This experience began the school’s deliberative
practice of providing foot care and intentional comfort
touch with vulnerable populations. Intentional
Comfort Touch has been conceptualized as a kind of
touch that offers a relationship between the nurse
and the patient within the safe confines of a disclosive,
caring space (Connor & Howett, 2009; see
Figure 1). Over the years, the practice was extended
to other marginalized populations, such as migrant
farm workers, children and elderly persons in congregate
settings, and persons with profound disabilities.
Intentional comfort touch is particularly useful
as a form of communication where language barriers
make verbal communication difficult as is the case
with most migrant farm workers.
Much of the foot care our students do is part of
a service-learning activity, which is defined as