Understanding Jean Watson's Human Caring Theory and Rationale for Implementation Into Nursing Practice
CLC Yellow Group – Taryn Baca, Caryn Smith, Jennifer Schoonveld, Deborah Hill
Grand Canyon University

Dr. Ruthie Robinson
November 15, 2014
The yellow group has chosen the Grand Theorist Jean Watson for discussion of improvement and implementation to better health care systems that focuses directly on patient centered needs and holistic care. Jean Watson’s innovation to incorporate the human caring theory into patient centered care is an amazing phenomenon. As leaders, we begin as registered nurses and rise to master’s prepared professionals. We learn to incorporate the values of nursing and integrate them with the cultural and holistic needs of our patient population and parallel patient needs with our health systems affordability and core values for success. The connection between our values and patient culture is vital in order to provide comfort measures of pain control, sense of well being, ability to alleviate suffering and reduce health care costs.
Over time, nursing theory has been influential in the way health care systems progress and the way nurses practice to provide efficient patient centered and holistic care. Transpersonal connections consist of relationships that embrace the spirit or soul of the other through the processes of full, authentic, caring and healing attention in the moment (Watson, 1988). According to McEwen and Wills (2014), “Theories define and clarify nursing and the purpose of nursing practice to distinguish it from other caring professions by setting professional boundaries” (p. 25). Theorist Jean Watson, who developed her Theory of Human Caring in the 1970’s, is one of several theorists who has based her theory on caring. Watson believed that patients, families, and groups could attain a higher level of harmony within the mind, body, and soul though caring interactions with the nurse (McCance, McKenna, & Boore, 1999).
In Watson’s theory, nursing is centered on assisting patients to achieve a higher level of coherence within the mind, body and soul. This theorist believes that this coherence is reached through interactions involving transpersonal caring relationships. These relationships have several pieces; as caring is action, attitude, acceptance and variability. As nurses, we must consider the approach we take when initiating a nurse-patient relationship. A nurse with a positive attitude is considered to be caring, as is one with resect of a fellow human being, and one who is flexible relating to circumstance. Studies have also shown that the meaning of caring varied based on the need of the patient. Whether it is a cancer patient who views caring as affection, the intensive care patient who views caring as technical competency or the medical-surgical patient who feels the emphasis on caring is based on a general sense of wellbeing. (Wilkin & Selvin, 2004, p. 52) In a study by Brunton and Beamon (2000), they rated the top 10 behaviors as: appreciating the patient as a human being, showing respect, being sensitive, talking, treating the patient information confidentially, treating the patient as an individual, and listening.
Although the perception of caring can vary in relation to sex, culture, age and disease process, Watson’s overall logic regarding caring is used as a guide to improve our nursing practice. This concept can enhance and allow a nurse to experience the most satisfying aspects in nursing and providing the patient with complete care. The use of caring is not only important for patients, but for staff. This theory can have a direct impact on patients and staff in this multicultural environment that we are involved in today. By using the theory of caring, nurses establish a trust with patients, and are listening to their needs. These nurses are then learning to accept each patient as an individual with specific individual needs.

By studying the