships, self-worth, altruism, vitality, positive emotions, personality development, life satisfaction and negative emotions. Four variables (positive emotion, life satisfaction, negative emotions, and friendly relationships) jointly explained 47.80% of the total variance of the happiness index; positive emotions had the greatest impact on the happiness index. Conclusions Appropriate nursing interventions can improve nurses’ happiness index scores, thereby increasing nurses’ motivation and promoting the development of their nursing practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runtang Meng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, P. R. China
| | - Yi Luo
- School of Nursing, Ningbo College of Health Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315100, P. R. China
| | - Bing Liu
- Center of Health Administration and Development Studies, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, 442000, P. R. China
| | - Ying Hu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, P. R. China
- Global Health Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, P. R. China
| | - Chuanhua Yu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, P. R. China
- Global Health Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, P. R. China
- * E-mail:
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Pedrazza M, Trifiletti E, Berlanda S, Minuzzo S, Motteran A. Development and Initial Validation of the Nurses’ Comfort With Touch Scale. J Nurs Meas 2015; 23:364-78. [DOI: 10.1891/1061-3749.23.3.364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Background and Purpose: The extent to which nurses feel comfortable about the use of touch may affect the frequency and quality of nursing touch-based interventions. No valid instrument exists to assess nurses’ feelings of comfort with touch. In this study, the nurses’ scale was developed and preliminary validated. Methods: Items were generated through semistructured interviews. After testing the content validity with a team of experts, the psychometric properties were tested with a sample of 451 nurses. Results: Explorative factor analysis yielded a five-factor solution, which was supported by confirmatory factor analysis. Examination of concurrent validity revealed that comfort with touch was correlated with positive affective states and emotional self-efficacy. Conclusion: Future directions and implications for nursing research, education, and practice are discussed.
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