Katharine Kolcaba’s theory of comfort: A holistic perspective on care and research

Introduction: Comfort is a key concept in contemporary nursing. Katharine Kolcaba is credited with developing a theory of comfort.

Context: This article is part of a collective project to make nursing theories more accessible and understandable in French. Objectives: Reflecting on the theorist’s onto-epistemological and teleological positioning, we outline the theory and its taxonomic structure. Method: Documentary research, the genealogical method, and the development of fictional case studies were used. Results: Kolcaba’s theory is structured around three types of comfort (relief, ease, and transcendence) and four contexts of human experience (physical, psychospiritual, environmental, and sociocultural). This classification enables nurses to assess and intervene holistically to meet patients’ comfort needs. Discussion: Kolcaba offers a practical framework for systematically assessing and addressing the comfort needs of patients, their families, and health care professionals. The theory thus facilitates the implementation of pragmatic interventions adapted to different care contexts. By providing a framework that can be applied in the field, this theory aims to improve the quality of care by focusing interventions on the overall well-being of those receiving care, while ensuring care environments remain sanctuaries for patient well-being via an environmental approach.