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CHAP TER

Katharine Kolcaba
1944 to present

Theory of Comfort

Thérèse Dowd

“In today’s technological world, nursing’s historic mission of providing comfort to patients and
family members is even more important. Comfort is an antidote to the stressors inherent in health
care situations today, and when comfort is enhanced, patients and families are strengthened for the
tasks ahead. In addition, nurses feel more satisfied with the care they are giving”
K. Kolcaba (personal communication, March 7, 2012).

Credentials and Background Kolcaba joined the faculty at the University of
of the Theorist Akron College of Nursing after graduating with her
Katharine Kolcaba was born and educated in Cleveland, master’s degree in nursing. She gained and maintains
Ohio. In 1965, she received a diploma in nursing and American Nurses Association (ANA) certification in
practiced part time for many years in medical-surgical gerontology. She returned to CWRU to pursue her
nursing, long-term care, and home care before return- doctorate in nursing on a part-time basis while con-
ing to school. In 1987, she graduated in the first RN to tinuing to teach. Over the next 10 years, she used
MSN class at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) course work in her doctoral program to develop and
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, with a spe- explicate her theory. Kolcaba published a concept
cialty in gerontology. While in school, she job-shared a analysis of comfort with her philosopher-husband
head nurse position on a dementia unit. It was in this (Kolcaba & Kolcaba, 1991), diagrammed aspects of
practice context that she began theorizing about the comfort (Kolcaba, 1991), operationalized comfort as
outcome of patient comfort. an outcome of care (Kolcaba, 1992a), contextualized

Photo credit: Barker’s Camera Shop, Chagrin Falls, OH.
The author wishes to thank Katharine Kolcaba for her assistance with this chapter.

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