| Therapeutic touch is a complementary therapy that was developed for use within nursing by Dolores Kreiger in 1974. Today it is estimated to be used by over 37,000 nurses in North America in a variety of practice areas. Despite its increasing use, it remains a controversial practice as evidenced in the nursing literature.;This study explored the experience of therapeutic touch for nurses providing therapy and clients receiving it with the intention of contributing to the developing knowledge base of this phenomenon. It was prefaced by an overview of historical and social developments in the evolution of allopathy and complementary therapies in general, as well as a comparison of their basic philosophies.;A qualitative ethnography was the research design selected to explore lived experiences of therapeutic touch. Feminist and critical social theory provided perspectives guiding the research methodology. Data collection took place over a five month period in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia with three nurses providing therapeutic touch in circumstances of independent practice and four adult clients receiving therapeutic touch for the purposes of health promotion or health maintenance. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). |
