JEAN WATSON'S CARING THEORY

Jean Watson's Caring Theory

Theory's Background

This theory of human care is dedicated to promoting and restoring health to the prevention of illness and patient care. Patients require a holistic care that promotes humanism, health and quality of life. caring for the sick is a universal social phenomenon that is only effective if done in the form interpersonal, Watson's work helps raise awareness of professionals towards more human (Taylor 2001). In the Theory of Jean Watson a person as is considered "a being in the world." It considers 3 areas: the soul, body, and spirit. The person takes care to update the relationship between these three areas to achieve harmony and is dimensions that the nurse has to take into account. Watson is based in existentialism, argues that unconditional love and care are essential for survival, focusing on transpersonal relations of the individual. (Meleis 1997)

Historical Evolution of the Model

In Watson's later work, she revisits Nightingale's concept of environment and discusses how the healing space or environment can expand the person's “awareness and consciousness” and promote mind body spirit wholeness and healing (1999, p. 254). This is why Watson recognizes the importance of making the patient's room a soothing, healing, and sacred place. It is not uncommon in this day and age to enter in a patient's room only to find it disorganized and unsanitary. One wonders how patients can heal their mind body spirit in such an environment. (Wills 2002)



Focus of the Model

In this theory nursing dedicated to the promotion and restoration of health, disease prevention and patient care. Patients require a holistic care to promote humanism, health and quality of life. The patient care is a universal social phenomenon that is only effective if as interpersonal practice. Watson's work helps raise awareness of professionals, to human aspects.

Watson has studied nursing care approaches on philosophical (existential - phenomenological) and spiritual basis, and sees care as a moral ideal and nursing ethics, in other words, the human health care as basic therapeutic relationship between human beings; is relational, trans-personal and inter subjective (Potter 1992). This allowed Watson to articulate their theoretical premises, together with the basic premises of science in nursing, as cited by Walker. (George 2005)

From the existentialist view, Watson believes the person co-mo "a being in the world" as a unity of mind - body and spirit, you experience and perceive the gestalt conceptually, is the locus of human existence and the subject of nursing care taken

Overview of the model

The "Caring is a moral ideal using a personal commitment, whose goal is the respect for human dignity and preserving humanity. Watson believes in its conception of unconditional love and care as essential to the survival and growth of humanity; the care and love of self above the care and love of others. The assumptions that have formed the basis for his conception of human care are: (Timber 2002)

The holistic vision of the person and the meaning of what a human ...