Introduction
The core concepts of Jean Watson’s theory of human caring play a major role in nursing theory development. The concepts include a relational caring for self and others, transpersonal caring relationship, caring moment, multiple ways of knowing, and reflective or meditative approach for human caring (Vance, 2003). Dr. Watson's theory of caring was published in 1979, and it is one of the modern grand theories in the nursing field. She emphasizes on the human aspects of nursing and the manner in which they intertwine with the scientific knowledge and the entire nursing practice.
The theory of caring also encompasses the spiritual dimension of caring within the nursing practice, which promotes positive interaction between the nurses and the patients in a loving and caring manner. The concepts of this theory have been used to develop other theories and policies in the nursing field through establishing an objective assessment and development of a caring relationship, which promotes healing and human development (Vance, 2003). Despite the dynamic changes in the health care delivery systems around the globe, many theories have been developed to help the nurses to execute their responsibilities and workloads with diligence. The modern nurses have found ways to preserve their caring practice based on Jean Watson’s caring theory.
Therefore, the concept of caring was selected from Jean Watson’s theory of human caring since the theory guides the caring practices portrayed by nurses. The current paper seeks to analyze the concepts of caring through an explanation of the concept of caring, comparing it with other concepts, perform a literature review of other scholarly nursing literature, and identifying the antecedent and consequence of the selected nursing concept. The paper will also perform an empirical analysis of evidence of the selected concept, analyze the model using cases created from the theory of caring, analyzing the alternative cases, and giving a summary of the key information based on the nursing concept of caring.
Definition/Explanation of the Nursing Concept of Care
Caring and nursing are two closely related concepts. Caring is defined as the feeling and exhibition of concern and empathy for the people we interact with. Care is shown through expressing compassion for one another. The core responsibility of the nurses is to care for the patients. Dr. Jean Watson’s caring theory is well known in the nursing field for its contribution towards the development of the nursing practice. According to Vance (2003), caring and nursing are intertwined because most professionals choose the nursing profession because of their natural desire to care for other people. Therefore, she describes caring as the central concept that has contributed intensively towards the development of caring theories, which are applied in the nursing field.
It is believed that many nurses care for their patients with the hope that such care will contribute to the wellbeing of their patients. According to Schoenhofer (2002), hope and commitment are the main ingredients of caring. Hope is not just wishful thinking but rather an awareness of the commitment towards showing care. The main contents of the theory of caring are the carative factors that evolved through the clinical caritas processes, the transpersonal caring relationship, and caring moment. Other dynamic concepts described in the theory include expanded views of self and person, caring healing consciousness and intentionality to care, caring consciousness as energy within the human environment, and unitary consciousness for unbroken wholeness and connectedness of all the people.
Concept Comparison
The concept of care is also described in the legal profession based on the law of duty of care, which is an element of committing the tort of negligence. The law of negligence ensures that the clients that suffer injury because of negligence by another party because of lack of due care should be compensated for damages. It shows that apart from the nursing profession that is well known for the provision of care, the law profession has strict policies to guarantee people show care in all dimensions (Alligood, 2013). In the teaching profession, principals and teachers are also required to show high levels of care towards the students. Care in schools can be guaranteed through the provision of suitable and safe premises, provision of adequate supervision, giving medical assistance to the sick, and managing the employee conduct and performance. These two professions are concerned with caring because they deal with the lives of people directly
There is a lot of similarity between the concept of caring portrayed in the nursing profession and the law profession. The nurses have a duty of care to their patients the same way lawyers are required to exhibit a high level of care when dealing with their clients. The care portrayed by nurses in hospitals can also be equated to the care portrayed by teachers in schools towards the students. The teachers seek to establish a strong relationship with their students through showing a high degree of care to them. The level of care shown to the students by the teachers is perceived to have a significant impact on their performance just like the impact of care on nurses on the patients healing and well-being. On the other hand, there are some differences between the concept of care practiced in nursing compared to that practiced in the law profession. The duty of care in law is mandatory, and any action contrary to that is punishable by law unlike in the nursing profession where caring is somehow a commitment by the nurse.
