Watson's Theory Of Human Caring Paper
Watson’s Theory of Human Caring Paper
Nurs-403 spring 2013
Introduction
A caring moment is defined as a connection with an inner life force that gravitates your mind, body, and soul towards a feeling of spirituality (Bernick, 2004). The caring moment happens when the nurse and the client come together with their unique life histories and enter into the human-to-human transaction in a given focal point in space and time (Caruso, Cisar, & Pipe, 2008). According to Watson (2012), the actions after the feeling are strictly up to the individual to decide. All of human caring is related to intersubjective human responses to health–illness–healing conditions; a knowledge of health–illness, environmental–personal relations, meaning the …show more content…
nurse caring process; and self-knowledge, which is knowledge of one’s power and ways of being in relation to both strengths and limitations(p.38). Having the ability to “care” for others is not always inbreeded in an individual’s moral code. There have to be some spiritual guidance to reach the state of caring for others. In the profession of nursing, “caring” is an obligation that is required and used in taking care of the sick. Using the nursing model of Jean Watson, I will explore the depth of human caring as it relates to my personal nursing profession.
Jean Watson’s Theory on Caring
According to Morris (2006), “The Theory of Human Caring was developed between 1975 and 1979 as an "attempt to bring meaning and focus to nursing as an emerging discipline and distinct health profession with its own unique values, knowledge, and practices with its own ethic and mission to society" (para.1).
Falk- Rafael (2000) further discusses Watson as having “…. humanistic, existential, and metaphysical conceptualization of human beings underpins her view of both the transpersonal caring relationship that is central to her theory and her conceptualization of health-illness (para.7). The goal in Watson’s theory is to take a humanistic approach to nursing. If indeed the nurse demonstrated a caring attitude, this will allow for a positive nurse/patient relationship; which in turn will help the patient healing …show more content…
process.
According to Caruso, Cisar,& Pipe (2008), “The theoretical perspectives in Jean Watson 's Theory of Human Caring are not simply “applied to” a situation, rather, they lend themselves to being experienced, so that the elements of the model come alive for the participants in caring relationships and encounters (para. 6). Watson describes ten carative factors used in describing the Theory of Human Caring Model: 1. Humanistic-altruistic system of values 2. Faith-hope 3. Sensitivity to self and others 4. Helping-trusting, human care relationship 5. Expressing positive and negative feelings 6. Creative problem-solving caring process 7. Transpersonal teaching-learning 8.
Supportive, protective, and/or corrective mental, physical, societal and spiritual environment 9. Human needs assistance 10. Existential-phenomenological-spiritual forces
[Derived from (McCance, Mckenna, & Boore, 1999)] The 10 carative noted above is influential in Watson’s vision of nurses being a caring profession. The 10 carative although would be promising if was followed in the entirety, but internalizing a few key points is ideal when caring for people in general.
Personal
Experience
Working with a “caring” attitude comes naturally to me. I come from a long line of health care professional, and have the “caring” trait in my blood. One caring experience that comes to mind while reflecting on my nursing career is the story of a 26 year old paraplegic named Matt*. I encountered Matt at the early part of my nursing career. Matt suffers from an infant defect that leads him to have no sensation from the waist down. Matt was a functioning paraplegic that had a full-time job and fiancée. His mother was his caregiver and seemed very overbearing when I first met her. Matt was admitted into the hospital for a urinary tract infection. Matt suffered from urine retention. In his case his urethra is not aligned correctly in order for him to urinate freely. Because of this complication, Matt needs to be self-catheterized every four to six hours. Matt does not have adequate health insurance so there is no home health nurse able to make visits with him in order to observe his urine output and other functions. His underlining health problem when admitted was unstageable wounds/ulcers on his buttock and sacral area. When I first met Matt there was the most pungent smell that came from his room. I was not able to stay in his room for longer than ten minutes at a time. In those ten minutes I felt the urge to vomit often. His wounds were so severe that there was no skin on most of his buttock and the wound had a tunnel of eschar in the area where the skin was. When asked how he got this way he told me “I have a computer job that I sit on my back side for up to eight hours a day.” Because of his spinal injury he has no sensation in this area. Not only was I ordered to change his dressings but also was the fact of him not being able to control his stool, and he was on antibiotics for the infection. I was in there changing his dressing every hour sometimes. I tried to keep the most jovial and caring face regardless of how much hopelessness I felt for him and his family. When my nurse’s assistant accompanied me into the room, the smell was so pungent it made me wretch. I would cover my face so Matt would not see my facial expressions. The first day I took care of him internally I was wishing was my last. The next day he requested me to be his nurse. The morning prior to my arrival he went into surgery and got an Incision and drainage of the sacral and buttock area. The nurse prior to my shift had not assessed his dressing since his surgery five hours before my arrival. My 26- year- old patient was sitting in a river of liquid feces. I felt horrible. Not only did the patient have an open wound in the area, he was open for infection that could likely kill him. I immediately went to get help and cleaned him up. Matt was humiliated that he was in this position and that no one helped him. His mother came and thanked me for my support and told me that she has taken care of him for twenty-six years and that she do not encounter too many nurses that treat him like a human being as I did. Two weeks later Matt was admitted for unrelated diagnosis and did not fit criteria to be on my Critical care unit. He was so upset that he talked to the Chief Nursing Officer so she could transfer him to my unit. He did not want any other nurse but me. I felt overwhelmed with gratitude that some felt so highly of me to call administration to transfer them out of another unit into mine.
