Caring Theory

For centuries the development of nursing knowledge has been influenced by numerous theorists and their respective theories. These theories have influenced, and continue to influence, nursing education, practice and research. (Johnson & Webber, 2005)

Florence Nightingale, considered the founder of modern nursing, first began to establish nursing as a profession during the Crimean War. Since then, nursing theorists have continued to expand on the thought that patients are made up of more than just the symptoms they present with, Abraham Maslow, Carl Jung, Dr. Larry Dossey and Dorothy Johnson, but none more so than Jean Watson. She developed a theory of human caring that contained several core concepts, these concepts lay forth the ground work for how we, as nurses, should care for a patient. These concepts included transpersonal caring relationships (going beyond ego to higher “spiritual” caring

Bringing these two concepts together is like having an umbrella during a rain storm; individually they are helpful and necessary but together they are the perfect combination. Caring is that feeling deep down that drives nurses to strive for and promote the notion of human flourishing. To help patients achieve the best possible health that they can. It is important to utilize nursing skills of honesty, taking risks, critically thinking, compassion, creativity, and caring (MacCulloch, 2011). To care is to feel and understand what your patient is going through influencing action to help the patient achieve their best possible self, and then allow both the patient and one’s self to grow in every aspect of life; to flourish inside the body and as a member of the community.

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

The framework used is made explicit and has been adapted by a previous theorist. The framework is detailed to clarify caring within a literature context (Enns, 2007). It conceptualizes that caring has both humanistic traits and physical behaviours from the perspectives of both the nurses and the patients (Enns, 2007). The research question is clearly stated as “(w)hat are the expressions of caring

The art of human caring is one of the most essential parts of the nursing profession. Caring is not something that you learn to do, but something that is within you. In nursing, it is important to know what kind of nurse you want to be as well as the care you intend to provide to your patients. The patient is the center of nursing, and it is your responsibility to make sure they are receiving the best care that they can receive. One of the most important things is to be able to set aside personal beliefs and morals in order to provide patient centered care. The way that you approach and care for a patient is either going to make or break the effect of the care you will be implementing to the patient.

A nursing theory that has influenced my professional nursing practice is Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring. In this theory she addresses how nurses care for their patients. Caring is the essence of the nursing profession and is a relationship formed between the nurse and the patient. In Watson’s theory she believed that caring could assist the patient to gain control in their own health care, become educated, and in the end find health. Watson focused on the patient’s mind, body, and soul and this is the aspect of her theory that I try to use in my professional practice. As a new nurse straight out of nursing school I focused more on protocols and procedures to make sure I was doing everything right. My patients had good outcomes but I was amazed when I started thinking about the patient as a whole and not just thinking about the illness they had and how to treat it. Many times just treating the patient’s

Nursing is based on caring in nursing. Compassion and concern for protecting and enhancing the

The caring theory was grounded on a humanitarian perspective and is found on a humanistic approach toward human caring programs and experiences. It acknowledges that life with individuals and their community to the surrounding environment are somehow connect and affects wellbeing of everything involved. The nature of the theory caring implies that it embraces reflective investigations as well subjective and interpretative inquiries. The nursing profession uses nursing theories as the framework and foundation for practice.   Many people find nursing theories to be meaningless and of no use to the

Kristen M. Swanson’s Caring Theory is the solution in bridging the gap between nursing practice and theory. It offers an explanation of the links between patient well-being and the caring process (Tonges & Ray, 2011). Swanson explained that nurses should be able to demonstrate that they care about their patients, and that caring about their wellbeing is as important as their patients’ current medical problem (Tonges & Ray, 2011).

The Oxford Dictionary defines caring as the work or practice of looking after, as well as, displaying kindness and concern for those who are unable to care for themselves, especially on account of age or illness. Meanwhile, Avant and Walker (2011) terms caring as an interpersonal process which requires an emotional commitment coupled with willingness to fulfill combined responsibilities and to be trustworthy enough to act on behalf of a person. In essence, it helps in developing great interpersonal relationship between the nurses and the patients in the healthcare centers in a systematic scientific manner.

Swanson's (1993) Theory of Caring is structured around five principles that encompass the overall definition of caring in nursing practice. This theory states that caring revolves around five categories: knowing, being with, doing for, enabling, and maintaining belief. When applied to nursing practice, each of these five categories can fuel the caregiver's attitude and improve overall patient well-being. In nursing, as well as other areas caring can be defined as, "a nurturing way of relating to a valued other toward whom one feels a personal sense of commitment and responsibility'. Upon examination, the five processes of Swanson's Theory of Caring can be used in nursing practice to achieve an enhanced

The concept of caring can be applied to many different clinical settings and situations. An example of how caring is evident in practice may be shown in a clinical scenario of a patient who is alone. M.M is an 84 year old female. She is a single woman working with no children and one day falls in her home. No one knows or notices until a friend comes over to visit only to find her on the ground, unable to move. M.M is in need of care. She is alone and scared and needs to be taken to the hospital.

Dr. Marilyn Ray RN, PhD, CTN, FAAN conducted research which revolved around the organization’s culture that included technological, political, legal, and economic structures and the issues related to caring in organization’s that are complex which resulted in the development of Ray’s Theory of bureaucratic caring in 1981. Ray expanded on her original theory the past two decades which she conducted with Dr. Marian Turkel. They used both qualitative and quantitative research methods to study and design profession and patient questionnaires of the complex nurse-patient relational caring process and its impact on economic and patient outcomes in hospitals (Smith and Parker, pg. 462). Ray and Turkel advanced the theory of relational caring complexity.

(Watson, 1999 pp. 8-9) This is important in the nursing profession because if caring is not shown between nurse and patient, the patient may have a hard time trusting his/her nurse. Second assumption she describes is that caring should consist of carative factors that results in the satisfaction of human needs. (Watson, 1999 pp. 8-9) Watson defined carative as another word for curative. That being said, she believed that nurses should contain curing factors that would help better their patient. Third assumption in Watson’s theory states that effective caring promotes health for the individual or family. (Watson, 1999 pp. 8-9) It is crucial that nurses know how to deliver the best care possible for the individual and their family. This assumption provides an educational guide… Fourth assumption stated in Watson’s theory states that the caring response should accept a person not only at they are but what they will become. (Watson, 1999 pp. 8-9) This essential in a nurse profession. Nurses should not be biased towards any patient. Each and every patient should be treated with the same respect and care no matter of their condition and or actions. Fifth assumption