...Watson’s Theory of Caring Jane A. Festejo University of Phoenix NUR/403: Theories and Models in Nursing Practice July 29, 2010 Vicki Grosdidier, RN, MSN, CNM Watson’s Theory of Caring Many nursing scholars have developed theories on caring not only because it is essential to the profession of nursing, but because it is a universal phenomenon that influences how every human being thinks, feels, and behaves. Unfortunately, due to the hectic and fast-paced health care environment in today’s world, the opportunity to develop an interpersonal and therapeutic relationship with the patient is often pushed aside by the demands of treating the disease itself rather than the patient as a mind, body, and spirit. Little time is often left to allow nurses to treat their patients as an individual, and may lead to the misinterpretation of the health care as a cold and indifferent profession. The numerous theories of nursing relating to the concept of caring have been developed because of the necessity to refocus the purpose of nursing from technology and cost-effective strategies to what the real meaning of nursing is. No matter what race, religion, sex, health state, or socioeconomic status may be, it remains a basic human need to receive and give care. One such theory that focuses on caring as central to nursing is Jean Watson’s Theory of Caring. The development of Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring began with the simple question of defining what the relationship between a...
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...Watson’s Theory of Human Caring Watson’s Theory of Human Caring Introduction Human caring is what sets nursing apart from other professions. As Watson (1998) stated, “care and love are the most universal, the most tremendous and the most mysterious of cosmic forces: they comprise the primal universal psychic energy. Caring is the essence of nursing and the most central and unifying focus for nursing practice” (p. 32-33). It is important to establish a good nurse-patient relationship in order to create a healing environment that would meet patient’s needs on all levels including physical, mental/emotional and spiritual, promote recovery, maintain health, and create positive outcomes. Jean Watson emphasized the importance of human caring and how it influenced nursing practice. This paper aims to define caring moment, discuss background and major concepts of Watson’s theory of human caring, and describe a clinical experience of a patient-nurse interaction with personal reflection. Caring Moment The caring moment happens when the nurse and patient come together with their unique life histories and enter into the human-to-human transaction in a given focal point in space and time (Caruso, Cisar, & Pipe, 2008). The actual caring occasion has a greater field of its own in a given moment; the process goes beyond itself, yet arises from aspects of itself that become part of the life history of each person, as well as part of some larger, more complex pattern of life (Watson...
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...Throughout each nurse’s career, many theories and models have directed the individual practices throughout every specific field of nursing. One of the theories that not only directs a nurse’s practice, but also continues to be a positive influence to the practice is Watson’s theory of human caring. The utilization of Watson’s theory of human caring is extremely relevant within the critical care arena, specifically because of the high acuity of the patient population. The practical application of this theory is explored utilizing several important elements to describe a personal interaction between the patient populations. The Caring Moment Defined Watson (2012) defines the caring moment as, “An actual caring moment occasion involves action and choice both by the nurse and the individual. The moment of coming together in a caring moment occasion presents the two persons with the opportunity to decide how to be in the relationship—what to do with the moment” (p. 71). She further explains that if the moment is spiritual then the chance of openness can occur, making the relationship limitless (Watson, 2012). The successfulness of a caring moment allows the human to human interaction to occur, regardless of the personal and social backgrounds of the participants. In each interaction, the participants display different feelings, thoughts, expectations, spiritual beliefs, environmental respects and individual implications. The historical situations that precede the interaction...
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...Watson’s Theory of Human Caring Nursing has a vast history, and throughout time nursing has adapted and grown to meet the needs of its people. There are some nurses whom are well known and even in history books. These nurses noticed something missing and attempted to fill that gap. Nursing theories came about to help close the gap. Because no two people are exactly alike the theories offer ways a nurse can identify and attempt to meet the needs of his or her patients. Jean Watson is one of those nurses who formed a theory to help fill in a missing piece and close the gap to help nurses assist patients with adapting to, and accepting changes in their health statuses. Jean Watson is not only a nurse, but a nursing instructor, and a published writer as well. She educated future nursing students at the University of Colorado. That is where she unintentionally formed her theory, the Theory of Human Caring, in order to be able to help her nursing students learn. She did not intend to become a theorist, but she has educated many nurses personally and now through her writings and her theory that the nurse is the main component of the patient’s environment (Alligood, 2010). The theory shows that the nurse should know his or her own perspectives and be open to the patient’s perspectives, thus building the caring nurse-patient relationship. The nurse can either help or interfere with the patient’s healing process. Watson will now help nurses much further than she ever imagined...
