Touch is the intentional physical contact between two or more people. It occurs so often in patient care situations that it has been deemed to be an essential and universal component of nursing care

Question

Task-oriented touch occurs when the nurse: (Select all that apply.)
a.
holds the patient's hand during a painful procedure.
b.
gives the patient an injection to treat discomfort.
c.
starts an intravenous (IV) line for fluid administration.
d.
inserts a nasogastric tube to decompress the patient's stomach.
e.
shakes the patient's hand in order to establish rapport.

Answer 1

ANS: B, C, D
Task-oriented touch includes performing nursing interventions such as giving treatments, changing dressings, suctioning an endotracheal tube, giving an injection, starting an IV line, or inserting an NG tube. Task-oriented touch should be done gently, skillfully, and in a way that conveys competence. Patients become alarmed when they detect that their nurse is unfamiliar with a procedure. It is best to seek assistance with any procedure or skill that the nurse cannot safely accomplish alone. Every task-oriented procedure should be explained to a patient, followed by feedback indicating patient understanding, before care is initiated.
Caring touch is considered by most people to be a valuable means of nonverbal communication. In today's highly technical world of nursing, caring touch is an essential aspect of patient-centered care. Caring touch can be used to soothe, comfort, establish rapport, and create a bond between the nurse and the patient. Care may be conveyed by holding the hand of a patient during a painful or frightening procedure or when delivering bad news. This is an important way nurses let patients know that they are not alone and that another human being cares.