Abstract Among the many nursing theories, Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring is unique in that she defines nursing as a healing art and science which endeavors to approximate the technical aspects of nursing with the metaphysical and spiritual dimensions. According to Watson, the caring moment is a main component of her theory that can be created during the phenomenal interaction between the patient and the nurse. Watson developed her theory identifying classification of interventions or 'carative factors', which according to her constitute the essentials of nursing when all the techniques and technologies are removed. These ‘carative factors’ originated from Watson's efforts to solve some conceptual and empirical problems about nursing, …show more content…
182), having only been completely codified in 1979, revised in 1985 (Watson, 1988), and expanded and advanced lately (Watson, 2005, 2008). Watson states that she was motivated to develop her model of human caring because of a deep concern for preserving humanity today and to rediscover the human spirit. She expresses a commitment of moving nursing away from the limitations of the philosophy of positivism or a system that hold every rationally defensible assertion can be scientifically justified or is capable of logical or mathematical proof, and that therefore rejects metaphysics and faith. The central focus of Watson’s conceptual nursing model is human care. Human care, as conceived by Watson, is an intersubjective process and an epistemic effort that include human-to-human interaction. Watson has always been explicit in describing the human as a holistic, interactive being possessing energy field experiencing health and illness as characteristics of human pattern (Watson, …show more content…
Watson proposed that caring and love are universal and mysterious “cosmic forces” that comprise the original and psychic energy. Watson believes that health professionals make social, moral, and scientific contributions to humankind and that nurses’ caring model can affect human development (McEwen & Wills, 2011. Pp. 183). Developing a transpersonal caring relationship with the client is the core of Watson’s human care theory in which both the client and the nurse have high reciprocal value for the person and their being in the world. This relationship is a spiritual unification between two individuals whereby they surpass self, time, space and the life history of each other. This completeness empowers both the client and nurse to enter the remarkable field of the other (McEwen & Wills, 2011. Pp.
Both theories use communication as the backbone to their theories and in developing an environment conducive to promote healing. Although communication is the framework for both theories, types of communication is looked at different in each theory. In Watson’s theory, she that communication is a spiritual occurrence. The focus is on nonverbal as well as verbal expressions. She also involves personal experiences and growth, art, religious practices. Watson uses the concept of care as the center of nursing care. The goal of the Human Care Theory is for the patient and nurse to gain a higher degree of harmony within themselves, cultivating a wholeness of mind/body/spirit (Watson Caring Science Institute, 2010, p.
In the field of Nursing, the role of caring is an important, if not the most critical, aspect involved to ensure that the patient is provided with the most proficient healthcare plan possible. Jean Watson developed a series of theories involved with transpersonal relationships and their importance, along with caring, in the restorative process of the patient and healing in general. Although all of Watson 's caritas processes are crucial to the role of nurses and patient care, the fourth process is incredibly essential as it outlines the importance of the caring nurse-patient relationship. This paper serves to identify Watson 's fourth caritas process, how it can be integrated in nursing care and how it can be developed by current nursing
Watson, J. (2008). Nursing. The Philosophy and Science of Caring. Revised & Updated Edition. Boulder: University Press of Colorado.
Watson, J. (2001). Jean Watson: Theory of human caring. In M.E. Parker (Ed.), Nursing theories and nursing practice (pp. 343-354). Philadelphia: Davis.
Jean Watson is a well-respected American nursing theorist who created the Theory on Human Caring. Watson’s concept on caring for a human being is simple, yet has much depth and meaning, and holds strong for nurses to work with compassion, wisdom, love, and caring. The Theory on Human Caring is necessary for every nurse, as it is our job to care for others in a genuine and sensitive way. The theory is extensive; its core foundation is based on nine concepts all interrelated and primarily focused on a nurse giving a patient care with compassion, wisdom, love, and caring (Watson, J., 1999). The nine essential aspects consist of: values, faith-hope, sensitivity, trust, feelings, decision-making, teaching-learning, environment, and human needs. Watson also created the Caritas Process consists of ten different ways of giving care:
The Theory of Human Caring was initially based on data about a variety of aspects of caring, collected through an open – ended questionnaire. The purpose of this research was to evaluate different points of view, expressed by both the clients and registered nurses. In addition to this data, Watson’s theory uses broadly recognized work from other disciplines. Specific philosophers cited by Watson, as sources are Rogers, Whitehead, Gadow, Yalom, etc. Furthermore, she also recognises the contribution of the eastern philosophy in her work....
When I became a nurse, in my heart, I knew that I was a caring person; however, I did not have a caring theory driving my practice. After studying Watson’s Human Caring Science Theory, the theory is consistent with my values, which emphasizes a holistic approach with mind, body, and spirit through a caring nurse patient relationship in an environment that promotes healing, comfort, and dignity. Human Caring Science gives the privilege of viewing human life with wonder, respect, and appreciates small and large miracles, which allows the inner world of the patient and nurse to come together in a unique human relationship, in the here and now moment (Watson, 2012, p. 24).
