Nursing Theory

Interpretive phenomenology stressed the understanding of individuals in relation to their actions and reactions to others. The reason for this study is to provide understanding of human science as the Science of Man, society and the state .Heidegger stated (1962) that the meaning of being is an important way of understanding human existence. Cody and Mitchell (2002), made a remarkable point of reminding nurses of the use of human science .According to them, our basic passion and rationale for pursuing human science nursing is the being- with witnessing and co-creating quality of lived by nurse-patient process.

Nursing is as much science as it is a study in the human condition. Combining caring and the notion of human flourishing allows the nurse sharpen her understanding of patients’ needs by observing and understanding herself (Husted & Husted, 2008). A nurse is able to better anticipate the needs of her patients by noting similarities and differences between the two of them. With caring in the nursing corner, even under less-than-ideal conditions, one can still create havens of hope, nourishment, and the possibility for flourishing (MacCulloh, 2011).

She later described the human as an energy field with illness and health being manifestations of the human pattern. Her continued study outlined relationships her theory has based off of her propositions. One of the relationships is the transpersonal caring field, which stays within the unitary field of consciousness. It signifies the unitary spiritual connection between the nurse and the patient. A transpersonal caring relationship goes beyond the ego levels of the patient and the nurse. It creates new possibilities for interaction. The practitioner’s consciousness about the carative factors and intentions opened up connections in the unitary field. This enables more access to the patient’s inner healing. The provider communicates the transpersonal relationship through different ways such as being present in the relationship. Caring-healing modalities are often noninvasive, natural-human energetic field modalities. Transpersonal caring promotes self-patterns and possibilities. Advanced transpersonal caring modalities recognize wholeness, healing, comfort, balance, harmony and well-being (McEwen & Wills, 2014, pg.

The Theory of Human caring is a middle range theory developed by Jean Watson with the focus on the relation between use of the clinical caritas processes and the building of a transpersonal caring relationship within the context of caring occasion and caring consciousness. The Theory of Human Caring honors the unity of the whole human being, while focusing on creating a healing environment (Watson, 2006). Watson had preference for human science, and clearly shunned the mechanistic and reductionist word view (Watson, 1985, as cited in Fawcett & DeSanto-Madeya, 2017). According to Watson, person is “an experiencing and perceiving spiritual being” (Watson, 1999, as cited in

Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring. The theory can be described as an expanded view of

Cara, C. (2003). A Pragmatic View of Jean Watson’s Caring Theory. Retrieved February 22, 2015, www.humancaring.org

When asked to develop a personal nursing philosophy caring was found to be the main component. Jean Watson’s Caring Science as Sacred Science reflects this philosophy in which caring is the predominate component needed in nursing. This paper will provided basic information on the Caring Science as Sacred Science Theory. The paper will further provide a personal example of a patient experience in which this theory shaped the care and healing of the patient. The personal experience to be shown in this paper involves a patient with complex chronic illness. The patient had been hospitalized for over a month. Patients with chronic illness and in the hospital often experience feeling powerless, scared, distant, and confined (Kay Hogan & Cleary, 2013). When these feelings persist they overcome the patient and do not allow the patient to concentrate on healing or being an active member of the healthcare team. Patients in this situation need caring and psychosocial support before moving on with medical care. However, this can often be hard for the healthcare team. When a patient has complex complications often treating these issues is all the team has time for due to patient load and institutional demands. Jean Watson (2009) recognizes this in her work Caring Science and Human Caring Theory: Transforming Personal and Professional Practices of Nursing and Health Care. Watson (2009) recognizes nurses are often torn between values of human caring

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

Within the Theory of Human Caring, during transpersonal caring moment, the nurse and the patient gain entry into the lived knowledge of each other. In order for transpersonal contact to occur both the caregiver and the one being cared for should experience a process of being and becoming, both are influenced by the nature of transaction. (Watson, 1985) Watson defines human caring as a moral ideal, that the nurse should carry during every transaction. According to her theory, that ideal will assure a certain needed behaviour at the time of the caring occasion.

Each individual has a personal view of the world that has been influenced by things such as: upbringing, education, religion, life experiences and relationships. In the modern worldview, there is little thought given to the mind or soul as this is something invisible and so is not measureable. The postmodern view sees people as energy that can be manipulated to restore balance. The Christian worldview believes that we have been created by God in his image (Shelly & Miller, 2006). Spirituality, religion and personal beliefs surrounding worldview questions, can all impact healthcare today. This paper will

Thank you for your response Mauve group. Our group certainly agrees with yours regarding the Theory of Human Caring by Jean Watson for our patient, as it was one of our considerations early on. In the middle range theory of Jean Watson developed in 1990, one tenet is to engage in genuine teaching-learning experiences that attend to the wholeness and meaning of the patient by attempting to stay within their frame of reference. This tenet is a critical step for a therapeutic relationship with the patient. By enhanced communication which includes goals based on the patient and family together, inclusiveness begins. Education does not begin with the first instructional word. Rather, education begins with

Dr. Swanson determined five caring processes that encompass her theory. In her more recent discussions of her theory, she not only elaborates on the five caring processes but also describes subcategories/subdimensions that are contained within the concepts (Swanson, 1998).

The Human Caring Theory is written logically as it identifies the ten carative factors and four concepts of the caring model. However, her concepts have been described as complex because of their

During my nursing education and nursing career, I have studied the major nursing theories.  Some of them include Nightingale’s Environmental Theory, Watson’s Philosophy and Science of Caring, Orem’s Theory of Self-Care, and Erickson’s Modeling and Role-Modeling Theory. My nursing focus is on inpatient mental health.  The theorist that is most relevant to my work is Jean Watson’s theory of caring.  Watson (1998) states “Caring and healing by their very nature are concerned with wholeness. Wholeness by its very nature is concerned with interconnectedness and intersubjectivity” (Extended Science-Upward section, para. 1).  Another theory frequently used in psychiatric nursing is Helen C Erickson’s Modeling and Role-Modeling Theory.  Her theory states that each person has a unique perception of the world and the nurse must relate to the patient based on these unique perceptions (Sappington & Kelly, 1996).  There are other nursing theories that integrate in my practice, but these two theories create the foundation of my nursing care.

Introduction: Introduces the theory, purpose of the paper, and provides rationale for selecting the theory.