Watson Theory Paper

Jean Watson’s theory of human caring is one that elevates nursing from being merely a clinical

Jean Watson is a nurse born on Jun 10, 1940 in West Virginia, Southern United States. She developed her human caring theory which focuses on providing quality nursing care in the hospital setting. The main focus of her theory revolves around the principle of caring. Watson stated in her theory, disease is cure, but illness would remain because without caring, health cannot be attained (Dr Hicks lecture 2016). Watson believes caring is the essence of nursing and connotes responsiveness between the nurse and the person. The nurse becomes a coparticipant with the client. In Watson’s theory there are four concepts which are highlighted, and they are as follow: person, health, environment, and nursing (The Seven Assumptions). Watson stated

The caring theorist, Jean Watson, first developed her theory and published the philosophy and science of caring in 1979 (Current Nursing, 2011). She describes nursing as a process of caring not curing, and that it is effectively practiced and demonstrated interpersonally only. Her theory also “suggests that caring is a different way of being human, present, attentive, conscious, and intentional” (Wafika, Welmann, Omer, & Thomas, December 2009, p. 293). Watson believed that “caring is central to nursing and the unifying focus for [our] practice (Blais, Hayes,

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.

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.

Also create a healing environment at all levels, physical as well as non-physical, subtle environment of energy and consciousness, whereby wholeness, beauty, comfort, dignity, and peace are potentiated. Examination of Watson's transpersonal theory of caring reveals certain concepts, structural components, and assumptions. The concepts that are integral to her theory of transpersonal caring are human life, health, environment, nursing, and care giving. Human life is defined as a physical, mental, and spiritual existence transcending time and space. Health represents a unity and harmony within the mind, body, and soul in a continual state of adapting, coping, and growing from conception to death. Environment is characterized by physical, societal, and biologic constants that affect behavior and are comprised of five variables: comfort, stress, privacy, cleanliness, and aesthetics. Stress is recognized as originating from change, developmental conflicts, and loss, which can create disharmony (Watson, 1985). Nursing is the human science of persons and human health-illness experiences, which is mediated by personal, professional, scientific, aesthetic, and ethical human care transactions. Transpersonal caring relationships consist of connections that embrace the spirit or soul of the other through the processes of full, authentic, caring and healing attention in the moment (Watson, 1988).

Middle range theories foundation consists of nursing disciplinary such as “caring and healing process, in which the human development for the health and transformation becomes important”(Liehr and Smith, 1999, p. 89). Nurses play an important role with providing therapeutic care to the patient, in which, allows the opportunity for healing. By fostering caring behavior to the patient, the nurse is able to look at the patient as a whole, and develops a therapeutic relationship. In Jean Waston’s Theory of Nursing Care, focuses on transpersonal care, “mainly concerns on how nurses care for their patients, and how that caring progresses into better plans to promote health and wellness, prevent illness and restore health” (Wayne, 2016). This paper will discuss on how Jean Waston’s Theory of Nursing care, is useful in the clinical nursing practice within the twenty first century. Finally, there will be a discussion of the rationale behind choosing Jean Watson’s Theory of Nursing care in the clinical nursing practice. Middle range theories, such as Jean Watson’s Theory of Nursing, illustrates the importance of demonstrating caring behavior within the nursing practice and how this can foster a healing environment for the patient.

The same concept of community health is discussed and elaborated further in Jean Watson’s theory of human caring. Her theory can be used as a model that applies to the concept nowadays, because her philosophies parallel to global approaches to community health and well-being (Falk-Rafael, 2000). In her theory, Watson has a mission to shift nursing’s caring and curing practices from the patient to the family to society, influencing the community as a whole and not just the affected individual. According to Watson, health is defined as a balance between the body-mind-spirit and with the surrounding world. Illness results when a person is aware or unaware of the imbalance leading to disease. She believes that self-actualization is the

Dr. Jean Watson is an American nurse theorist who is best known for her theory of human caring. She received her nursing degree from Lewis Gale School of Nursing and later attended the University of Colorado, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing, master of science degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing, and a doctorate in educational psychology and counseling. Dr. Watson is

Although my nursing administrator experience is just beginning to bloom, my experience as a clinical coordinator and nurse liaison has helped me in shaping my philosophy and framework. Jean Watson’s theory of caring is well-defined as a discipline which incorporates human caring with the art human caring. These features are used by nurses and administrators everyday throughout their career (McEwen & Wills, 2011). Jean Watson’s theories are defined as human, health, and nursing. Jeans theory of caring encompasses human science, orientation, humanitarianism, proficiencies, and in patient care. Her beliefs were of healthcare professionals who make social, scientific, and moral contributions to mankind through human growth, which is important in the shifting healthcare of the 21st century (McEwen & Wills, 2011).

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 objective of this study is to compare and contrast Parse and Watson theory. Rosemarie Rizzo Parse (1981) is reported to have "set out to create a theory grounded in the human sciences that would enhance nursing knowledge." (Fawcett, 2001, p.26) According to Fawcett (2001) Parse stated that her idea "to create such a theory began many years ago" when she asked herself why not? According to Parse the theory "surfaced in me in Jamusian fashion over the years in interrelationship with others primarily through my lived experience with nursing. The creation of it has been long and arduous, but with many moments of joy." (Fawcett, 2001, p. 126) Lachman (2012) writes the Dr. Jean Watson's caring theory "is well known in nursing." (p.112) The three primary elements in Watson's nursing theory are: (1) the carative factors; (2) the transpersonal caring relationship; and the (3) caring occasion/caring moment. (Watson, 2001, cited in Lachman, 2012, p.112)

Dr. Jean Watson was born in Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia in the 1940s. She graduated from the Lewis Gale School of Nursing in Roanoke Virginia in 1961.She progressed through her nursing education by obtaining her bachelor’s degree in 1964, a master of science in nursing in psychiatric and mental health nursing in 1966, and a Ph.D. in educational psychology and counseling in 1973, all from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Framework of the Model- A critical theoretical approach to patient advocacy, Jean Watson's Theory of Human Caring represents a dramatic paradigm shift, and as a result, it has been a source of considerable controversy since its introduction. It is still considered a relatively new theory, with the first publication in 1979 in Watson's book Nursing: The Philosophy and Science of Caring (Watson, Nursing: The Philosophy and Science of Caring, 2008). Discussion abounds, possibly because of the implications of her theory challenge the applicability of nursing practice in the contemporary world of budget cuts and HMO's, as to less the validity and more the practicality of Watson's theory.

The profession of medicine advances at a rapid rate, however, caring remains constant. Caring is essential because of the influence nurses have over their patients. Jean Watson, a renowned nursing theorist, redefines the caring model to include a mutual and spiritual force that transforms a therapeutic relationship between patient and nurse (King & Kornusky, 2016). This reflection will introduce my personal definition of caring, an explanation of my artistic expression, and a conclusion.