Utilization of Watson’s Caring Theory Caratives
In my caring experience I used carative #1 Humanistic-altruistic system of values; regardless of Matt’s illness, I am still his nurse. He is a human being and he needed to be respected. If the nursing staff on our general care unit treated him humanly and respectfully, he would not have requested a transferred. They treated him like a cage animal and my values do not allow me to act that way. 3. Sensitivity to others is evident into my patient care. Having sensitivity to Matt’s situation is very important when dealing with a gruesome diagnosis. I continued to inform him of the process I was ordered to do with him on a daily basis and also deflect the “elephant in the room” feeling by talking to him about his life other than his disability. Providing #8, a supportive, protective, and/or corrective mental, physical, societal and spiritual environment is instrumental in this case where a patient is showing feelings of insecurity and depression because of his disease state. I allowed Matt mother to stay as long as she wanted even though policy states no visitors after eight p.m. Communication was the key to allow him to vent and give him kind words of encouragement do his psychological level would not decrease because of all the unprofessional actions from others he was receiving.
Metaparadigms in Nursing Care
Person- Matt, a 23- year- old paraplegic that has emotional distress due to the unprofessional treatment of nursing staff when he was admitted to the hospital. The patient struggles with independence from his mother that at 45 years old admits to treating him like he is still a baby. The patient has a fiancée, but the current medical problems have left a strain on their relationship.
Environment- Matt was admitted to a general care unit at a community hospital. Due to the behavior of staff toward the patients presenting illness, the patient requested a transfer to the critical care unit. Prior to admission Matt stays at home with his mother, and younger brother.
Health – Matt have survived a birth defect leaving him paralyzed. His current diagnosis is a urinary tract infection and an unstageable sacral ulcer. He is otherwise a healthy person and has a good quality of life considering his chronic illness.
Nursing- Matt needed a nurse that would not be overwhelmed by his current illness. Nursing allows me to care for others and in turn have a self- gratification when people are grateful of your work. Matt’s nursing care needs were extensive including but not limited to, dressing changes, straight catheterization, and multiple teaching about wound care.
Reflection
This “caring moment” will always be monumental in my nursing career. I was a novice nurse at the time, and never worked on a patient with such extensive wounds. The acknowledgement of good work by the patient and family made a positive impact on my reputation. Regardless of the patients circumstances nurses must treat all patients with respect and dignity. My motto is to “do onto others as you would want done to you.” I also try to treat my patients as family. I would not mistreat my family or want to come to visit a family member and catch them uncleanliness or disheveled. During this caring moment I realized that I am good at making patients comfortable. The circumstances were uncomfortable to all parties involved. Recently I saw Matt coming to the doctor for an appointment, and he was in great spirits and very appreciative. Good outcomes like that is very reassuring that nursing is my true calling.
Conclusion
Watson’s Human Caring Theory defines an attainable process that is essential in nursing care. If a nurse does not exhibit such characteristics, their nursing work ethic can be damaging and considered insincere. The establishment of this care model also equates in a healthy way of thinking in order to help patients heal. Caring is an important trait to internalize in order to keep patients comfortable and willing to open in communication between nurse and patients.
