Caring and the Professional Practice of Nursing
-Part 3

by Teresa Vance, RN

I’ve related most of my understanding of the caring model to hospice care because that is my area of expertise. However, the caring models are used in a variety of settings, such as, major hospitals, organizations, feminists groups, and major universities.  A model of caring includes a call for both art and science. It offers a framework that embraces and intersects with art, science, humanities, spirituality, and new dimensions of mindbodyspirit medicine (Watson 2003). Caring can save the life of a patient, offer a death with dignity, and convey trust and commitment to patients, families, and staff.

Nursing is a caring profession that is honored as the spiritual, spirit-filled practice that it is. I believe it is a calling for a special spiritual person who cares about the spirituality of others. Little girls care for their dolls; boys care for their trucks; parents care for their children; sons and daughters care for elderly parents; and nurses care for the sick.

The humanistic nature of nursing is reflected in the caring model. Caring is the central concept in the discipline of nursing. I would not want to imagine nursing without the concept of caring. Would you?
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Table 1 Watson’s 10 Carative Factors (McCance, McKenna, and Boore 1999)

1. Humanistic-altruistic system of values
2. Faith-hope
3. Sensitivity to self and others
4. Helping-trusting, human care relationship
5. Expressing positive and negative feelings
6. Creative problem-solving caring process
7. Transpersonal teaching-learning
8. Supportive, protective, and/or corrective mental, physical, societal  and spiritual environment
9. Human needs assistance
10. Existential-phenomenological-spiritual forces

Leininger, M. M. (1991). Culture care Diversity and Universality: A Theory of Nursing. National  League of Nursing Press, New York. P 35.

McCance, T. V.; McKenna, H. P.; Boore, J. R. P. (1999). Caring: theoretical perspectives of  relevance to nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, Dec99, 30(6), 1388-1396.

Schoenhofer, S. O. (2002). Choosing personhood: intentionality and the theory of Nursing as caring. Holistic Nursing Practice, July 2002. 16(4), 36-40.Taber, C. W., 1870-1968. Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, Ed. 17. p 322. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Company.

Watson, J. (1988). New dimensions of human caring theory. Nursing Science Quarterly. 1(4), 175-181.

Watson, J. (1996). Watson’s theory of transpersonal caring. In P. H. Walker & B. Nueman (Eds.), Blueprint for use of nursing models: Education, research, practice, and administration. 141-184. NY: NLN Press.

Watson, J. (1997). The theory of human caring: Retrospective and prospective. Nursing Science Quarterly. 10(1), 49-52.

Watson, J. (1999). Post modern nursing and beyond. Edinburg, Scotland, UK: Churchill-Livinstone: Harcourt-Brace.

Watson, J. (2002). Intentionality and caring-healing Consciousness: A practice of transpersonal nursing. Holistic Nursing Practice. July 2002. 16(4), 12-19.

Watson, J. (2003). Jean Watson and the theory of human caring. Theory overview. Retrieved on February 14, 2003, from http://ww2.uchsc.edu/son/caring/content/wct.asp.

Watson, J. (2003). Jean Watson and the theory of human caring. Definition description.

March 20, 2003
Teresa Vance, RN
Bacone College
Billie R. Tower BSN Nursing program

by Teresa Vance, RN

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