Work

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

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Research literature concludes that caring touch contributes to physical and psychological wellness. However, in health practice, touch is constructed as acceptable in some situations and not in others. Utilising interviews with nurses and other health professionals, the aim of this study was to explore the discourses shaping the role and purpose of caring touch in health practice. Poststructural methodology, drawn from the work of Michele Foucault, was employed to make visible what discourses of caring touch were legitimised or marginalised in a health setting. At times, caring touch was constructed as an expression of humanness, whilst at others it was expressly part of a professional practice. Findings showed that discourses shaping choices to engage in acts of caring touch with patients were linked to the social construction of the relationship between the patient and the professional. Whilst some practitioners talked about integrating caring touch into practice with little difficulty, for others, caring touch was constructed as an 'extra'. Discourses that shaped professional subjectivities were key to those differences. Findings from this paper build on existing understandings of caring touch in literature by highlighting the unique interplay of discourses in practice.

Source: Nursing Inquiry

DOI: 10.1111/nin.70094

Authors: Nicola Power, Joanna Fadyl, Simon Walters, Deborah Payne

Institution: Auckland University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,720