Jean Watson's Theory: Caring Science Theory

Jean Watson – Caring Science Theory

Katrine S. Edwards

Mercy College

Abstract

Dr. Jean Watson began her career as a Registered Nurse in 1961, however, she did not stop learning and advancing her mind there. Over several years she obtained multiple degrees; including a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Counseling. Serious personal loss led Dr. Watson to fully realize her beliefs and to truly comprehend her own writings stimulating her to formulate her Caring Science Theory. Dr. Watson’s theory is comprised of 10 Caritas Processes that bring arts and humanities together with science to provide more loving and compassionate care to yourself and others. Dr. Watson’s theory speaks to me because I believe that everyone is entitled

Watson’s theory has four key principles that are affected by her ten carative factors and caritas processes. These principles are human being, health, environment and society, and nursing. Human being “is a valued person to be cared for, respected, nurtured, understood, and assisted; in general a philosophical view of a person as a fully functional integrated self. Human is viewed as greater than and different from the sum of his or her parts.” (Wayne, 2016) Health can be summed up simply as the absence of illness, but true health is having physical well-being, mental stability and being socially accepted amongst your peers. Environment and society determine what is considered normal behavior and what is not. The norms of a person’s society will affect how people care for each other as friends and family members and as nurses. Societal norms also determine the standards of care that nurses are expected to perform. Nursing includes both scientific and benevolent knowledge and the compassionate delivery of a holistic health model. Dr. Watson developed the carative factors and the caritas processes that affect her four main principles to provide kindhearted, holistic care. “Watson 's 10 carative factors are: forming humanistic-altruistic value systems, instilling faith-hope, cultivating a sensitivity to self and others, developing a helping-trust relationship, promoting an expression of feelings, using problem-solving for decision-making, promoting teaching-learning,

One of the core principles of Dr. Watson’s theory is the “Cultivation of one’s own spiritual practice toward wholeness of mind/body/spirit—beyond ego.” (Watson Caring Science Institute, 2010) One concept for attaining this is to have a “Moral commitment to protect and enhance human dignity” (Watson Caring Science Institute, 2010) One way I see that a nurse can achieve this is to treat everyone with kindness and compassion and to remember that all humans are equal no matter what their station in life happens to