University of the East RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER, INC.

COLLEGE OF NURSING Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City NURSING RESEARCH The Effects of Therapeutic Touch in Alleviating Pain among Chronically Ill Patients Submitted By: Ellama, Kaycee Encienzo, Christian Dale Jabagat, Ruth Irish Janolo, Shanna Mariz Marges, Cherry Ann

Submitted To: Dr. Wilhelma Z. Atos, RN, PhD

CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM A. Introduction: Touch is conceptually defined as a sensory system that provides physiological, psychological and social effects for the toucher and the recipient. Its initiation and interpretation are determined by numerous factors, such as the touchers and recipients age, gender, self-esteem, culture; relationship between individuals involved, reciprocity; body parts involved; setting and circumstances; and the type, quality, duration, intensity, temperature, and location of the touch (Huckstadt, 1990). Touching is for everyone who defines, perceives and responds to touch differently. It is perhaps because touch is too primitive that it is so powerful a therapeutic tool. Therapeutic touch by the laying-on hands look absurdly simple but profoundly complex. The act consists of the simple placing of the hands for about 10 to 15 minutes on or close to the body of an ill person by someone who intends to help or to heal that person. It is an ancient practice, recorded in the hieroglyphics, cuneiform writings, and pictographs of earliest literature cultures and it persist to this day. However, it continues as it has been throughout the centuries; a little-understood enigma of the signally human interaction. For instance one can hardly imagine the most basic of nursing skills being performed without the act of touch. The therapeutic, comforting effects of touch are such common occurrences that most people become all but indifferent to them (Krieger, 1975). In nursing, touch is primarily viewed as a communicate technique often called expressive or supportive touch or as a means of assessing, monitoring, and providing physical care. Weiss (1986) reported that nurses need to be conscious of their touch given to patients. It gives an effect to the patient of promoting the feeling comfort and decrease of pain and stress they experience.

The purpose of the current study is to examine existing research on the effectiveness of therapeutic touch and to determine whether it decreases pain in patients. Therapeutic touch promotes relaxation, reduces anxiety and often alters persons perception to pain. Therapeutic touch has allowed people to have a way to effectively offer compassionate part of them. Therapeutic touch is very important to the nursing community; the need for immediate intervention in acute or chronic pain could be handled at the bedside with no need to await a doctor's order for pharmacological intervention. Anxiety could be lessened to let patients rest more comfortably in the stressful hospital environment. Also teaching could be enhanced in the less anxious and more pain free client. A client that is admitted to the hospital may not get all the rest needed for proper recovery due to inadequate pain relief from pharmacologic interventions. The need for more in depth research and application in the field of therapeutic touch as a nursing intervention is essential.

Statement of the Problem: This study aims to determine the effectiveness of therapeutic touch as an intervention in decreasing pain among chronically ill patients.
It seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of the following? 1.1 Gender

1.2 Age 1.3 Civil Status 1.4 Educational Attainment 1.5 Religion 1.6 Socio-economic Status 1.7 Occupation 2. What are the effects of providing therapeutic touch? 2.1 Level of Pain 2.2 Vital Signs

3. Is there any significance in providing therapeutic touch as a nursing intervention in alleviating pain?

4 How may the findings of this research be utilized to improve nursing interventions in decreasing pain?

Objectives of the Study: 1. To identify the effect of therapeutic touch in alleviating the pain of chronically ill patients. 2. To determine the effects of therapeutic touch on vital signs of chronically ill patient 3. To determine if therapeutic touch is an effective intervention for patients experiencing pain Significance of the Study: Nursing Education: The importance of this study in nursing education is to incorporate the benefits of therapeutic touch to a patient who is experiencing pain through nursing management and intervention. This study will give contribution to nursing education, the result can be utilized as a basis for further study on the different responses of the respondents that may enhance different approach on improving nursing intervention in alleviating pain.

Nursing Practice: The significance of this study to nursing practice is that it will help to generate knowledge regarding the role of the nurses in improving the competence of the nurses

who are mainly in charge of patient outcomes especially the older patients who are experiencing pain.

Patient:

? Pakidagdagan please

Patients Family: The patients family will be motivated to implement some knowledge and skills of therapeutic touch to ensure the successful decreasing levels of pain.

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS 1. There is a relationship between the use of therapeutic touch to chronically ill patient with decrease in the use of narcotic analgesia.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS The scope of the study is all about the effects of Therapeutic Touch among chronically ill patients. The sample will be taken from a 10 bed medical floor of UERM hospital. 10 medical patients will be studied over a four week period. Inclusion criteria: all the subjects must be a chronically ill patient and be on some prescribed narcotic analgesia for pain relief.

F. Definition of terms Therapeutic Touch a medicine or therapy that cures disease and relieves pain. An energy therapy which practitioners claim promotes healing and reduces pain and anxiety. A touch administered to elderly clients back, arms and hand It is a rhythmic, firm patting of shoulders, slow stroking and firm holding of arms and hands. Pain a somatic sensation of acute discomfort. Anxiety vague, unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some misfortune. - A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent went or something with an uncertain outcome.