Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Value of Massage Therapy in a Pediatric Hospice

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Value of Massage Therapy in a Pediatric Hospice

Egeli D; Bainbridge L; Miller T; Potts J

Journal of hospice and palliative nursing : JHPN : the official journal of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association.

2019

article; child; female; human; male; controlled study; thematic analysis; clinical article; staff; comfort; perception; clinician; hospice care; massage; semi structured interview; accident prevention; human dignity; leisure; rest; self care

Canuck Place Children's Hospice in Vancouver, Canada, has been hosting a massage therapy practicum within the hospice since 2011. The practicum is delivered by upper-level massage therapy students who are supervised by a registered massage therapist and clinical instructor through West Coast College of Massage Therapy. This study aimed to explore clinicians' perspectives on the value of providing massage therapy to support children in hospice care, their families, and staff. The research participants (n = 6) comprised Canuck Place clinicians who have experience with the massage therapy practicum. In this descriptive phenomenological inquiry, semistructured interviews and thematic analysis were used. The findings demonstrated that Canuck Place clinicians valued the massage therapy practicum for its practical support in terms of creating access to massage therapy and self-care in the hospice. Massage therapy was also valued for supporting physical wellness (injury prevention/maintenance and symptom management) and psychosocial wellness (supporting dignity, interconnection, intraconnection, and rest/relaxation and providing a source of comfort/nurturing). This study is the first to explore clinicians' perceptions of massage therapy within a pediatric hospice and contributes to understanding massage therapy's potential role in the support of children, families, and staff within a hospice setting.

Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).

August 2019 List