Introduction Nursing theory can be defined as a conceptualization of some aspect of reality that pertains to nursing. The conceptualization is articulated for the purpose of describing, explaining, predicting, or prescribing nursing care (Smith & Parker, 2015). During the completion of my BSN, I gained knowledge on the very basics of nursing theory. Now during my completion of my MSN, it has been an eye opening experience to view nursing theory and its application to the nursing profession. In the following analysis, the importance of nursing theory and its application will be established. I will discuss Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring and apply its key concepts into practice. We will look over the important concepts of her theory and …show more content…
Compared with medical professionals, nurses appear to be reluctant to rely on professional rationales for their actions, preferring to use managerial justifications and implementing ‘top down’ approach to care. (Adamson, 2013). When a gap in nursing care is perceived, theory is often used to improve these outcomes. Theory provides an overall vision and understanding of the profession of nursing by offering guidance. Not only in nursing, but theory can be applied to any profession as it serves as a tool for guidance of practice. The legitimacy of a profession is based on its ability to generate and apply theory (McCrae, 2012). Without nursing theory, nursing would be a profession guided by by medicine and physicians. Theory guides nurses by shaping its professional boundaries and helps nurses make decisions on current and potential patient needs. The one concern with nursing theory is that theories do not provide the same type of procedural guidelines for practice as do situation based guidelines and procedures. This means that nursing theory may not always be the go to guideline in a specific situation that would require you to follow rules. Some examples of this can be managing post op bleeding, prepping for colonscopy, medication administration for detox patients, and wound care management. Although nursing theory can be applied to these examples, there are set specific guidelines …show more content…
The major concepts of Watson’s theory include caritas processes, transpersonal caring, and the caring moment. (Watson, 2008). Caritas is a term that identifies how nurse approaches their patient and co-workers. Positive “caritas” leads way for developing therapeutic rapport and respect. The second major concept is transpersonal caring. This basically means the connection of the outer and inner body to develop nurse-patient relationship. The last major concept of Watson’s theory is the caring moment. The caring moment happens when the nurse and patient come together with their unique life histories and enters into the human-to human transaction (Watson, 2008). Basically, this is the time the nurse and patient develop a personal relationship that can promote the healing
Watson, J. (2001). Jean Watson: Theory of human caring. In M.E. Parker (Ed.), Nursing theories and nursing practice (pp. 343-354). Philadelphia: Davis.
Nursing theory is just an idea that helps to back up claims in nursing profession.
She proposed that caring and love are universal and mysterious (Wagner, 2010). Watson believes that health professionals make moral, social, and scientific contributions to humanity and that a nurses' caring ideal can affect human development (Wagner, 2010). Watson believes that it is imperative in today's society to maintain a caring ideology in practice (Wagner, 2010). Caring is a concept that focuses on having a respectful, non-judgmental, supportive attitude that contributes to the healing process. Watson's theory, in relationship to the metaparadigm of nursing, focuses on the relationship between the nurse and the patient (Wagner, 2010). According to Watson's theory, the nurse and patient form a caring relationship where both the patient and the nurse promote healing (Wagner, 2010). In general, the theory of caring reminds us that a nurse can have a great impact on the life of a patient. If I were to add a new conceptual metaparadigm, it would be the concept of caring since I firmly believe that without caring it will be almost impossible to have wellness at all. If I were to choose one metaparadigm concept to eliminate, I would opt to remove the concept of health since I think that in the concepts of caring and nursing the individual's health should be fully
In the field of Nursing, the role of caring is an important, if not the most critical, aspect involved to ensure that the patient is provided with the most proficient healthcare plan possible. Jean Watson developed a series of theories involved with transpersonal relationships and their importance, along with caring, in the restorative process of the patient and healing in general. Although all of Watson 's caritas processes are crucial to the role of nurses and patient care, the fourth process is incredibly essential as it outlines the importance of the caring nurse-patient relationship. This paper serves to identify Watson 's fourth caritas process, how it can be integrated in nursing care and how it can be developed by current nursing
Theory can be defined and be significant differently for each individual. Theory can be explained as concepts that assist with clarifying, foreseeing or intervening. As Nestel & Bearman (2015) explain “ theory is offered as a framework of ideas, which illuminates simulation-based education practice” (p.349). The framework gives individual complex ideas that transforms over time. Theories are adapted and utilized in different settings such as health care professions. IT motivates and suggests new interventions. Nursing theory is explained as nursing ideas of knowledge, research and practice. The importance of nursing theory has evolved throughout the years and has
Nursing theories developed by scientists provide a framework for the process of establishing nursing as a profession with a specific body of knowledge including nursing language, and nurse is able to communicate inside in and outside of the profession. Theory supports and defines nursing practice and is used in practice situation to provide solution to the problem, provides guidelines in patient’s quality care, and helps to resolve nursing challenges. The benefits of middle-range theories found primarily in the research studies to address particular client population, in education, patient
Watson conceived her Theory of Human Caring while she was teaching at the University of Colorado in 1975 to 1979 (Conway et al, 2011). It evolved from her personal views on nursing and merged with her learning and experience from her doctoral studies in education, clinical and social psychology. With the publication of her first book, Jean Watson developed the initial ideas of her theory and came up with 10 “carative” factors. Her actual theory was published in 1985, after which she further developed the corresponding nursing curriculum. In those years, Watson also extensively traveled in Asia and Australia while practiced. The prevailing influences in the nursing field at the time were those of Carl Rogers, Florence Nightingale and Leininger. Main psy...
