The Philosophy Behind the Theory of Human Caring:
Dr. Jean Watson’s Perspective on Nursing Practice
The realm of healthcare engages endless propositions in the formation of patient care. These ideas can be molded by distinguished individuals to form applicable theories to implement into practice. Specifically, in nursing, these theories act as a framework for providing care. One esteemed theorist, Dr. Jean Watson, developed a series of thoughts now known as the Theory of Human Caring. This approach centers on three elements: carative factors, transpersonal caring relationship, and the caring moment. Since her initial conceptualization, she has gleaned additional life experience to expand her perspective. Dr. Watson’s theory has been applied to past and present nursing practice, and should continue to be understood and used in future practice (Watson, 2001, p. 345-349).
Dr. Jean Watson and Her Theory of Human Caring
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Jean Watson found her passion in the field of nursing, and has since used this passion to drive her extensive work exhibited by her accomplishments. Dr. Watson holds degrees in nursing, psychiatricmental health nursing, educational psychology, and counseling and has used the knowledge she’s gained to publish numerous works (2001). As a result, she has received many honors and awards including 14 honorary degrees and most recently the Visionary Award for Caring Science Leadership, the Pioneering Work in Caring Science Award, and the Living Legend Award given by the American Academy of Nursing. Dr. Watson is a retired professor from the College of Nursing at the University of Colorado and is the founder and director of the Watson Caring Science Institute in Colorado (2001; Watson Caring Science Institute,
Both theories use communication as the backbone to their theories and in developing an environment conducive to promote healing. Although communication is the framework for both theories, types of communication is looked at different in each theory. In Watson’s theory, she that communication is a spiritual occurrence. The focus is on nonverbal as well as verbal expressions. She also involves personal experiences and growth, art, religious practices. Watson uses the concept of care as the center of nursing care. The goal of the Human Care Theory is for the patient and nurse to gain a higher degree of harmony within themselves, cultivating a wholeness of mind/body/spirit (Watson Caring Science Institute, 2010, p.
Florida Career College focuses a great deal on Dr. Jean Watson's theory of caring as it pertains to nursing, as written in their statement, "The College That Cares". Jean Watson has worked on perfecting what she believed was a useful, effective method and thought process to nursing; this pertains to Florida Career College's nursing program because a main goal of the college is to produce students who understand and appreciate how much caring, respect and understanding is in life and moreover in nursing. Personally as a Florida Career College student I strive to reinforce Dr. Jean Watson's theory of caring into my future career as a nurse.
Watson, J. (2001). Jean Watson: Theory of human caring. In M.E. Parker (Ed.), Nursing theories and nursing practice (pp. 343-354). Philadelphia: Davis.
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
In conclusion, Jean Watson’s theory of caring, a middle-range theory, provides essential framework and guidelines in nursing shortage problem. Nurses who exposed to caring theory have moral and ethical obligations to care for others during challenging situations. Patients, families and other professionals depend on nursing profession, their expertise and knowledge for best 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...
Abstract Who is John B. Watson and why is he important to child psychopathology? Researchers and educators have argued that John B. Watson is one of the most important figures in the history of psychology. Throughout his life, Watson focused the majority of his career on contributions towards behaviorism. He conducted numerous research experiments including the well-known Little Albert study in order to investigate emotional learning in children. He introduced his theories of behaviorism to the public through his famous article, “Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It”.
Watson first published her theory of caring in 1979 in a book titled, Nursing: Human Science and Caring. Watson and other researchers have built upon this theory and caring theory should continually be evolving as the delivery of patient care evolves. This theory focuses on care between the nurse and the patient. This interaction is defined as setting mutual tasks, how a spiritual force may help the interaction and when caring in the moment of true healing may occur. When the nurse and patient are on the same level spiritually self-awareness and self-discovery occur. There are ten themes identified in this article essential to caring in
Jean Watson is a well-respected American nursing theorist who created the Theory on Human Caring. Watson’s concept on caring for a human being is simple, yet has much depth and meaning, and holds strong for nurses to work with compassion, wisdom, love, and caring. The Theory on Human Caring is necessary for every nurse, as it is our job to care for others in a genuine and sensitive way. The theory is extensive; its core foundation is based on nine concepts all interrelated and primarily focused on a nurse giving a patient care with compassion, wisdom, love, and caring (Watson, J., 1999). The nine essential aspects consist of: values, faith-hope, sensitivity, trust, feelings, decision-making, teaching-learning, environment, and human needs. Watson also created the Caritas Process consists of ten different ways of giving care:
According to Kristen Swanson’s theory of caring, caring consists of Knowing, Being with, Doing for, Enabling, and maintaining belief. She believes that the environment and what is in the environment can affect people, either positively or negatively. As a nursing student, I possess the qualities of enabling, doing for, and being with. These qualities are implanted in me via my upbringing, culture, religious belief, and life experience/encounters(my environment). “Enabling” is the nurses’ responsibility to help the make a transition into the unknown.
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
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.
Watson’s Theory of Transpersonal Caring is considered a philosophy; therefore, it is very broad and general in scope. Included in the theory are ten caritas the nurse should practice promoting a meaningful nurse-patient relationship (Sitzman & Wright Eichelberger, 2017).
Dr. Jean Watson was born Margaret Jean Harmon in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia in the 1940s. She graduated from the Lewis Gale School of Nursing in Roanoke, Virginia in1961. After she graduated nursing school she married her husband, Douglas Watson. She then moved with her husband to Colorado and had two daughters in 1963 and 1967. While raising a family she also got her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1964, masters degree in nursing in 1966 and her Ph.D. in psychology and counseling in 1973 (Current Nursing, 2013).