Literature Review
According to the research by Sanders (2016) on the impact of immersion experience on perceived caring factors in undergraduate nursing students, caring is a central point for the nursing profession. However, she noted that there was limited research on the best ways of training the nursing students on the best way to address the concept of caring in nursing and expand the nursing capabilities of the nurses. The finding of the research was that no significant increase in the caring factors was identified in the in the group participating in didactic. However, an increase in teamwork and caring for the spiritual and emotional desires of patients are high (Sanders, 2016). The article of caring by Pires & Goes (2008) described nursing as a profession that is based on the interaction with other people. Therefore, care is very significant in such interactions. The research on the concept of caring is undervalued because of the importance given to the technical behaviors in the nursing field (Alligood, 2013).
Defining Attributes
The first attribute is the formation of the humanistic behavior with key human system values. It is developed by practicing love, kindness, and equality within the context of the caring consciousness. The main characteristics of this attribute in the concept of caring are geared towards meeting the needs and desires of the patients. The attribute promotes connectedness with other people within the environment and around the globe. It also develops self-care and caring for others, acknowledges the acts of kindness in the sector, and recognizes the vulnerabilities in others.
The attribute of installing faith and hope in the interaction between the nurses and the patients is key to the concept of caring in the nursing practice. It is attained by being authentically present and enabling a self-belief among the nursing practices by the patients being cared for (Alligood, 2013). Faith and hope can also be instilled through listening to the patient’s feelings and beliefs. The characteristics of this attribute include creating an opportunity for patient reflection, promotion of human deliberate connection, and the ability to release the control of higher power.
The other attribute is the development of the caring relationship in the nurses by developing and sustaining high levels of trust in the caring relationships. The characteristics of this attribute are that it helps the parties to explore the possibilities of a relationship, showing others unconditional love and regard, and practicing attitudes that are not based on mere judgment (Alligood, 2013). The attribute also encourages responses that are congruent with the experiences of both parties with the aim of fostering a sacred healing attitude in the time of need. Another characteristic of this attribute is that it promotes practices based on authenticity, which promotes honesty, demonstrate sensitivity, and engage strong relationships.
Antecedent and Consequence
An antecedent is an identifiable occurrence that precedes an event. In this context, I will examine an antecedent that precedes the nursing concept of caring. On the other hand, a consequence follows the occurrence of the event, and it can be termed as the outcome of the result of the nursing concept of caring selected for this paper. The most cited antecedents for this concept is the time of care and the intention to be in a relationship. However, the consequences identified concerning the development of this concept of caring in the nursing practice are the fact that the transpersonal caring results into restoration, which brings about complete healing. The consequences result from the antecedents identified in the process of development of the concept of caring in the nursing practice. The analysis of the attributes, antecedents, and the consequences of the concept provide a clear understanding of the importance of the human caring theory developed by Jean Watson.
The antecedent that preceded the development of the concept of caring in the nursing practice is patients who can develop trust towards the nurse. The nurses are required to show caring through good communication with the patient and showing respect and accountability. The need for affinity with the patient’s strength and the courage to be vulnerable to the patients’ experience have necessitated the development of the concept of caring in the nursing field. On the other hand, the consequences of the development of the concept of caring in the nursing practice include the patients’ experience on the physical advancement on whether they improve their physical functioning, or they succumb to death (Sanders, 2016). The nurses develop critical emotions that result into either draining or energizing the nurses’ roles in the practice.
Empirical Referents
The description of the empirical referents is a good analysis of the concept of caring in nursing since it describes the entire growth process of the concept. Empirical referents are used to measure the dimensions of the concept of the real life and try to approve the existence of the concept of the society (Sanders, 2016). The description of the empirical referents forms the focal point of the development of the possibility of the concept of caring in the nursing field. The empirical referents are very important in the sense that they provide clear evidence for the nurses to measure the levels of the concept development in each patient within their healthcare facilities.