Annotated Bibliography
Bernick, L. (2004, April). Caring for Older Adults: Practice Guided by Watson 's Caring-Healing Model. Nursing Science Quarterly, 17(2), 128-134. doi:DOI: 10.1177/0894318404263374
This journal article applies Jean Watson 's caring model to geriatric nursing. The teaching of “caring model" is used as a guide to giving older patients quality care.
Caruso, E., Cisar, N., & Pipe, T. (2008). Creating a Healing Environment: An Innovative Educational Approach for Adopting Jean Watson 's Theory of Human Caring. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 32(2), 126-132. doi:10.1097/01.NAQ.0000314541.29241.14
This journal article discusses the educational approach to nursing using Jean Watson 's Caring Model. This journal article is used a tool for educational purposes that incorporate theory in the curriculum.
Falk Rafael, A. R. (2000, December). Watson 's Philosophy, Science, and Theory of Human Caring as a Conceptual Framework for Guiding Community Health Nursing Practice. Advances in Nursing Science, 23(2), 34-49. This journal article defines using Jean Watson 's Caring Model in a community setting. There are concepts developed through the caring model that helps establish a protocol for community health nursing. This journal article compares and contrasts four caring theories: the two established theories presented by Leininger and Watson, Simone Roach 's theory developed in the 1980s, and a recent caring theory developed by Boykin & Schoenhofer.
McCance, T., Mckenna, H., & Boore, J. (1999, December). Caring: theoretical perspectives of relevance to nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 30(6), 1388-95. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/10.1046/j.1365-2648.1999.01214.x
Morris, D. L. (2006). Watson 's Theory of Human Caring. Encyclopedia of Nursing Research, 2nd. ed., pp. 624-626. This article discusses the history and accomplishments of the utilization of Jean Watson 's Caring Model. There is also an overview of all of Watson 's theories and a compare and contrast of similar theories relating to "caring".
Watson, J. (2012). Human Caring Science: A Theory of Nursing. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
This is the cultivate book that defines "Human Caring Science". The author Jean Watson expresses in great detail the guidelines to become a "caring" nurse.
Nurs-403 spring 2013
Introduction
A caring moment is defined as a connection with an inner life force that gravitates your mind, body, and soul towards a feeling of spirituality (Bernick, 2004). The caring moment happens when the nurse and the client come together with their unique life histories and enter into the human-to-human transaction in a given focal point in space and time (Caruso, Cisar, & Pipe, 2008). According to Watson (2012), the actions after the feeling are strictly up to the individual to decide. All of human caring is related to intersubjective human responses to health–illness–healing conditions; a knowledge of health–illness, environmental–personal relations, meaning the …show more content…
nurse caring process; and self-knowledge, which is knowledge of one’s power and ways of being in relation to both strengths and limitations(p.38). Having the ability to “care” for others is not always inbreeded in an individual’s moral code. There have to be some spiritual guidance to reach the state of caring for others. In the profession of nursing, “caring” is an obligation that is required and used in taking care of the sick. Using the nursing model of Jean Watson, I will explore the depth of human caring as it relates to my personal nursing profession.
Jean Watson’s Theory on Caring
According to Morris (2006), “The Theory of Human Caring was developed between 1975 and 1979 as an "attempt to bring meaning and focus to nursing as an emerging discipline and distinct health profession with its own unique values, knowledge, and practices with its own ethic and mission to society" (para.1).
Falk- Rafael (2000) further discusses Watson as having “…. humanistic, existential, and metaphysical conceptualization of human beings underpins her view of both the transpersonal caring relationship that is central to her theory and her conceptualization of health-illness (para.7). The goal in Watson’s theory is to take a humanistic approach to nursing. If indeed the nurse demonstrated a caring attitude, this will allow for a positive nurse/patient relationship; which in turn will help the patient healing …show more content…
process.
According to Caruso, Cisar,& Pipe (2008), “The theoretical perspectives in Jean Watson 's Theory of Human Caring are not simply “applied to” a situation, rather, they lend themselves to being experienced, so that the elements of the model come alive for the participants in caring relationships and encounters (para. 6). Watson describes ten carative factors used in describing the Theory of Human Caring Model: 1. Humanistic-altruistic system of values 2. Faith-hope 3. Sensitivity to self and others 4. Helping-trusting, human care relationship 5. Expressing positive and negative feelings 6. Creative problem-solving caring process 7. Transpersonal teaching-learning 8.
