The competence to touch: helping and healing in nursing practice

Abstract: One view of nursing sees it as a series of manual/technical tasks, related to a medical diagnosis and carried out under the instructions of doctors. Many developments in nursing and health care have fundamentally challenged and changed this reductionist view. Part of that process has been the incorporation of complementary therapies into nursing. This paper explores some of the underlying trends and concepts. The use of complementary therapies in nursing is examined, expecially in relation to the competence to practise of the nurse. It is suggested that there is a qualitative difference in the competence required when using complementary therapies as an aid to caring and comforting, from their use as treatments for a particular disease.

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