Application of Jean Watsons Theory of Human Caring - Essay Example

Application of Theory: Jean Watson’s theory of human caring Introduction Nursing theory impacts the nursing practice in myriad ways. Theory offers a structure to support and delineate nursing practice and the quality of care offered to patients. Notably, theory is implemented in many practice issues in order to solve them (McEwen & Wills, 2014). The application of theory to solve many of these issues in nursing is done in research and educational settings, direct patient care circumstances, and management and administration of nursing care. The application of a nursing theory to solving issues in nursing practice can be demonstrated by Jean Watson’s theory of human caring (Burtson & Stichler, 2010). This theory has been used to solve staffing issues in acute health care settings. Watson’s theory of human caring believes that interpersonal dealings are the major facets of caring (Watson, 2008). This theory assumes that nursing is centered on caring. According to this theory, caring can be delineated in ten carative aspects that facilitate wholeness, health, healing and the process of progression and growth of an individual and family. Scholarly Evidence to Support Nurse Staffing issues Introduction An examination of nursing literature reveals that supporting nurse staffing is an issue present in the nursing practice that leaders face and if handled well it ensures that patients receive quality care (Burtson & Stichler, 2010). Low nurse staff and lack of compassion towards the nurses is shown as a factor that negatively affects customer satisfaction and outcomes (Douglas, 2010). The traditional techniques of handling nurse staffing issues have been the use of financial incentives as retention and recruitment plans, and they have not born any fruit. However, it has proved fruitful to use the theory of human caring in solving nurse staffing issues. In reference to Douglas (2010), this theory offers significant insights and solutions that many managers and administrators can use to enhance the delivery of care and support nurses. Strategy for resolving nurse staffing Issues Watson (2008) notes that Watson’s theory of human caring offers a structure through which leaders can reinstate the value-guided vision of nursing care that permits the leaders to care for the staff members and patients and enhance healing, wholeness and permit the leaders to reclaim their factual aptitude. Through using this theory, nurse leaders can offer an ethical and moral support to handle numerous practice issues in the delivery of care and administration (Boykin et al., 2003). Consequently, it is necessary for the nurse leaders to act human. Being human refers to being able to feel. The nurse leaders can assist the nurse workers to develop sensitivity to their self and others by feeling their feelings (Wade et al., 2008). In essence, the development of self and the nurturing of values and sensitivity to human associations all emanate from emotional states. This development of feelings of self and fro others is encouraged by the compassionate life encounters that nurses experience in their work places (Watson, 2008). Sensitivity to self is the identification of feelings, and the nurses who are sensitive to other people can understand numerous aspects about them and their viewpoints on comfort and wellness. The nurse leader has the responsibility of inculcating the aspects presented in the theory of human caring among the nurses in order to ensure that they encourage similar growth in patients. Concepts and Principles of Watson’s theory of human caring The primary concepts of Watson’s theory of human caring are grounded on the supposition that the principle and basis of nursing exist in caring science as the root of the profession of nursing. However, this caring is not restricted to space, physical or time, and this interpersonal link offers a replication of people’s humanity for others. Caring corresponds with medical science and curing and offers authentic relationships that encourage the development of the human spirit (Watson, 2008). Caring and its application are imperative in the nursing profession. Caring in nursing is, therefore, viewed as a moral, ethical, philosophical and value-directed basis (Boykin et al., 2003). The ten carative aspects identified in Jean Watson’s theory of human caring can be observed as nursing interventions that delineate and express the linkages between love and caring. In reference to Watson (2008), Caritas is a Latin phrase that refers to cherish and entails caring, love, compassion, equanimity and forgiveness in the associations between an individual and the others in the nursing profession. The ten caritas include “practicing loving kindness towards self and others, instilling faith and hope in others, nurturing individual beliefs and practices for self and others, promoting helpful and trustful associations, accepting positive and negative feelings, and creating solution-seeking using scientific methods and all ways of knowing” (Watson, 2008, p. 39) The others include “genuine teaching and learning that supports individual needs, creating a healing environment that attends to physical, spiritual and societal needs and providing acts of healing by attending to basic needs and remaining open to mystery and the unknowns of existence” (Watson, 2008, p. 40). These suppositions of the theory of human caring and the Caritas aspects are applicable at self, other, leadership and societal levels. Boykin and colleagues (2003) acknowledge that the theory and the ten aspects are particularly not only adequate for interventions applicable in nurse-patient interpersonal relationships but also have universality and extensiveness that is applicable in leadership principles. In reference to Douglas (2010), caring is based on numerous universal humanistic unselfish principles. Humanistic values engross empathy, kindness, concern and love for self and others. On the other hand, unselfish tenets emanate from commitments to and satisfaction from attaining through giving. These values give meaning to an individual through their associations with others. The humanistic and unselfish feelings and deeds offer the foundation of human caring and expand the professional care. Rationale for the Strategy Boykin et al. (2003) offer a clear demonstration of the application of the theory of human caring in nursing leadership by illustrating how a foundation of caring offers an