A Professor of Medical-Surgical Nursing at the University of Ibadan, Professor Beatrice M. Ohaeri, has called for the integration of compassionate care and clinical competence into nursing practice in the emergence of advanced technology.
She made the call while delivering the 622nd Inaugural Lecture of the University of Ibadan on behalf of the Faculty of Nursing.
The lecture was entitled, “Give Me That Touch, That I May Live.”
Professor Ohaeri said there is a need for greater emphasis on compassion, communication and human connection in nursing practice, stressing that effective patient care must go beyond technical treatment to address the emotional, psychological and social needs of patients.
According to her, the “touch” in nursing should not be understood merely as physical contact but as a comprehensive expression of effective communication, compassion, presence, reassurance and competent patient-centered care.
She explained that nursing touch could be physical, emotional, social or spiritual, adding that every nursing procedure could become a meaningful therapeutic encounter when performed with dignity, sensitivity and compassion.
She described the human touch as an indispensable component of holistic and patient-centered healthcare.
She explained that nursing transcends the performance of clinical tasks and patients should be treated as whole human beings with biological, psychological, social and spiritual needs.
According to her, physical touch includes bathing, grooming, taking vital signs, wound care and positioning, while emotional touch involves attentive listening, holding hands, gestures and other actions that communicate concern and support.
She also explained that spiritual touch involves presence, prayer and silence, adding that such forms of care could provide comfort and dignity to patients, particularly those experiencing severe illness or approaching the end of life.
The Professor of Medical-Surgical Nursing stressed that although modern healthcare is increasingly driven by advanced technology, artificial intelligence and sophisticated medical procedures, the human dimension of care remains indispensable.
She explained that patients may not remember every technical explanation they receive, but they may remember the nurse who remained present, listened and offered reassurance.
The lecturer noted that therapeutic touch and compassionate interaction could influence patients through psychological and physiological pathways, while stressing that such interactions must always be guided by autonomy, dignity, respect and informed consent.
She identified a “Touch Framework for Nursing Excellence”, built around five key pillars: therapeutic presence, strategic clinical competence, unconditional compassion, competent communication and humanistic care.
The Don explained that the framework was designed to translate core nursing values into everyday practice while integrating scientific excellence with compassion.
She advocated the integration of this framework into nursing education, clinical practice, research, leadership and healthcare policy, stressing that compassion should be treated as an essential component of healthcare quality rather than an optional attribute.
Professor Ohaeri urged nurses to embrace artificial intelligence and other technological innovations in healthcare without losing the human touch that remains central to quality patient care.
She stressed that patients needed more than accurate diagnosis and effective treatment and restated that compassion, attentive listening, effective communication and therapeutic presence must remain integral to nursing practice.
Professor Ohaeri said technology should complement, rather than replace nurses, adding that AI could improve efficiency, reduce administrative burdens, strengthen clinical practice and enhance patient safety, thereby giving nurses more time for direct patient care, education, counselling and clinical assessment.
She reiterated that AI could not replicate the unique human qualities required in nursing and should, therefore, be viewed as a partner rather than a competitor to nursing.
The Don urged nursing educators to prepare graduates who would be competent in the use of sophisticated technologies while retaining the ability to provide compassionate bedside care.
She also advocated stronger mentorship programmes, stressing that experienced nurses had a responsibility to model professional competence and compassion for younger generations.
The Professor called on nurse leaders to ensure that technological innovation strengthened rather than weakened patient-centred care and also urged healthcare organisations to support continuous professional development and promote the ethical use of technology in healthcare.
The Inaugural lecturer encouraged nurses to remain lifelong learners and urged researchers to continue generating evidence that would promote effective and compassionate patient care, never to become too busy to listen, too sophisticated to care or too technologically advanced to remain human.
The Professor of Medical-Surgical Nursing recommended that seemingly ordinary acts of kindness, including a reassuring smile, gentle touch, compassionate explanation, attentive listening and being present during difficult moments, could leave lasting impressions on patients.
The lecture was the 19th in the series for the 2025/2026 academic session.