The nursing profession is considered both an art and a science. An example of the science of nursing is the theory and evidence based practice guidelines (EBP), which influence a nurses practice. The art of nursing is fluid of bringing science and patient care into nursing practice. Nurses in all levels of nursing educational programs should study nursing theory. According to Eun-Ok (2015) theory evaluation has declined and it is essential to developing nursing knowledge; which, leads to the development of nursing discipline. Nursing theory should be continually evolving as current health care trends evolve. The best way to accomplish this is through incorporating theory in academia and nursing
One must have the full desire to help and care for people in order to have an enjoyable career as a nurse. Nurses are known for the care and compassion shown to the patients and this is comforting for both patients and their families. Caring for a patient can raise their spirits and can inspire a better outlook on their situation. As a nurse, I want to care for all my patients with the hope of improving their health and outlook on their life. I chose Jean Watson because she understands that caring is the core of nursing and believes caring promotes a better health than only performing medical care. She was the first grand theorist that focused on the aspect of caring for the patient while also caring for yourself as the nurse. Watson’s theory
Parker M. E., & Smith M. C. (2010). Nursing theories and nursing practice (3rd ed.).
Theory’s responsibility is to provide nurses with standards that reinforce practice, as well as, for future nursing understanding and delivery. Basically, it provides nursing professionals with a tested way of thought on how to handle certain situations with proven results. The importance of nursing theories to nursing research is the knowledge offered gives nurses the foundation for communicating with others and best practice. Middle range theory according to McEwen & Wills (2011, p 35) are theories that have concrete concepts, that are specific, incorporate a measured number of concepts and characteristics of the real world and are tested for accuracy.
Nursing theory is, “the principle that underpin practice and help to generate further nursing knowledge” (Colley, 2003, p. 33). Nursing theory is important in nursing practice. The two theorists that are relevant to my nursing practice are Florence Nightingale and Hildegard Peplau. Florence Nightingale theory was about the patient having a clean and healing environment (Smith & Park, 2015, p. 51). The theory that Hildegard Peplau created was the importance of nurse-patient relationships (Smith & Park, 2015, p. 68). Both of these theories put the patient’s safety and care first. When I am at work I try to form a healthy and healing relationship with all my patients. I also make sure the environment that they are in is conducive to healing, it is hard to do that sometime working in the emergency room. Sometimes it is the little things that a nurse can do for a patient that will make all the difference. Taking both of these theories into
Jean Watson’s Theory of Caring. Since its establishment as a profession more than a century ago, nursing has been a source for numerous debates related to its course, methods and development of nursing knowledge. Many nursing definitions and theories have evolved over time. Furthermore, it is in a constant process of being redefined.
To make good nursing decisions, nurses require an internal roadmap with knowledge of nursing theories. Nursing theories, models, and frameworks play a significant role in nursing, and they are created to focus on meeting the client’s needs for nursing care. According to McEwen and Wills (2014), conceptual models and theories could create mechanisms, guide nurses to communicate better, and provide a “systematic means of collecting data to describe, explain, and predict” about nursing and its practice (p. 25). Most of the theories have some common concepts; others may differ from one theory to other. This paper will evaluate two nursing theorists’ main theories include Sister Callista Roy’s
Nursing theories are actions care that a nurse provides to a patient to prevent a sickness, maintain and promote health. Many of the theorists contribute to a frame work or a blueprint of how nurses should provide care to patients. Many these theories are part of nursing care and most of them they go hand in hand. Nursing theory aims to describe, predict and explain the phenomenon of nursing (Chinn and Jacobs1978).Nursing is apprehensive with laws and principles governing the life processes and functioning of sick or well human beings. Nursing theories are beneficial in understanding the knowledge of nursing and its application (Smith and Liehr, 2008).