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...Jean Watson’s Caring Theory Nurses’ responsibilities to their patients are continually changing with the times. Jean Watson formed the “caring theory” to convey the significance and emphasize nursing as a diverse health profession. Using the Jean Watson’s caring theory enables nurses to maintain their perspective on caring for patients when overwhelmed with increased acuity, responsibility and workload. With the increase of patients and their needs, nurses often replace the caring attitude with an attitude of arrogance and hurried tasks, leaving patients and family members with belief that nurses believe they are here just to perform a job. By applying the Watson caring theory in caring for patients, “it allows nurses to practice the art of caring, to provide compassion to ease patients’ and families’ suffering, and to promote their healing and dignity but it can also contribute to expand the nurse’s own actualization” (Cara, 2003, p 2). Watson believes it is crucial that nurses apply caring values to their practice because it is essentially a byproduct in discovering the meaning of the nursing profession (Theory of Human Caring, n.d.). The foundation of this paper is to expound on the caring theory Jean Watson designed “to bring meaning and focus to nursing as a distinct health profession” (Cara, 2003, p 2). Description of the Theorist In the 1940’s, Jean Watson was born in West Virginia in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains. In 1961, graduated from the Lewis Gale...
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...Watson's Theory of Human Caring Sandra Middlestate NUR/403 April 16, 2012 Watson's Theory of Human Caring In this paper on Watson’s theory of human caring it will briefly describe the theories background and concepts. In discussion of an actual nurse patient event I have had in Obstetrics it will analyze major theory assumptions related to person, health, nursing and environment in the context of this caring moment, along with a personal reflection of this caring moment. Born in West Virginia theorist Jean Watson has had a very distinguished career, as a nurse educator and researcher in the area of “human caring and loss” (Nursing Theories, 2012, p.1). Beginning her education with a BSN from University of Colorado in 1964, she then acquired her MS from there in 1966 and her PhD in 1973. She has traveled and studied extensively around the world and in the mid 1970’s began putting pen to paper. In 1988, after creating a guide for nurses “published her theory in nursing human science and human care.” (Nursing Theories, 2012, p.1) Watson’s theory of human caring has grown for the last 30 years. As per Alligood (2010, p. 36) three factors make her theory distinctive. First is when the nurse and patient have a caring moment, and create an experience in each other’s life. Second it distinguishes the magnitude of the mind body-spirit while not impeding the wholeness of the person. Third it clearly recognizes many ways of knowing, this includes...
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...Jean Watson's Theory of Human Caring Jessamie Garvin University of Phoenix NUR/403 Theories and Models of Nursing Practice July 1, 2014 Instructor: Mega Deol Watson's Theory of Human Caring In today’s fast-paced and technology centered health care environment, nurses remain at the cornerstone of care by providing care, practicing the core concepts of nursing, and maintaining the caring models. To assist us in providing quality care we have theorists like Jean Watson whose theories influence and guide us in providing exceptional patient care. In this paper I will discuss Jean Watson’s theory of human caring including the background and the major concepts of her theory. In addition, I will discuss her theory and views of the nursing metaparadigms of person, health, nursing and environment as they relate to a personal experience in which I utilized Watson’s theory to cultivate a caring moment with a patient. Describe the background and major concepts of Watson’s theory of human caring. According to Jean Watson her philosophy and science of caring in nursing emerged from her quest to bring new meaning and dignity to the work and the world of nursing and patient care (Watson, 2008). Beginning with the question of the relationship between human caring and nursing, she developed The Theory of Human Caring and the Philosophy and science of caring. Watson defines caring as the ethical and moral ideal of nursing that has interpersonal...
