Williams A
School of Health Science, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK.
J Adv Nurs. 2001 Mar;33(5):660-7. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2648.2001.01701.x.
This paper explores the concept of intimacy in nursing.
Intimacy is an increasingly important concept in nursing and feature of the nurse-patient relationship, which is perceived to be intrinsic to the proposed therapeutic potential of nursing. The introduction to the paper highlights the theoretical enthusiasm and endorsement of intimacy, the apparent lack of conceptual clarity from a nursing perspective and little published research investigating intimacy in practice.
Literature is reviewed from nursing and a variety of health-related disciplines.
The paper traces the historical background of the nurse-patient relationship and intimacy and highlights the change in value from detachment and distancing to intimacy, commitment and involvement. The nature of intimacy is examined and a concept analysis based on literature from psychology and psychiatric medicine is critically analysed. Intimacy is suggested to have psychological, emotional and physical aspects, which are explored. An ethnographic research study on intimacy in nursing is reviewed, which also recognizes physical and emotional dimensions of the concept and the importance of sufficient resources to allow the close relationships advocated. Attention is drawn to the constraints on intimacy imposed by the current market-led health service. Literature and research on the implications and consequences of intimacy for the nurse are discussed. These report practical difficulties of maintaining close relationships with individual patients and the potential for over-involvement and emotional labour.
The paper concludes with the increasing importance attached to intimacy in nursing and its complex, ill-defined nature. This serves to highlight the importance of research aimed at exploring and clarifying intimacy and further illustrating the therapeutic potential of nursing.
本文探讨护理中的亲密关系概念。
亲密关系在护理中是一个日益重要的概念，也是护患关系的一个特征，被认为是护理所具有的潜在治疗作用的内在要素。本文引言强调了对亲密关系的理论热情和认可，从护理角度来看，亲密关系的概念显然缺乏清晰度，而且关于亲密关系在实践中的研究发表得很少。
对护理及各种与健康相关学科的文献进行综述。
本文追溯了护患关系及亲密关系的历史背景，强调了价值观从疏离和冷漠转变为亲密、投入和参与。对亲密关系的本质进行了审视，并对基于心理学和精神医学文献的概念分析进行了批判性分析。亲密关系被认为具有心理、情感和身体方面，本文对此进行了探讨。回顾了一项关于护理中亲密关系的人种志研究，该研究也认识到这一概念的身体和情感维度，以及拥有足够资源以建立所倡导的密切关系的重要性。本文提请注意当前以市场为主导的医疗服务对亲密关系的限制。讨论了关于亲密关系对护士的影响和后果的文献及研究。这些文献及研究报告了与个体患者维持密切关系的实际困难，以及过度投入和情感劳动的可能性。
本文最后指出亲密关系在护理中日益重要，其性质复杂且定义不明确。这凸显了旨在探索和阐明亲密关系以及进一步说明护理治疗潜力的研究的重要性。
