Jean Watsons

THEORY OF HUMAN CARING

 “Maybe this one
moment, with this one
person, is the very
reason we’re here on
Earth at this time.”

- Jean Watson, The Caring Moment

…

Education
Dr. Watson was born and raised in a small town in the
Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia in the 1940’s

1958-61 R.N. Diploma in Nursing

Lewis-Gale School of Nursing

1962-64 B.S. in Nursing

University of Colorado

1964-66 M.S. in Psychiatric Mental-Health Nursing;

Minor Psychology
University of Colorado

1969-70 Graduate Work: Social and Clinical Psychology

University of Colorado

1969-73 Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Counseling

University of Colorado
Accomplishments
• International Kellogg Fellowship in Australia
• Fulbright Research Award in Sweden
• Six Honorary Doctoral Degrees
Including 3 International Honorary Doctorates (Sweden, UK, Canada)

• 1993 National League for Nursing Martha E. Rogers Award

Dr. Watson founded and directs the
non- profit Watson Caring Science
Institute, dedicated to furthering the
work of caring, science, and heart-
centered Carita ‘s Nursing, restoring
caring and love for nurses’ and
health-care clinicians’ healing
practices for self and others.
• Distinguished Nurse Scholar,
recognized by New York University
• Norman Cousins Award in 1999
• Recognition for her commitment
to developing; maintaining and
exemplifying relationship-
centered care practices
• Founder of the Centre for Human
Caring in Colorado
• Is a Fellow at the American
Academy of Nursing
Influences
• Nightingale, Leininger,
Paterson & Zderad

• Psychology theorists who

influenced her theory of
caring: Hans Selye, Richard
Lazarus and Carl Rogers
Theory of Human Caring
It is the Blueprint for nurses to restore
the art of nursing practice and better
care for their patients and
themselves
Watson’s Motivation for Developing
Her Model:
Education

Life Experiences

 Exploration of Self
 Major Elements of the Caring Theory

• Carative factors, evolving into Caritas factors

• Transpersonal Caring Relationships
• Caring occasion/Caring moment
 Carative Factors

• Guides the core of nursing

• Carative factors attempt to “honor the
human dimensions of nursing’s work and
the inner life world and subjective
experiences of the people we serve”
(Watson, 1997, p. 50).
• Contrasts the curative factors of
medicine (curative means to cure a
disease)
• Carative factors evolve into Caritas factors
 Ten Carative Factors

6. Creative problem solving

1. Humanistic-altruistic
caring processes
system of values

7. Transpersonal teaching-
2. Faith-hope
learning

3. Sensitivity to self and to

others
4. Helping-trusting, human
care relationships
5. Expressing positive and
negative feelings
8. Supportive, protective and
or corrective mental, physical,
societal and spiritual
environment
9. Human needs assistance
10.Existential-
phenomenological-spiritual
forces
The Carative Factors Evolve into Caritas
Factors
Carative Caritas
• Faith and hope • Being authentically present
and enabling the beliefs of the
one being cared for and the
one giving care

• Developing and maintaining a

• Helping-trusting, human care trusting, authentic, caring
relationship relationship
(Watson, 1999, p.62)
Carative Caritas
• Creative problem solving • Creative use of self
caring process

• Expressing positive and • Being present to and

negative feelings supporting the positive and
negative feelings with a
connection of a deeper spirit

• Transpersonal teaching- • Engaging in genuine teaching-

learning learning experience
(Watson, 1999, p.62)
 Transpersonal Caring Relationship

Transpersonal means to go beyond one’s

own ego and reach a deeper spiritual
connection while comforting a patient.
The transpersonal relationship depends on:
• A commitment from the nurse to enhance
and protect human dignity
• An awareness from the nurse that they have
the ability to heal
• The nurse must go beyond the objective role
The Goal of Transpersonal Relationships

• To preserve and protect a person’s

humanity, and dignity
• Preserve a patients spirit to ensure the
patient does not become an object
Caring Occasion/Caring Moment
• Watson (1998, 1999) stated that when human caring is
created the nurse and patient come together to create
a moment, this is known as the caring occasion/caring
moment
Caring Occasion/caring moment

• Watson (1999) feels as though the nurse and the patient must be aware
of the caring moment so as to make appropriate choices and actions,
thereby the nurse without knowing becomes a part of the patients “life
history”
METAPARADIGM
Human Being

The person is to be
valued, cared for,
respected and viewed
in a holistic way, as
body, mind and spirit
Environment

• The person’s environment

should be conducive to healing
and that the person and their
environment are connected.

• The person’s frame of reference

is also something that should be
considered, and the nurse
should strive to stay within the
person’s frame of reference.
Health

Health is viewed as overall

functioning and distress and
disharmony can be caused by
more than just disease
processes
Nursing
Watson argues that caring is
central to the profession of nursing
and that nursing care should also
focus on promoting health and
preventing illness.

The nurse should focus their care

on healing and wholeness as
opposed to tasks, illness and
disease
 How does the theory apply to
our nursing practice?

• We agree with Watson and feel that the contact and the bond between
two individuals is the foundation of nursing. We provide this caring and
thoughtful approach to promote holistic health and prevent illness.
• A “good” nurse cannot be defined solely by her ability and skills but also
by how well she interacts with the client and family while providing that
care.
 Theory of Caring Applied
Carative factors used with postpartum women experiencing multiple emotions
1. Never pass judgments, provide all patients with the same respect and level of care.
2. Instill hope in the mothers that they will be able to care for their babies and return to their
“normal” state of health.
3. Discuss the patient’s perceptions and feelings towards their birthing/parenting experiences.
4. Provide a trusting relationship where the patient feels that you are committed to helping them.
Advocate for the patient.
5. Enable the patient to discuss positive and negative feelings concerning her current healthcare/home
situation.
6 & 7. Use creativity during teaching opportunities and holistic treatments involving pain management.
8. Ensure that their environment is comfortable and enables them to get rest. Ensure that the patient’s
home environment is safe for mother and baby upon return.
9 & 10. Help patients reach harmony (mind, body, spirit) through holistic and caring modalities.
Promote mother-infant bonding. Assess patient’s support system.
 “Caring in the nursing profession takes place every time a nurse-
to-patient contact is made... That caring makes a difference to
the patient’s sense of well being. Caring may occur without
curing but curing cannot occur without caring”
Strengths & Weakness
S - Can be applied in any area of nursing
S - Addresses all aspects of the health and illness
continuum, and the concepts are abstract and
open to interpretation

W- Lack of concrete guidelines  do not have

specific steps