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...Watson's Theory of Human Caring Iris Wilkins University of Phoenix Nursing Theory 403 Dr. Elizabeth Wider May 12, 2014 Watson's Theory of Human Caring Dr. Jean Watson was born in Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia in the 1940s. She graduated from the Lewis Gale School of Nursing in Roanoke Virginia in 1961.She progressed through her nursing education by obtaining her bachelor’s degree in 1964, a master of science in nursing in psychiatric and mental health nursing in 1966, and a Ph.D. in educational psychology and counseling in 1973, all from the University of Colorado at Boulder. (McEwen & Wills, 2007). Today she serves as a legendary Professor of Nursing and holds an endowed Chair in Caring Science at the University of Colorado and is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. She is the author of more than 14 books on caring and holds six honorary doctorates. Recently she founded Watson Caring Science Institute, a nonprofit organization developed to help spread her nursing theory and ideas. (Cara n.d.). In 1979, Dr. Watson established the Theory of Human Caring, her theory is the cornerstone guiding personal and professional nursing practices today. Her philosophical beliefs are based on morals/ethics and grounded in a foundation of having love for your fellow man. Her theory has three primary concepts, carative factors, transpersonal caring relationships and caring occasion or caring moment. Watson (1988). “According to Watson (1988) a caring...
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...Watson's Theory of Human Caring Watson's Theory of Human Caring Theory of caring, Watson has taught me how healthcare providers should practice loving, and kindness to our patients and others. Watson’s theory is not only for patients, but it is for everyone who works in the healthcare industry. Loving, and caring for each other would establish a trusting relationship that will be remembered for a long time. There are four carative factors that I practice on daily basis which they are the humanistic-altruistic system of values, development of sensitivity to oneself and others, promoting and accepting the expression of positive and negative feelings, and the supportive, protective, and/or corrective mental, physical, societal, and spiritual environment. I am going to represent an example of how I have been practicing these four carative factors on daily nursing basis. Caring Moment Watson (2006) described caring as, “acknowledged as transpersonal, involved with the one caring as well as the one being cared for, and it is mutual” (p 90). According to Watson in the caring moment, this moment can become a part of our life history for each other, and the relationship will form deeper between nurse and patient. The caring moment will initiate a healing ability. Nurses will need to show that they really care for their patients during this historical moment by listening to patient attentively, acknowledge how the patients feel, and make eye contact. Alligood (2010) stated...
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...Watson's Theory of Human Caring Paper NUR 403 Watson's Theory of Human Caring Paper A caring moment occurs whenever a nurse and patient come together with their unique life histories and extraordinary experiences in a human to human transaction. These moments can be verbal or nonverbal. Examples of nonverbal moments can be as simple as a smile or touch for encouragement or more complex such as preparing their body after death for the family to view. Examples of verbal moments can occur when speaking softly to a new born baby, encouraging the patient to express their concerns and fears or simply by telling them goodbye at their time of death. We need to consider that a caring moment can be different for every patient depending on their needs, concerns and emotional status. According to Jean Watson, this human to human connection expands our compassion and caring and keeps alive our common humanity. The major concepts in Watson's theory include the Human being, Health, Environment or society and Nursing. A human being is a valued person to be cared for, respected, nurtured, understood and assisted. Health is considered to be a unity and harmony within the mind, body and soul; health is associated with the degree of congruence between the self as perceived and the self as experienced. Environment or society provides the values that determine how one should behave and what goals one should strive toward. Nursing is referred to as human science of persons and...
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...IMPRORTANCE OF THEORY: JEAN WATSON’S CARING THEORY NR 501 Teresa Acosta Chamberlain College of Nursing IMPRORTANCE OF THEORY: Jean Watson’s Caring Theory Currently, healthcare systems all over the world are experiencing some sort of reorganization at the administration level. Things are changing, practice and healthcare policy continue to transform at a rapid rate. Nursing theory has worked to provide stability and rationality to the ever changing field of nursing. The profession of nursing, just like any other profession, must work to prove the legitimacy of its practice which is accomplished through the confines of theory (McCrae, 2012). According to Alligood (2014), nursing theory not only fosters the development of nursing education and literature but also assists in practice advancement. This is important for laying a foundation and progressing in the field of nursing and helps to provide the basic knowledge for nursing care that involves “caring”. With all the change and uncertainty in healthcare, human caring has the potential to become a lost cause (Cara, 2003). Caring should be a central theme in nursing and the foundation of all nursing care (Watson, 2009). The goal of this paper is to explore and summarize the central ideas of Jean Watson’s Theory of Caring and to apply her theory to current practice and show its relevance...
