What Is Jean Watson Nursing Theory

Nursing Theorist Jean Watson

Jean Watson is best known for her development of Watson’s Philosophy and Science of Caring which provides nurses with a framework for providing care that treats the mind, body, and spirit. The purpose of this paper is to describe Watson’s credentials, her theory-focus, influences, major concepts, assumptions of her model and how practicing nurses can use her theory in practice. I will also explore how the implementation of this caring theory guides the practicing professional to treat the patient in a holistic caring method.

Credentials and Background

Born in 1940 in West Virginia (Nursing Theory, n.d.), Watson is a 1961 graduate of the Lewis-Gale School of Nursing and earned her bachelor’s degree in 1964 from

In the Theory of Human Caring, Watson (n.d.) defines these components as a person being an embodied spirit, a unity of being, and environment is a caring consciousness of energy within the human environment field of a caring moment. She describes health as unbroken wholeness and connectedness of all and nursing as caring-healing consciousness to intentionally care and promote healing (Watson, n.d.). The ten carative factors and caritas processes are as follows:

1. The formation of a humanistic-altruistic system of values-practicing loving kindness and equanimity for oneself and other

2. The instillation of faith-hope-being authentically present and enabling, sustaining, and honoring the deep belief system and subjective life world of oneself and the patient

3. The cultivation of sensitivity to oneself and others-cultivating one’s own spiritual practices; deepening of self-awareness and going beyond the ego self

4. Development of a helping-trusting, human caring relation-developing and sustaining a helping-trusting, authentic caring

The promotion of transpersonal teaching-learning-engaging in a genuine teaching-learning experience within the context of a caring relationship, while attending to the whole person and subjective meaning; attempting to stay within the other’s frame of reference

8. The provision of a supportive, protective, and corrective mental, physical, societal, and spiritual environment-creating a healing environment at all levels (physical, nonphysical), subtle environment of energy and consciousness whereby wholeness, beauty, comfort, dignity, and peace are potentiated

9. The assistance with gratification of human needs-reverentially and respectfully assisting with basic needs, with an intentional caring consciousness of touching and working with the embodied spirit of another, honoring the unity of being; allowing for a spirit-filled connection while administering human care essentials, which potentiate alignment of the mind-body-spirit, wholeness, and unity of being in all aspects of care; attending to both the embodied spirit and evolving emergence

10. Allowance for existential-phenomenological-spiritual forces-opening and attending to spiritual, mysterious, and unknown existential dimensions of life, death, suffering. (Masters,