The Power of Touch in Nursing

May 07, 2025 by Chamberlain University

You’ve probably heard it said that nurses have a healing touch. This refers not only to the compassion they bring to their work, but also to the physical act of touch itself, which studies have shown to be a vital component of the care nurses provide.

“Touch is vital, as it engenders sympathy and humaneness in the experience of the patient and nursing care,” write the authors of “The Nurses’ Touch: An Irreplaceable Component of Caring,” published in the journal Nursing Open.¹

How Nurses Use Touch in Practice

Nurses use touch, a key form of nonverbal communication, in many different ways. There is expressive or emotional touch: a comforting hand on a patient’s shoulder, for example. “Nurses create a way of being present with the patients by touching them, to communicate ‘I am here for you,’” say the authors of “I Am Here,” a study published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing.²

There is task-oriented touch, experienced by patients while nurses perform their duties—turning a patient in bed or taking vital signs.² And then there is healing touch or therapeutic touch. Massage therapy is one example.²

The Power of Touch in Nursing

Research into how touch benefits patients has been ongoing for many years. Citing some of these studies, the authors of “The Nurses’ Touch” say touch can:¹

Strengthen the patient-nurse relationship
Reduce anxiety
Soothe and comfort
Increase feelings of safety and security
Improve communication
Maintain self-esteem

Respecting Boundaries

It’s important to remember that every patient will react differently to touch. Nurses must be aware of these differences and respect individual boundaries. Here are some key factors to consider: personal preferences, cultural norms, the context of the situation, professional appropriateness, and obtaining consent from the patient.³

Respecting boundaries is key to using touch in a way that enhances—rather than detracts from—the patient’s experience.

Preserving the Human Touch

As technology plays an increasingly larger role in healthcare, experts warn against losing the human connection that touch provides.

“There can be no substitute to the expressive touch of a nurse,” the authors of “The Nurses’ Touch” study conclude. “As the technological revolution in nursing is inevitable, it is imperative that nurses consider how much these technologies impact the nurse-patient relationships. We should not sacrifice our humanity for the sake of efficiency in healthcare.”¹

Learn More by Earning a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Chamberlain University has a range of online degree programs that offer knowledge and skills you can apply to your goals as a nursing professional. You may want to earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree online that can help prepare you to shift into a different nursing specialty.

Chamberlain’s online MSN degree program offers eight specialty tracks that let you match your studies to your nursing interests.
If you want to study to become a nurse practitioner, you can choose one of these NP specializations: Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (Acute and Primary Care), Family Nurse Practitioner, or Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). Non-clinical tracks include: Healthcare Policy, Nurse Educator, Nurse Executive, Nursing Informatics, and Population Health.

And you may be eligible for one of Chamberlain’s accelerated tracks: Accelerated MSN, Accelerated RN-MSN, or Accelerated MSN with Clinical Nurse Leadership.

Call 877.751.5783 to speak to an Enrollment Representative who can help you get started. Find out how you can prepare for the next step in your nursing education and professional journey.

Chamberlain University, an HLC-accredited institution, offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs in nursing and healthcare professions. With a growing network of campuses and robust online programs, Chamberlain continues to build on more than 130 years of excellence in preparing extraordinary healthcare professionals.

¹Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10416036/

²Source: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08980101231198723

³Source: www.britishjournalofcommunitynursing.com/content/professional/touch-knowledge-and-considerations-for-nursing-practice