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...WATSON'S THEORY 2 Abstract Dr. Jean Watson's Theory of Human Caring was released in 1979, and has continued to evolve over the past three decades. Watson's theory describes a philosophical foundation for nursing, which puts caring at the center of practice. It focuses on patient centered care, with emphasis on developing a trusting mutual bond. The caring environment allows for optimal health promotion, growth, empowerment, and disease prevention. The present paper discusses the theory's main concepts, and the significance of the model to nurses, nurse practioners, and health organizations. As well as, how the theory applies to my personal nursing philosophy. WATSON'S THEORY 3 Watson's Theory of Human Caring Many people choose to go into the field of nursing because of one's love to provide care for others. However, with the advancement in medical technology, task-oriented mentalities, heavy patient loads due to nursing shortages, and high paced environments, developing a caring relationship with a patient tends to take a backseat (Watson, 2009). Many organizations have shifted their practices to focus on patient-centered care. St. Luke's Medical center, the organization I work for, believes that caring for the whole person helps create a more personalized healing environment. This allows caregivers to focus on healing the mind, body, and spirit of the patient (Aurora Health Care, 2012). In my profession, I work hard to try and...
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...that make up the metaparadigm of Watson’s Theory of Caring model. Human being, or person, is the first major concept described in the metaparadigm, and is defined as “the unity of mind-body-spirit” (Watson, 2008, p. 246). The second concept is health, and represents the overall physical and mental aspects, as well as social functioning that patients need in order to obtain genuine holistic care (Petiprin, 2015, Philosophy and Science of Caring section, para. 6). The third concept is environment, which Watson said that caring was not instilled from generation to generation, but was established in a unique way by which culture played a role in coping with its environment, and accepts people for who they really are, or may become (Petiprin, 2015, Philosophy and Science of...
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...A Pragmatic View of Jean Watson’s Caring Theory Chantal Cara, Ph.D., RN Université de Montréal Faculty of Nursing Goals Provide an overview of Dr. Jean Watson’s caring theory to the nursing community. Facilitate the understanding of her work allowing nurses to readily apply this knowledge within their practice. Objectives Describe the general aspects of Watson’s caring theory. Describe how Watson’s caring theory can be applied to clinical practice. Describe the person through Watson’s caring lens. Describe the person’s health through Watson’s caring lens. Describe nursing through Watson’s caring lens. Key Words: Watson’s caring theory, clinical caritas processes, transpersonal caring relationships, caring occasion, clinical application of Watson’s theory Abstract As most health care systems around the world are undergoing major administrative restructuring, we expose ourselves to the risk of dehumanizing patient care. If we are to consider caring as the core of nursing, nurses will have to make a conscious effort to preserve human caring within their clinical, administrative, educational, and/or research practice. Caring must not be allowed to simply wither away from our heritage. To help preserve this heritage, caring theories such as those from Jean Watson, Madeleine Leininger, Simone Roach, and Anne Boykin are vital. Through this continuing education paper we will learn the essential elements of Watson’s caring theory and explore an example of a clinical...
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...Comparing Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring And The Neuman Systems Model Jayanna Volm Concordia University Comparing Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring And The Neuman Systems Model Nursing frameworks and conceptual models are imperative as a foundation for nursing practice. These frameworks provide recognition, understanding, and the ability to manage phenomena in which nursing comes into contact. These frameworks also provide the nurse with a systematic approach to interventions and goal attainment. The purpose of this paper is to compare Neuman Systems Model to Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring. According to Alligood and Tomey the Neuman Systems Model is classified as a nursing conceptual model. “Nursing conceptual models are concepts and their relationships that specify a perspective from which to view phenomena specific to the discipline of nursing. Different conceptual models provide various perspectives or frameworks for thinking critically and making nursing decisions” (Alligood & Tomey, 2010, p. 223). The nursing conceptual models are comprehensive and define the metaparadigm according to their framework. Tourville and Ingalls categorize the Neuman Systems Model as a systems model. They define a systems model of nursing as viewing “the person as a multidimensional being who reacts continually to a world of stressors” (2003, Systems Model, para. 1). Systems may be organizations, communities, businesses, or social structures. Within the large...
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