Enjoying tactile touch and gaining hope when being cared for in intensive care—A phenomenological hermeneutical study

Summary 

Touch has been a part of the healing process in many civilisations and cultures throughout the centuries. Nurses frequently use touch to provide comfort and reach their patients. The aim of this study was to illuminate the meaning of receiving tactile touch when being cared for in an intensive care unit. Tactile touch is a complementary method including the use of effleurage, which means soft stroking movements along the body. The context used to illuminate the meaning of receiving tactile touch was two general intensive care units (ICUs). Six patients, who have been cared for in the two ICUs, participated in the study. A phenomenological–hermeneutical method based on the philosophy of Ricoeur and developed for nursing research by Lindseth and Norberg [Lindseth A, Norberg A. A phenomenological hermeneutical method for researching lived experience. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 2004;18:145–53] was chosen for the analysis. Data consisted of narratives, which were analysed in three recurring phases: naïve understanding, structural analyses and comprehensive understanding. Two main themes were found: being connected to oneself and being unable to gain and maintain pleasure. The comprehensive understanding of receiving tactile touch during intensive care seems to be an expression of enjoying tactile touch and gaining hope for the future. This study reveals that it is possible to experience moments of pleasure in the midst of being a severely ill patient at an ICU and, through this experience also gain hope.

Keywords: Intensive care, Tactile touch, Phenomenological hermeneutic, Narratives