lnu.sePublications
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
"I am Here"-The Importance of Caring Touch in Intensive Care. A Qualitative Observation and Interview Study
Ryhov County Hospital, Sweden.
Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.
Växjö County Hospital, Sweden.
Växjö County Hospital, Sweden.
Show others and affiliations
2024 (English)In: Journal of Holistic Nursing, ISSN 0898-0101, E-ISSN 1552-5724, Vol. 42, no 3, p. 254-264Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to illuminate the experience of caring touch in intensive care from the perspectives of patients, next-of-kin, and healthcare professionals. Design and Method: This study was explorative, and data were collected through qualitative observations (n = 9) with subsequent interviews (n = 27) at two general intensive care units. An inductive approach was embraced to be open-minded to the participants' experiences. Findings: The results are presented in one generic category-caring touch creates presence-which generated five subcategories: to touch and be touched with respect, touch as guidance and communication, touch causes suffering, touch creates compassion, and touch creates security. Conclusion: When the ability to communicate with words is lost, it is body language that reveals what a person is trying to express. Nurses create a way of being present with the patients by touching them, to communicate I am here for you. Caring touch is a tool to show compassion and respect and to protect the integrity of the lived body. The caring touch is soothing and comforting for the patient and next-of-kin and creates security. It also helps to awaken the motivation to get healthy, which is needed in an environment that is foreign.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Sage Publications, 2024. Vol. 42, no 3, p. 254-264
Keywords [en]
adults, group/population, families, touch therapy, intensive care, qualitative content analysis, healthcare professionals
National Category
Nursing
Research subject
Health and Caring Sciences, Nursing
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-125042DOI: 10.1177/08980101231198723ISI: 001069857900001PubMedID: 37735941Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85172320146OAI: oai:DiVA.org:lnu-125042DiVA, id: diva2:1802719
Available from: 2023-10-05 Created: 2023-10-05 Last updated: 2025-08-07Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

fulltext(459 kB)44 downloads
File information
File name FULLTEXT01.pdfFile size 459 kBChecksum SHA-512
9cdd640ec53cfa79f8f0c6e3d553778659bf48d46ba4a083ac6ce211bfca0c9fc75f017e6a69e757d50c6cdc3fe5b7457b34564b43a3420fb7a0b65bd84baa0c
Type fulltextMimetype application/pdf

Other links

Publisher's full textPubMedScopus

Authority records

Elmqvist, Carina

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Elmqvist, Carina
By organisation
Department of Health and Caring Sciences
In the same journal
Journal of Holistic Nursing
Nursing

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar
Total: 44 downloads
The number of downloads is the sum of all downloads of full texts. It may include eg previous versions that are now no longer available

doi
pubmed
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
pubmed
urn-nbn
Total: 117 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf