Reflective Look at Jean Watson

The caring, supportive, sympathetic features of nursing, is immeasurable. Theories are essential to have. They provide a description of what nurses do and give meaning and purpose. When nursing theories are developed this new knowledge can greatly impact the future of nursing practice (McCrae, 2012).

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).

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

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

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 purpose of this paper is to analyze and summarize the philosophy of nursing and how nursing theory guides this nurse’s practice. Information used to do this paper was retrieved from the online database, Nursing and Allied Health Source and CINAHL through the SJR State Library. Our textbook, The Conceptual Foundations and the Merriam- Webster Dictionary website was also used. Some of the search phrases used were Jean Watson theory of human caring, philosophy of nursing, and Watson’s philosophy and theory of human caring in nursing on the online database. The word philosophy was also searched on the Merriam- Webster Dictionary website. There was an abundance information throughout my research on

This paper will present and discuss Jean Watson nursing theorist and her renowned Watsons Theory of Caring. The key concepts will be described as how it relates to the nurse patient relationship. The carative factors of health, person, nursing and environment will be discussed in its relation to the theory. Jean Watson is a living legend to nursing and is still practicing her” caritas” and continues to speak to audiences in the US as well as worldwide.

The first nursing theorist, Florence Nightingale, is important to nursing philosophy as she was the founder of modern nursing (Joel, 2006). Although Florence Nightingale is the first theorist, she will not be the last. After Florence Nightingale’s environmental theory philosophy, Martha Rogers will publish the Science of Unitary Human Beings (Alligood, 2014). Around the same time as Martha Rogers’ publication, Dorothea Orem will publish the Self-Care Deficit theory. After Rogers’ and Orem’s theory, Joyce Travelbee will publish the Human-to-Human Relationship theory (Alligood, 2014). Finally, Dr. Jean Watson will publish the theory of transpersonal caring in the late 1970’s (Alligood, 2014).

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

In this paper I will describe Jean Watson’s background of her theory, and provide concepts of her theory. In addition, I will relate her theory to person, health, nursing, and environment of the caring moment and provide a transpersonal relationship and relate the factors within my experience.

The researcher will be discussing Jean Watson’s Caring Science and Human Caring Theories. Her theories of Caring Science and Human Caring are active in today’s way of nursing. The Transpersonal Caring Relationship occurs during the “caring event”, which was essential to Watson’s main view of nursing. “Caring is viewed as the moral ideal of nursing where there is utmost concern for human dignity and preservation of humanity” (Watson 1999).

Watson’s (2006) key concepts within the caring theory are: the human being, health, and nursing. The desired outcome of the theory is the creation a transpersonal relationship between the nursing and the human (patient). This relationship is based on respect and a genuine connection to provide optimal health for both parties (Watson, 2006). The components of the theory according to Watson (2012) are the carative factors that provide structure to nursing care and assist nurse in providing loving care (Watson, 2012, p. 239). The carative, or caritas,

By way of example, the art integrated to the nursing career gives it a true meaning as to caring for a patient based off intuition and skill rather than focusing on the objectivity of science. Nursing becomes a whole rounded definition when incorporating a spiritual well-being and consideration of each patient’s way of life. When realizing that every component to nursing care has room for the unexpected to occur even when there is no scientific explanation as to why. The beauty when you first come into a patient’s room to brighten their day in ways so simple that no medication nor treatment as easy as the right attitude offered by a smile to your patient’s has a greater lasting effect than any medication possible. The art of listening to a patient means the world to those who have gone unheard of through the nursing process. As mentioned by Masters, “ While Henderson defined nursing in functional terms, she emphasized the art of nursing as well as empathetic understanding, stating that the nurse must “get inside the skin of each of her patients in order to know what he needs… the beauty of nursing is a combination of your heart, your head and your hands and where you separate them, you diminish them” ( Masters, 2015, p 38-9).

In order to effectively guide practice, it is essential that nurses understand and critique different theories to evaluate them for use in practice. For this paper I have selected Jean Watson’s Human Caring Theory: