Application/Watson Theory

Theoretical Framework for Nursing Practice
# 1 Reading on Nursing Theory

Submitted by: Rochell T. Opiana, RN, RCP

WELLNESS… “Caring in nursing conveys physical acts, but embraces the mind-body-spirit as it reclaims the embodied spirit as its focus of attention”..Margaret Jean Watson Human being is a valued person in and of him to be cared for, respected, nurtured, understood and assisted. In general, it is a philosophical view of a person as a fully functional integrated self. She views human as greater than, and different from, the sum of his parts. Environment provides the values that determine how one should behave and what goals one should strive toward. These values are affected by the change in the social, cultural, and spiritual, which in turn affects the perception of the person and can lead to stress. Caring has existed in every society. Every society has had some people who have cared for others. A caring attitude is not transmitted from generation by genes. It is transmitted by culture of the profession as a unique way of coping with its environment. Unity and harmony within the mind, body and soul is wellness. It is also associated with the degree of congruence between self as perceived and as experienced. As we move to educationally in the two areas of stress and developmental conflicts to provide holistic care. Social, moral and scientific contributions to humankind and society lies in its commitment to human care. Watson proposes assumptions: 1. Caring can be effectively demonstrated and practice only interpersonally; 2. Effective caring promotes health and individual and family growth; 3. Caring responses accept a person not only as he or she is now but as what he or she may become; 4. A caring environment is one that offers the development of potential while allowing the person to choose the best action for himself or herself at a given point in time; 5. The practice of caring integrates biophysical knowledge with knowledge of human behavior to generate or promote health and to provide care to those who are ill. 6. The practice of caring is central to nursing.

APPLICATION: Nurse Trina is a senior nurse working in the United States. Anna, her best friend from the Philippines came visit her for a few months. She is also a nurse, and the girl graduated from the same university in Manila. Anna came to the hospital where Trina works, and knew that the teaching hospital has one of the top medical facilities in the world, being affiliated to a premier University. She saw the real gap in terms of healthcare delivery between the Philippines and the US, as new technologies play a major part for American Physicians and nurses. Trina took her to a tour around the different wards of the teaching hospital. She saw how patients received care from the physicians from Europe, via teleconferences and live video feeds from the internet, how nurses delivered medications using calibrated pumps and machines needing little supervision, and how computer carried the major task of critical care monitoring, with minimal risk of human error and malpractice. All patients in every room are connected via a Local Area Network and are monitored by digital cameras in the nurses’ station, where Trina oversees several novice nurses. Anna was amazed, and after a few chats with some of the staff, came to a room where a patient is being discharged. “I am glad that they take good care of you”. Anna remarked. “You’re right. I’m very happy that I’m well taken care of here”, the woman replied, “But it would be better if I can talk to the staff frequently. It’s boring staying here all day without no-one to talk to. I just need someone to talk to me, at least once every day. Everyone here seems so busy.” E.U.Octaviano/ C.E. Balita p162-166

REACTION: Wellness is much more than “health”, generally used to mean a healthy balance of the mind-body and spirit that results in overall feeling of well-being. Wellness is the quest to improve our quality life; our physical health and natural healing ability; the peace-of-mind achieved by knowing you’re following a proven path to becoming healthy and happy. It may also optimizing your body’s natural healing ability and overcoming a challenging health condition. Wellness may be the balance of physical, mental, spiritual and health relationship. Everything we do is based on the balanced philosophy between the body, mind, family, society and finances. At the core, everyone seeks the same basics out of life….health, happiness, love and a sense of contribution to making the world a better place for you having been in it. The situation depicts the essence of Watson’s Theory that through love and caring, better care for the patient will be given. She proposed that person who knows himself will be able to have a more accepting relationship with other person. Besides that is the caring moment occasion, she believes that if you share something of yourself with your patient, it helps to establish a connection, which allows that person to relate to the nurse. Her emphasis is on creating a healing environment of energy and consciousness whereby wholeness, beauty, comfort, dignity and peace. I want to share this quote from a speech of my mentor,, “Wellness is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

* o -