Supportive, protective, and/or corrective mental, physical, societal and spiritual environment 9. Human needs assistance 10. Existential-phenomenological-spiritual forces
[Derived from (McCance, Mckenna, & Boore, 1999)] The 10 carative noted above is influential in Watson’s vision of nurses being a caring profession. The 10 carative although would be promising if was followed in the entirety, but internalizing a few key points is ideal when caring for people in general.
Personal
Experience
Working with a “caring” attitude comes naturally to me. I come from a long line of health care professional, and have the “caring” trait in my blood. One caring experience that comes to mind while reflecting on my nursing career is the story of a 26 year old paraplegic named Matt*. I encountered Matt at the early part of my nursing career. Matt suffers from an infant defect that leads him to have no sensation from the waist down. Matt was a functioning paraplegic that had a full-time job and fiancée. His mother was his caregiver and seemed very overbearing when I first met her. Matt was admitted into the hospital for a urinary tract infection. Matt suffered from urine retention. In his case his urethra is not aligned correctly in order for him to urinate freely. Because of this complication, Matt needs to be self-catheterized every four to six hours. Matt does not have adequate health insurance so there is no home health nurse able to make visits with him in order to observe his urine output and other functions. His underlining health problem when admitted was unstageable wounds/ulcers on his buttock and sacral area. When I first met Matt there was the most pungent smell that came from his room. I was not able to stay in his room for longer than ten minutes at a time. In those ten minutes I felt the urge to vomit often. His wounds were so severe that there was no skin on most of his buttock and the wound had a tunnel of eschar in the area where the skin was. When asked how he got this way he told me “I have a computer job that I sit on my back side for up to eight hours a day.” Because of his spinal injury he has no sensation in this area. Not only was I ordered to change his dressings but also was the fact of him not being able to control his stool, and he was on antibiotics for the infection. I was in there changing his dressing every hour sometimes. I tried to keep the most jovial and caring face regardless of how much hopelessness I felt for him and his family. When my nurse’s assistant accompanied me into the room, the smell was so pungent it made me wretch. I would cover my face so Matt would not see my facial expressions. The first day I took care of him internally I was wishing was my last. The next day he requested me to be his nurse. The morning prior to my arrival he went into surgery and got an Incision and drainage of the sacral and buttock area. The nurse prior to my shift had not assessed his dressing since his surgery five hours before my arrival. My 26- year- old patient was sitting in a river of liquid feces. I felt horrible. Not only did the patient have an open wound in the area, he was open for infection that could likely kill him. I immediately went to get help and cleaned him up. Matt was humiliated that he was in this position and that no one helped him. His mother came and thanked me for my support and told me that she has taken care of him for twenty-six years and that she do not encounter too many nurses that treat him like a human being as I did. Two weeks later Matt was admitted for unrelated diagnosis and did not fit criteria to be on my Critical care unit. He was so upset that he talked to the Chief Nursing Officer so she could transfer him to my unit. He did not want any other nurse but me. I felt overwhelmed with gratitude that some felt so highly of me to call administration to transfer them out of another unit into mine.
Utilization of Watson’s Caring Theory Caratives
In my caring experience I used carative #1 Humanistic-altruistic system of values; regardless of Matt’s illness, I am still his nurse. He is a human being and he needed to be respected. If the nursing staff on our general care unit treated him humanly and respectfully, he would not have requested a transferred. They treated him like a cage animal and my values do not allow me to act that way. 3. Sensitivity to others is evident into my patient care. Having sensitivity to Matt’s situation is very important when dealing with a gruesome diagnosis. I continued to inform him of the process I was ordered to do with him on a daily basis and also deflect the “elephant in the room” feeling by talking to him about his life other than his disability. Providing #8, a supportive, protective, and/or corrective mental, physical, societal and spiritual environment is instrumental in this case where a patient is showing feelings of insecurity and depression because of his disease state. I allowed Matt mother to stay as long as she wanted even though policy states no visitors after eight p.m. Communication was the key to allow him to vent and give him kind words of encouragement do his psychological level would not decrease because of all the unprofessional actions from others he was receiving.
