The Effect of Healing Touch on Critical Care Patients' Vital Signs

Abstract

To determine the impact of Healing Touch on vital signs, adult intensive care unit patients were recruited from multiple hospital sites. Both pain and agitation improved and there was a significant change in hemodynamics that reflected a calming effect. Healing Touch may be considered a respected addition to symptom management.

Identifying Holistic Nursing Research Priorities for 2023–2026

“…Already 33% of adults and 12% of children are using complementary approaches (NCCIH, 2016). While resistance to piloting and adopting complementary therapies exists, there is mounting evidence that it is beneficial to offer holistic modalities in dynamic, fast-paced acute care settings (Anderson et al, 2015;Davis et al, 2020;Lindgren et al, 2019;Golino et al, 2019Golino et al, , 2023.…”

“…Therapeutic touch, an energy therapy developed by Krieger and Kunz in the 1970s and tested with evidence-informed research (Alp & Yucel, 2021; Bagci & Yucel, 2020; Ünal Aslan & Çetinkaya, 2022; Yu et al, 2020), is grounded in Rogerian science and used in a myriad of populations experiencing pain and suffering. Healing Touch is another energy therapy with research supporting its benefits and is deployed in various settings to promote healing and treat pain, anxiety, and other human conditions (Anderson et al, 2015; Davis et al, 2020; Jain et al, 2012; Jain, 2021). Aromatherapy is another nursing intervention used to decrease pain and anxiety (Lindgren et al, 2019).…”