She proposed that caring and love are universal and mysterious (Wagner, 2010). Watson believes that health professionals make moral, social, and scientific contributions to humanity and that a nurses' caring ideal can affect human development (Wagner, 2010). Watson believes that it is imperative in today's society to maintain a caring ideology in practice (Wagner, 2010). Caring is a concept that focuses on having a respectful, non-judgmental, supportive attitude that contributes to the healing process. Watson's theory, in relationship to the metaparadigm of nursing, focuses on the relationship between the nurse and the patient (Wagner, 2010). According to Watson's theory, the nurse and patient form a caring relationship where both the patient and the nurse promote healing (Wagner, 2010). In general, the theory of caring reminds us that a nurse can have a great impact on the life of a patient. If I were to add a new conceptual metaparadigm, it would be the concept of caring since I firmly believe that without caring it will be almost impossible to have wellness at all. If I were to choose one metaparadigm concept to eliminate, I would opt to remove the concept of health since I think that in the concepts of caring and nursing the individual's health should be fully
To make good nursing decisions, nurses require an internal roadmap with knowledge of nursing theories. Nursing theories, models, and frameworks play a significant role in nursing, and they are created to focus on meeting the client’s needs for nursing care. According to McEwen and Wills (2014), conceptual models and theories could create mechanisms, guide nurses to communicate better, and provide a “systematic means of collecting data to describe, explain, and predict” about nursing and its practice (p. 25). Most of the theories have some common concepts; others may differ from one theory to other. This paper will evaluate two nursing theorists’ main theories include Sister Callista Roy’s
Watson’s Theory of Transpersonal Caring is considered a philosophy; therefore, it is very broad and general in scope. Included in the theory are ten caritas the nurse should practice promoting a meaningful nurse-patient relationship (Sitzman & Wright Eichelberger, 2017).
Watson views the concept of a human being as a person that should be valued, cared for, respected, nurtured, understood, and assisted (Nursing Theories, 2012). Every human being should be treated as a person instead of an object and receive the opportunity to have their distinct needs cared for. Health is viewed as a high level of physical, mental, and social functioning, ability to adapt and maintenance with daily living, and the lack of illness or the efforts that lead to the lack of (Nursing Theories, 2012). Watson’s theory believes that the environment determines the values that influence your behaviors and the goals you wish to pursue. It also influences how well a patient copes with the situation and how the nurse should be supportive and considerate towards the patient. Watson defines nursing as “a human science of persons and human health-illness experiences that are mediated by professional, personal, scientific, esthetic and ethical human transactions” (Nursing Theories, 2012, para. 4). Nursing should be more than just providing medical care, it should establish a relationship and build trust. Watson’s other concepts of her theory include the caring occasion, transpersonal caring, phenomenal field, self, and
“Nursing encompasses an art, a humanistic orientation, a feeling for the value of the individual, and an intuitive sense of ethics, and of the appropriateness of action taken’, said Myrtle Aydelott (Hammarskjold, 2000). Nurses have our patients trust with their lives every day. These patients have needs that must be understood and met, whether; physical, psychological, or emotional. Nurses must provide nonjudgmental care to those in need, regardless of culture, religion, lifestyle choices, financial status, or hues of the human race. To quote Jean Watson, nursing theorist, “I am here to care for others, regardless of where they came from” (Hammarskjold, 2000). I believe that the nursing profession chose me because I have always had a calling to help those in need. Nursing
Jean Watson “was born and grew up in the small town of Welch, West Virginia, in the Appalachian Mountains” (Jesse & Alligood, 2014, p. 79). Watson attended and graduated the Lewis Gale School of Nursing in 1961 before moving to Colorado and completing the remainder of her degrees at the University of Colorado (Jesse & Alligood, 2014). She holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees. “Watson and her colleagues established the Center for Human Caring” (Jesse & Alligood, 2014, p. 80). She has also received six honorary doctorate degrees, the Fetzer Institute’s national Norman Cousins award and is recognized as a distinguished Nurse Scholar. Watson has also been the author of 11 books and has helped write six more (Jesse & Alligood,
Watson, J. (2010). The theory of human caring: Retrospective and prospective. Nursing Science Quarterly, 1, 49-52.
The major concepts of Watson’s theory include caritas processes, transpersonal caring, and the caring moment. (Watson, 2008). Caritas is a term that identifies how nurse approaches their patient and co-workers. Positive “caritas” leads way for developing therapeutic rapport and respect. The second major concept is transpersonal caring. This basically means the connection of the outer and inner body to develop nurse-patient relationship. The last major concept of Watson’s theory is the caring moment. The caring moment happens when the nurse and patient come together with their unique life histories and enters into the human-to human transaction (Watson, 2008). Basically, this is the time the nurse and patient develop a personal relationship that can promote the healing