Äldre patienters upplevelser av sjuksköterskans beröring
When a person gets older their verbal communication becomes poor and the use of touch becomes an important way to communicate. The purpose of this literature review was to identify which factors that has a meaning of how older patients experience touch. Touch has different dimensions, such as instrumental and affective or expressive. Older patients’ experiences instrumental touch as necessary but affective as something spontaneous. Results show that the gender and age of the nurse influence older patients’ perception of touch. Both female and male patients prefer a female nurse. There are safe zones and unsafe zones that can be touched. The safe zones are hands, shoulders and lower legs. The unsafe zones are intimate parts of the body. Gentle massage has positive effects in older patients’ for example giving them improved sleep, less pain and anxiety. The older patients experiences both positive and negative feelings when they were touched by a nurse. When the nurse showed competence and was sensitive they felt well-being, in opposite way when the nurse was stressed or rough they felt pain and became worried.
School:Högskolan i Skövde
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Keywords:touch nurse patient experiences factors
Date of Publication:01/22/2008