Resumen de El empleo del tacto como forma de comunicación del profesional de Enfermería

J. de la Torre Fernández-Trujillo, Esperanza Arriaga Piñeiro, Rosario Gil Sacaluga, Miguel Marchal Escabias, Mª Jesús Sebastián Iglesias, A.M. García Bañón

• español

  Objetivo: El presente estudio intenta clarificar cómo emplea el enfermero/a de nuestro entorno esta forma de contacto, así como los factores que influyen en el hecho de tocar a un paciente en cualquiera de nuestros centros hospitalarios.

  Método: Estudio descriptivo transversal, realizado en los cinco hospitales públicos del Servicio Andaluz de Salud de la Provincia de Cádiz. La recogida de datos se realizó mediante cuestionario autocumplimentado, que se distribuyó al azar y se estratificó por hospitales y servicios, entregándose a los 710 profesionales seleccionados como muestra.

  Resultados: 85% de respuesta. Entre los profesionales enfermeros que cumplimentaron la encuesta, nos encontramos un 73,2% de mujeres y un 26,8% de hombres, de entre 23 y 64 años de edad. Existía un número importante de profesionales que afirmaron haber sido poco o nada tocados en su adolescencia y eso se traduce en su poco hábito táctil tanto en familia como en sus relaciones sociales y con los pacientes. Aparecieron diferencias importantes entre las zonas más tocadas por los profesionales en las relaciones sociales y con los pacientes.

• English

  Objective: To analyse how nurses’ tactile behaviour is influenced by certain human factors such as age, sex, and touching habits in the family environment or in social relationships.

  Method: This is a descriptive, transversal study, performed in the five public hospitals of the Andalusian Health Service in the province of Cádiz.

  Data were collected using questionnaires filled out by the participants themselves. These questionnaires were distributed at random to the 710 selected healthcare professionals and stratified according to hospitals and services.

  Results: Response rate was 85%. Of the professional nurses who completed the poll, 73,2% were women and 26,6% were men. Respondents were between 23 and 64 years old. A large number of professionals said that they were hardly or never touched in their adolescence, and this led to little touching both in their family and in their social relationships and their relationships with patients. There were important differences between the areas touched most by the professionals in their social relationships and with the patients. Patient touching was most extensive with the hands, arms and legs. When touching a patient, the main aim was to transmit affection, safety and comprehension. Old people and children where touched more often. Seriously ill patients conscious of their condition tended to be touched more than slightly ill patients, those in coma or those with infectious diseases.