J Nurs Acad Soc.  1995 Dec;25(4):633-640.

An Analysis of the Concept "Touch"

• Cho KS
• Choi ES

Abstract

The trends in nursing practice are not disease-oriented approaches but holistic, humanistic approaches such as human touch, which is an easily applied, economic, and efficient intervention. The purposes of this paper were to clarify the meaning of the concept "touch" to define the precise attributes of "touch" which could be a basis for nursing interventions. This study uses Walker and Avant's process of concept analysis. The concept of touch can be defined as follows: Touch is a process of communication and physical contact with intention, which is transfered by tactile senses. Attributes of touch are defined as 1) It is transferred by tactile senses. 2) A process of communication 3) A expressive pathway of emotion 4) It has intention. Antecedents of "touch" consist that 1) the touch provider understands the touch receiver's perception of past experiences of touch; 2) the touch provider is concerned about the touch receiver and comes up to the touch receiver; 3) the touch provider wants to deliver his/her emotions; 4) the touch receiver needs the ability to differentiate the tactile senses. In regard to the consequences of touch, it is expected to keep the touching action between the touch provider and receiver, to feel empathy, to able to perceive the consumer's needs, to feel comfort, intimacy, trust, and to calm down the physiological variables. That is performing the nursing as a caring science.

MeSH Terms

Empathy
Humans
Intention
Nursing