Due Thursday
For this discussion question, you will use the same scenario from your own practice for all three components.
Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:
Describe a practice scenario in which you could or did apply the four patterns of knowing to patient care.
Write 1 measurable outcome for the patient in the practice scenario.
Apply at least 2 specific concepts from Jean Watson’s theory of human caring to nursing actions needed to achieve the measurable outcome.
Cite and reference at least 1 current scholarly source to support your response.
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Watson’s philosophy and theory of human caring• Learning Objective: Explain key concepts within Watson’s philosophy and theory of human caring.Jean Watson’s (1940–present) theoretical formulations focus on the philosophy and science of human caring as the core of nursing. With the aim of reducing the dichotomy between nursing theory and practice, Watson’s original theory draws from multiple disciplines to derive a carative factors framework (vs. curative factors) that are central to nursing and describes concepts as they relate to the pivotal theme of caring: “Caring is acknowledged as the highest form of commitment to self, to others, to society, to environment, and, at this point in human history, even to the universe” (Watson, 1996, p. 146). The Watson Caring Science Institute (WCSI) is a private nonprofit international organization (https://www.watsoncaringscience.org/). In 2018, Watson explained on the WCSI website:The caring model or theory can also be considered a philosophical and moral/ethical foundation for professional nursing and part of the central focus for nursing at the disciplinary level. A model of caring includes a call for both art and science; it offers a framework that embraces and intersects with art, science, humanities, spirituality, and new dimensions of mind-body-spirit medicine and nursing evolving openly as central to human phenomena of nursing practice (para. 2).Brief overview.Caring, which Watson sees as a moral ideal rather than a task-oriented behavior, is central to nursing practice and includes aspects of the actual caring occasion and the transpersonal caring relationship. An interpersonal process, caring results in the satisfaction of human needs. She recently noted that caring science is rapidly becoming an interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary field of study with relevance to all health, education, and human service fields and professions (Watson, 2018).Assumptions about the individual.Individuals (i.e., both the nurse and the client) are nonreducible and are interconnected with others and nature (Watson, 1985).Environment.The client’s environment contains both external and internal variables. The nurse promotes a caring environment, one that allows individuals to make choices relative to the best action for themselves at that point in time.Health and illness.Health is more than the absence of illness, but because it is subjective, it is an elusive concept: “Health refers to unity and harmony within the mind, body, and soul” (Watson, 1985, p. 48). Conversely, illness is disharmony within the spheres of the person.Nursing.The practice of nursing is different from curing. From Watson’s emerging perspective, she tried to make explicit nursing’s values, knowledge, and practices of human caring that are geared toward subjective inner healing processes and the life world of the experiencing person, requiring unique caring healing arts and a framework called “carative factors,” which complemented conventional medicine but stood in stark contrast to “curative factors.”Nursing is a transpersonal relationship that includes but is not limited to the 10 carative processes described in the following Key Concepts. The goal of nursing is to help persons attain a higher degree of harmony by offering a relationship that the client can use for personal growth and development.Key concepts.The caring relationship forms the core of nursing, and the caritas processes (evolved from the original carative factors) delineate the domain of nursing practice:• Transpersonal caring: An intersubjective human-to-human relationship in which the nurse affects and is affected by the other person (client). Caring is the moral ideal of nursing in which the utmost concern for human dignity and preservation of humanity is present (Watson, 1985).• Caritas processes (Watson Caring Science Institute, n.d.):• Sustaining humanistic-altruistic values by practice of loving-kindness, compassion, and equanimity with self/others.• Being authentically present, enabling faith/hope/belief system: Honoring subjective inner, life-world of self/others.• Being sensitive to self and others by cultivating own spiritual practices; beyond ego-self to transpersonal presence.• Developing and sustaining loving, trusting-caring relationships.• Allowing for expression of positive and negative feelings; authentically listening to another person’s story.• Creatively problem-solving and “solution seeking” through caring process; full use of self and artistry of caring-healing practices via use of all ways of knowing/being/doing/becoming.• Engaging in transpersonal teaching and learning within context of caring relationship; staying within other’s framework of reference; shift toward coaching model for expanded health/wellness.• Creating a healing environment at all levels; subtle environment for energetic authentic caring presence.• Reverentially assisting with basic needs as sacred acts, touching mind-body-spirit of other; sustaining human dignity.• Opening to spiritual, mystery, unknowns; allowing for miracles.
