Abstract

The purpose of this study was to discover whether or not patients and nurses derived a similar meaning from pictures of a nurse touching a patient in various ways. Five by seven inch black and white photographs were shown to thirty patients and thirty registered nurses. The subjects were controlled in regard to sex, race, residence, language, and physical and emotional orientation. They were asked to focus upon the photographed nurse's touch and to tell in one or two words what meaning they felt that the nurse was trying to convey to the patient by her touch. Responses were recorded and presented to a panel of three persons not connected with the study. A list of categories supported by literature as being representative of touch gestures instituted by nurses was defined previous to the gathering of information. The panel classified the nurse-patient responses into these appropriate categories. A Chi Square comparison of the answers from both groups was computed for each picture and a level of .05 was chosen to be the significant value. Because none of the picture responses reached this level of significance, it was concluded that there was no statistically significant difference in responses on any of the pictures and that there was a close relationship between the answers of both groups. One photograph resulted in a virtually, but not statistically significant difference of nurse-patient answers. A Chi Square, computed on the ages and responses of both groups indicated that age might have had some influence upon the difference in responses. In the context of this study, it was recognized that touch is a relatively abstract entity to measure and that it cannot easily be separated from other forms of nonverbal communication such as facial expression, proximity of the nurse and patient, and so on. Also, it is a difficult subject about which to verbalize. For these reason, the data gathering tools used in the study need refinement.

LLU Discipline

Nursing

Department

Nursing

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

K. Helen Emori

Second Advisor

Ray B. Evans

Third Advisor

L. Lucile Lewis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1967

Date (Title Page)

8-1967

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Nurse-Patient Relations; Touch; Communication

Type

Thesis

Page Count

vi; 66

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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