In reality, the empirical referent is the development of a specific behavior that creates the interpersonal relationship through the scientific and systematic procedures. The desires by the nurses to devote their services to respond to the concerns of the patients have motivated them to adopt and embrace the concept of caring. The performance of the nursing practice is very critical because it determines the well-being of the people. Therefore, the improvement of the concept of caring in the nursing field can be the drive towards the attainment of strong relationships between the nurses and the patients (Huber, 2013). The empirical referents signify the existence of the concept of the modern nursing profession, which has been developed from the theory of human caring by Dr. Jean Watson.
Model Cases
A model case is an example of a hypothetical person who portrays all the attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents in the concept of study. The model case makes it easier for the nurses to get a clear insight of the occurrence of the concept of caring through the application of the important attributes of the concept. It enables the nurses to clearly understand when the concept is more effective and when it is less effective. The attributes identified in the model case in this concept of caring include the attribute of installing faith and hope in the interaction between the nurses and the patients. Another attribute is the development of caring relationships among the nurses through developing and sustaining high levels of trust in the caring relationships (Huber, 2013). The two attributes are clearly portrayed in this concept of caring in the nursing practice to provide insight on the occurrences of the concept.
The case also discusses substantively the antecedents and the consequences of the concept of caring presented in the model case. The most quoted antecedents for this concept are the time of care and the intention to be in the relationship between the nurses and the patients. On the other hand, the consequences of the development of the concept of caring in the nursing practice include the patient’s experience on the physical advancement on whether they improve their physical functioning, or they succumb to death. The empirical referent involves the development of a specific behavior that creates an interpersonal relationship through the scientific and systematic procedures (Townsend, 2014). The nurse’s willingness to devote their services to respond to the concerns of the patients has motivated them to adopt and embrace the concept of caring.
Alternative Cases
The two alternative cases created and presented are the contrary and borderline cases. They are used as the model cases that provide assurance on the concept of caring in the nursing practice. The contrary case is commonly used to demonstrate a completely different concept from the selected nursing concept (Boykin & Schoenhofer, 2015). The case provides a logical presentation that is different from the caring concept, and it has no connection with the entire concept of caring. However, few connections between the contrary case and the concept may be experienced since the contrary case may contain traits that are not portrayed in the concept of caring but are very essential in the determination and development of the concept of caring.
The borderline case applies when an issue is close to one another. It can also be termed as a related case because it demonstrates a similar occurrence to that of the caring concept. The aspects of the case may seem similar to those of the caring concept, but once analyzed in details, the diversity of the concepts comes out (Boykin & Schoenhofer, 2015). The close connection between the aspects of the concept of caring and those of the related case makes it easy to understand the relationship between the critical attributes of the concept and the aspects of the case. A borderline case can be developed for studying the diverse concept of tenderness since it may possess similar traits as the caring concept.
Conclusion
References
Alligood, M. R. (2013). Nursing theorists and their work. New York: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Boykin, A., & Schoenhofer, S. O. (2015). Theory of Nursing as Caring. Nursing Theories and Nursing Practice, 341.
Huber, D. (2013). Leadership and nursing care management. New York: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Pires, A. M., & Goes, M. M. Caring: a fundamental concept in nursing. A review of literature. Servir, 56(5-6):184-8.
Sanders, M. K. (2016). The impact of immersion experience on perceived caring factors in undergraduate nursing students. In STTI/NLN Nursing Education Research Conference. STTI.
Schoenhofer, S. O. (2002). Choosing personhood: Intentionality and the theory of Nursing as caring. Holistic Nursing Practice, 16(4), 36-40
Townsend, M. C. (2014). Psychiatric mental health nursing: Concepts of care in evidence-based practice. New York: FA Davis.
Vance, T. (2003). Caring and the professional practice of nursing. RN Journal.