Metaparadigms in Nursing Care
Person- Matt, a 23- year- old paraplegic that has emotional distress due to the unprofessional treatment of nursing staff when he was admitted to the hospital. The patient struggles with independence from his mother that at 45 years old admits to treating him like he is still a baby. The patient has a fiancée, but the current medical problems have left a strain on their relationship.
Environment- Matt was admitted to a general care unit at a community hospital. Due to the behavior of staff toward the patients presenting illness, the patient requested a transfer to the critical care unit. Prior to admission Matt stays at home with his mother, and younger brother.
Health – Matt have survived a birth defect leaving him paralyzed. His current diagnosis is a urinary tract infection and an unstageable sacral ulcer. He is otherwise a healthy person and has a good quality of life considering his chronic illness.
Nursing- Matt needed a nurse that would not be overwhelmed by his current illness. Nursing allows me to care for others and in turn have a self- gratification when people are grateful of your work. Matt’s nursing care needs were extensive including but not limited to, dressing changes, straight catheterization, and multiple teaching about wound care.
Reflection
This “caring moment” will always be monumental in my nursing career. I was a novice nurse at the time, and never worked on a patient with such extensive wounds. The acknowledgement of good work by the patient and family made a positive impact on my reputation. Regardless of the patients circumstances nurses must treat all patients with respect and dignity. My motto is to “do onto others as you would want done to you.” I also try to treat my patients as family. I would not mistreat my family or want to come to visit a family member and catch them uncleanliness or disheveled. During this caring moment I realized that I am good at making patients comfortable. The circumstances were uncomfortable to all parties involved. Recently I saw Matt coming to the doctor for an appointment, and he was in great spirits and very appreciative. Good outcomes like that is very reassuring that nursing is my true calling.
Conclusion
Watson’s Human Caring Theory defines an attainable process that is essential in nursing care. If a nurse does not exhibit such characteristics, their nursing work ethic can be damaging and considered insincere. The establishment of this care model also equates in a healthy way of thinking in order to help patients heal. Caring is an important trait to internalize in order to keep patients comfortable and willing to open in communication between nurse and patients.
Annotated Bibliography
Bernick, L. (2004, April). Caring for Older Adults: Practice Guided by Watson 's Caring-Healing Model. Nursing Science Quarterly, 17(2), 128-134. doi:DOI: 10.1177/0894318404263374
This journal article applies Jean Watson 's caring model to geriatric nursing. The teaching of “caring model" is used as a guide to giving older patients quality care.
Caruso, E., Cisar, N., & Pipe, T. (2008). Creating a Healing Environment: An Innovative Educational Approach for Adopting Jean Watson 's Theory of Human Caring. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 32(2), 126-132. doi:10.1097/01.NAQ.0000314541.29241.14
This journal article discusses the educational approach to nursing using Jean Watson 's Caring Model. This journal article is used a tool for educational purposes that incorporate theory in the curriculum.
Falk Rafael, A. R. (2000, December). Watson 's Philosophy, Science, and Theory of Human Caring as a Conceptual Framework for Guiding Community Health Nursing Practice. Advances in Nursing Science, 23(2), 34-49. This journal article defines using Jean Watson 's Caring Model in a community setting. There are concepts developed through the caring model that helps establish a protocol for community health nursing. This journal article compares and contrasts four caring theories: the two established theories presented by Leininger and Watson, Simone Roach 's theory developed in the 1980s, and a recent caring theory developed by Boykin & Schoenhofer.
McCance, T., Mckenna, H., & Boore, J. (1999, December). Caring: theoretical perspectives of relevance to nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 30(6), 1388-95. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/10.1046/j.1365-2648.1999.01214.x
Morris, D. L. (2006). Watson 's Theory of Human Caring. Encyclopedia of Nursing Research, 2nd. ed., pp. 624-626. This article discusses the history and accomplishments of the utilization of Jean Watson 's Caring Model. There is also an overview of all of Watson 's theories and a compare and contrast of similar theories relating to "caring".
Watson, J. (2012). Human Caring Science: A Theory of Nursing. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
This is the cultivate book that defines "Human Caring Science". The author Jean Watson expresses in great detail the guidelines to become a "caring" nurse.