2017 Volume 16 Pages 41-50
Purpose : This study was intended to clarify nursing care that imparts comfort, as well as reactions and effects occurring in patients and their measurement indicators.
Methods : We conducted an integrative literature review of 52 pieces of literature found on the Japan Medical Abstracts Society website using Cooper's methodology and the key search terms “comfortable” and “comfort”.
Results : The timing of efficacy measurements was classified into four periods : during care, immediately after care, after care, and the day after care or later. We extracted three categories of efficacy factors related to mood and psychological behavioral aspects from basic research papers : comfort, alleviation of symptoms, and increased vitality. In addition, six categories were extracted from clinical research papers : comfort, alleviation of symptoms, increased vitality, broadening of relationships, broadening of activities of daily living, and stable daily rhythm. The qualitative measurement indices used were speech and behavior, facial expressions, and conversation ; and the quantitative indices used were scales that were independently created by each researcher. Efficacy factors related to physiological aspects were increased body temperature, stable autonomic nervous activity, and stable circulatory dynamics.
Discussion : It was found for the spread and value of the possibility of nursing care that imparts comfort when shifting the perspective to change after care. It is important to focus on trends in the subsequent efficacy of comfort.