ethical structure for nursing management, organizational effectiveness and quality management. Douglas (2010) notes that nurse staffing is particularly significant to patient care delivery. Though there is much that has been done on managing work flow, optimizing working hours and improving work efficiency, there is still much on caring in nursing and its effects in retention and patient satisfaction that is to be learned. In many instances, nurses face compassion fatigue and are demotivated and leave the health care organizations when needed (Burtson & Stichler, 2010). This can have adverse effects on the health of the nurse and in turn affect the quality of care. Nurse leaders can handle nurse staffing issues in numerous ways. For instance, nurse leaders can adopt the caritas aspects in order to influence nurse staffs by assisting them to be involved in self-care activities and practice love and kindness to themselves and others (Burtson & Stichler, 2010). This approach can be executed through instituting and adopting policies that guarantee healthy work practices reduce and restrict working hours and offer healing support space and time to the nurse staff members in order to relax and cool off. This example offers insights on how incorporation of the theory of human caring even in small ways can largely affect the working environment of nurses as well as discernments of being cared for (McEwen & Wills, 2014). Notably, the theory of human caring is significant to nurse leaders because it opens the door for nurse workers to begin integrating love and care in a more analytical manner in their practice and in turn impact their interactions with patients. The human caring connection is transpersonal since it signifies a unique kind of association with the other person. In such as transpersonal relationship, the nurse leader attempts to understand the worker by showing compassion and care (Watson, 2008). In such as case, both parties enter into each other’s world and, therefore, form a union with each other. By honoring and listening to the stories of the nursing staff, a nurse leader will be placing significance for their issues and will motivate them, and same will be replicated to the patients (Boykin & Stichler, 2010). By assisting with staffing issues, the nurse leaders can rest assured that the delivery of patient care will also improve. In some cases, nurse leaders have been involved in showing care to nurses by touching them physically in a good way that shows compassion. Such a touch is not only a physical touch but entails touching the spirit too. According to Wade et al. (2008), it is through this touch that the nurse leaders can acknowledge the needs of the nurses that are not satisfied and that which bother them. Evidence supporting the staffing issue Burtson & Stichler (2010) identify some of the staffing issues in nursing as low nurse staff and lack of compassion towards the nurses. In his article, Douglas (2010) acknowledges that the nursing staffing issues that nurse leaders face include ensuring that there is adequate nurse staff in the health care unit and ensuring that the number of nurses lost in the acute care due to overwork, compassion fatigue, injuries and burnout is low, and ensuring that patient satisfaction is high through showing compassion to the nursing staff. According to Douglas (2010), these issues affect the patient-care delivery and satisfaction levels among the patients. Ethical Aspect of the Strategy The theory of human caring is grounded on the ethics of human interactions and belonging to that which is immense than ourselves. This theory surpasses medical science and acknowledges the relational and philosophical aspects essential to humanity. Watson’s theory of human caring engrosses making clear that relationship-oriented caring and human caring are foundation ethics for the healing practices in that it respects the unity of the human being and attends to making a healing atmosphere (Douglas, 2010). The theory‘s caring-healing aspects and nursing arts are incorporated as necessities to guarantee consideration to quality of life, subjective meaning and caring practices, which have an effect on the system success and patient outcomes (Douglas, 2010). Nurse workers define their experiences in work place by the relationships, integrity and preservation of human dignity through caring. Conclusion Nurse leaders commonly handled staffing issues with reactionary and myopic techniques, which use financial incentives during recruitment and retention and do not address the cause of the problem. As a result, the theory of human caring has been applied to solve staffing issues in health organizations. Caring is essential for human development and is aimed at the physical needs of people and weaves people into a network of associations. Application of Watson’s theory of human caring offers an opportunity for nurse leaders to implement a long lasting solution to the staffing problems that most health care organizations face. This theory is grounded on a relational caring for self and others concept. This concept is based on an ethical foundation of compassion and values. This theory also offers a transpersonal caring where the nurse leaders go beyond their ego to a high state of caring typified by a moral commitment to protect and foster the human dignity and respect for the other person by honoring his or her needs and wishes. References Boykin, A., Schoenhofer, S., Smith, N., St. Jean, J., & Aleman, D. (2003). Transforming practice using a caring-based nursing model. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 27(3), 223-230. Burtson, P., & Stichler, J. (2010). Nursing work environment and nurse caring: relationship among motivational factors. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(8), 1819-1831. Douglas, K. (2010). When caring stops, staffing doesnt really matter. Nursing Economic$, 28(6), 415-419. McEwen, M., & Wills, E. (2014). Theoretical basis for nursing (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Wade, G., Osgood, B., Avino, K., Bucher, G., Bucher, L., Foraker, T., & Sirkowski, C. (2008). Influence of organizational characteristics and caring attributes of managers on nurses job enjoyment. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 64(4), 344-353. Watson Caring Science Institute. (n.d). http://www.watsoncaringscience.org Watson, J. (2008). Nursing The philosophy and science of caring (Revised ed.). Boulder, CO: University Press of Colorado. Read More