Caring is a term that can be tossed around freely amongst those in the nursing practice. However, in order for one to have a true understanding of what compassion is they first have to exam what the definition of caring is. Caring is defined as “Displaying kindness and concern for others; the work or practice of looking after those unable to care for themselves (Google, 2016)”. However, is caring necessarily a quality in which all nurses must possess in order to provide care to patient, families, and the healthcare environment? Jean Watson, RN, Ph.D. took on this challenge and explored the relationship between the nurse and others with the outlook of caring for rather than curing for the patient. Watson utilized the transpersonal caring theory to set a standard of nursing practice of how incorporating caring moments, relationships, and carative factors can improve the nurse client and/or family relationship
Jean Watson, (as cited by Alligood, 2014) defines theory as “an imaginative grouping of knowledge, ideas, and experience that are represented symbolically and seek to illuminate a given phenomenon” (Alligood p. 81). Watson’s transpersonal caring theory explores all aspects of caring when it relates to the healthcare system. She gained both strength and knowledge from Carl Rodgers who put more emphasis on caring rather than curing an individual. Watson explained (as cited by Alligood, 2014) the transpersonal concept is an intersubjective individual to individual
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
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 Sault College Practical Nursing Program beliefs on caring are outlined in the student success guide. It states, “Caring is the essence of nursing practice. When caring is the foundation for helping relationships, each person is a partner in growth towards optimal health. The interpersonal connection between caregiver and client transcends time, gender and technology. It is our view that caring, as an interpersonal interaction can be learned. A caring nurse strives for competence and excellence in the professional practice. Caring can be modeled, acquired, practiced, perfected and evaluated.” (Sault College of Applied Arts & Technology School of Health & Community Services, 2008) Based on this principle of caring I feel I did a good job of caring for my client post-operative needs. I was able to form a caring relationship with her. I was competent in the skills I performed with her and she left me healthier than when we first met.
The theory of transpersonal caring is the nursing theory of Jean Watson. The essence of her theory is “caring for the purpose of promoting healing, preserving dignity, and respecting the wholeness and interconnectedness of humanity.” (George, 2010) The four major components of Watson’s theory are the human being, health, environment/society and nursing. Watson embraces
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 nursing practice should be able to provide compassionate care for the patients, families and communities. By providing patient-centered care nurses not only accomplish tasks but provide the care that the patient is expecting to receive. It is important for nurses to perceive what the patients are experiencing and to be able to see through the patient’s eyes to be able to improve the health care provided and assist the patients in a better way. A nurse does not have to be exceptional to be able to demonstrate engagement and compassion, it should be part of the profession to ensure that knowledge, skills and attitudes are developed and delivered to the
Caring is the art and science of showing someone you truly comprehend their emotional state and overall wellbeing. As employees in the healthcare profession, we must learn to care for each patient and their individual needs. Patients in a hospital setting are feeling lonely, vulnerable and going through changes in their body due to illness. One of my responsibilities as a registered nurse is to provide a nurturing, safe, and healing environment for my patients. In the hospital setting, health care personnel are always worried about medications, diagnostic exams, and procedures but they fail to acknowledge that behind all those tasks, there is a human being with feelings in a foreign environment.
She believes effective caring promotes health and the core to nursing is ‘nurse-patient relationships that result in a therapeutic outcome’ (Watson, 2002). A nurse’s attitude and competence can affect a patient’s world, making it bigger or smaller, threatening or secure. Watson believes these moments transformed the nurse and the patient and they were connected together.
Thank you all, for your responses. Jean Watson’s philosophy of nursing revolves around the concept of caring within nursing. The major conceptual element of the theory mainly focuses on the ten carative factors. Other important concepts include the transpersonal caring relationship, the caring moment/occasion, and caring-healing modalities (Parker and Smith, 2010, p.353).
Jean Watson described caring as “behaviors associated with client teaching or learning, biophysical needs, intrapersonal and interpersonal needs, developmental conflicts, loss, and stress” (Sitzman, 2007, p. 11). The interaction between the nurse and patient is love and caring. Love is the respect given for the human race. Caring is intentionally giving and is linked with love (Jones, 2012). The nurse must be conscious and genuine while caring for the patient in the caring moment because his or her actions influence patient response. The act of caring for others begins with being in the moment or presence, an active listener, and providing touch. Watson’s caring moment is related to the four metaparadigm: person, health, nursing, and environment.
The compassion of the nurses is now relative to my own philosophy which I strong associate with the of Jean Watsons theory of caring and some of the core principles ("Caring Science Theory | Watson Caring Science Institute", 2017) for me stemming from, transpersonal caring, the
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
Lenninger (1984) described caring as the “essence of nursing”. Over the years many nursing theorists and researchers have examined the concept of caring and written extensively on the importance of caring in nursing. Going back to the foundation of modern nursing Nightingale (1859) wrote that nursing’s most important work is caring. Despite the wealth of ground covered in these works the term “care”, is rarely defined as a theoretical concept in its own right and is often used interchangeably with the term nursing (Gaut, 1983). In this article the author will explore the existing theoretical perspectives on caring. The author will attempt to show how nursing and caring are