Nursing and Caring Concepts in Watson's Theory (Essay Sample)

Nursing and Caring Concepts in Watson's Theory
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Nursing and Caring Concepts in Watson's Theory
Doctor Watson's descriptive theory of human caring was published in the year 1997 and comprises ten curative measures that help nurses when caring for their patients. In her response to the theory, Dr. Watson referred the model as a transpersonal relationship between the nurses and patients. According to Watson, transpersonal medical care is the capacity of a single human being to receive fellow human being's expression of how they are feeling and the results of those feelings for an individual (Watson, 2002b). Since nursing can be identified as both an art and science, thus nursing care is taken to be more than a scripted therapeutic response about a patient.
Watson expresses her theory by stating that the more feelings to an individual patient, that a nurse expresses, the more concrete the nursing and caring affect the recipients (Watson, 1989). In her first premise, Watson states that the two persons involved in caring deals are also involved in the process of "being" and "becoming." She says that when a patient and a nurse come together in an actual nursing care circumstances they get to learn from each other on how to be human; caring is all about being human. Watson suggests spiritual union of souls between the nurses and the patients (Watson, 1988b).
Concepts and sub-concepts of Watson's Theory
The clarity and simplicity of Watson's theory is precisely defined by the concept and sub concepts centered in the theory. The concepts explain Watson abstract where he uses common language in a general ways. Her propensity in metaphorical study adds more urgency in her moral message towards nurses (Smith, 2002). As a result, Watson's theory happens to be one of the newest theories in nursing even today. Her great concern is seen in aspects of knowledgeable nursing practices. According to her, the study of caring science will utilize both dimensional nursing practices and interaction that will greatly promote caring aspects and love that is encompassed in nurse and patient interaction (Watson, 2002). When there is good care and love existence between the nurses and the patients' energy that affects healing and human development is experienced, according to Watson's theory, the practice can go beyond any objective assessment done to nurses. This helps both nurses and patients to develop mutual bond and an essential caring relationship is created, the two get in a position to understand each other's perspective in health nursing and care that will promote growth and a wonderful caring environment. One is able to accept a person as they are and get a view of what they may become in future.
Sub-Concept of Watson's theory
To enhance good understanding of her theory, Watson defined four concepts useful in nursing which include human beings study, health, and nursing as the main concepts affecting medical health environments (Watson & Smith, 2002). Watson defines a person or a human being to be the patient cared for; her theory states that human being should be understood, nurtured, and respected by the nurses (Watson, 2002). On the other hand, health is the unit of measure of harmony of mind in a person's body and soul. Watson associates health with congruence between one's perception and experience. Lastly, Watson defines nursing as a science of persons and health illness experienced. According to this concept, she says that nursing experience is mediated by medical professionals, scientific research; personal and ethical care interactions between patients and nurses or medical doctors (Watson, 1998). However, Watson did not define the fourth concept; rather, she devised ten curative factors and caring needs that are very critical when caring for one's experience that might need special attention from nurses to respective patients (Watson, 1989).
Generality of Watson's theory
Watson gave a transpersonal caring relation between nurses and their patients that is characterized by special kind of care in human beings. According to her, the human care relationship depends on:
First, the moral commitment of the nurse in protecting patient's dignity and the deeper self will depend much on enhancing good human care relationship. Secondly, according to Watson (1988b), the nurse's caring consciousness should be communicated with ease to patients in order to maintain and honor the embodied spirit and not to reduce the patients' moral status (Watson, 2002). This aspect is to enhance nurse's caring mind and connection that will promote healing experience, one's perception, and a willing connection between them (Watson, 1988b).
Watson uses this relationship to describe how a good nurse can go beyond an objective assessment from working environment. A nurse should show concern towards patients subjected to diseases and bring forth a deeper meaning regarding their own health care conditions (Watson, 2002). Her description is that a nurse's caring mind is essential for the connection and better understanding of other person's view. Her approach is rich in highlighting the uniqueness notable in both the nurse and the patient; in addition, it shows the mutuality existing between the two. This is fundamental when creating a caring relationship between the one caring and the one cared for and help them to go beyond one's ego (Watson, 1988b). Lastly, Watson's theory generalizes caring relationship that promotes protection and enhances retaining patients' dignity, inner harmony, wholeness and humanity across the culture; this is promoted by having a transpersonal caring relationship (Watson, 1989).
For example, one day I was assigned to take care of Mrs. Adams, a 45-years-old lady who was to undergo her second feet amputation. The lady's foot has being ravaged by gangrene and she was to undergo knee amputation of her left leg simply because the first amputation did not heal as required. I know the lady quite well because I was taking care of her first hospitalization. As a nurse, I always liked Mrs. Adams; it seems we connected immediately after our first meeting (Watson & Smith, 2002). She shared with me her life stories which in deed allowed me to know her as a person not just a patient going for surgery...