An exploration of Carole A. Estabrooks’s and Janice Morse’s theory of touch: The touching process and acquiring a touching style in nursing care

Introduction: Touch is one of the earliest forms of human communication (both in an evolutionary sense and in human infant development) and plays a crucial role in nursing care. Since the early twentieth century, nursing science researchers have attempted to define and conceptualize it. Carole A. Estabrooks and Janice Morse proposed theoretical elements and concepts around the central concept of touch based on two qualitative studies conducted with intensive care nurses.

Method: An analysis of the research work of Carole A. Estabrooks and Janice Morse was conducted to understand the methodologies used and the results obtained from the three articles published by the theorists. Since the authors did not propose a comprehensive framework for their theory, a care situation observed with a nursing student is used to illustrate their proposals. Results: The results led to the development of a taxonomy of touch, identifying three main types: caring touch, procedural touch, and protective touch. Estabrooks also identified intra-interpersonal variables that affect the touching process and the acquisition of a touching style, such as “cueing” (perception of cues-analysis-construction of meaning) and contextual day-today factors. The presented case demonstrates how Estabrooks’s proposals provide a theoretical foundation for enhancing nursing education. Since Estabrooks’s proposals have not been tested retrospectively, further research is needed to establish empirical data and propose a comprehensive framework for the theory. The finalization of such a theory could facilitate the acquisition of effective therapeutic touch and improve the quality of nursing care.