Nightingale’s approach was patient-centered care; she viewed the person as multidimensional with intellect made up of "biological, psychological, social, and spiritual components” (Current, 2012). Nightingale viewed all people equally and wanted to help the masses that were suffering. She believed nursing was a service to God and that nursing care aided in maintaining or restoring patients through the alteration of a patient’s environment (Alligood, 2010, p. 99). Florence Nightingale’s nursing theory began laying the groundwork for subsequent nursing theorists. One theorist who followed in her footsteps and adopted her philosophy regarding nurse caring behaviors is Jean Watson.
Watson's Theory of Caring Doctor Jean Watson a nursing theorist born in 1940 in West Virginia. She started her nursing career at the University of Colorado in 1964. Doctor Watson was named Distinguished Professor at the University of Colorado, the highest honor accorded University of Colorado faculty for scholarly work (George, 2011). She is also a universally known published author and recipient of several awards and honors. She is a nurse, writer, professor, and a theorist.
Dr. Watson believes that caring is central to nursing and can be effective if practiced interpersonally. In her caring theory, Dr. Watson introduced ten carative factors that are essential to successful nursing care (Alligood, 2010). This paper will discuss the key concepts of Watson’s theory and it will describe how it applies to the nurse and patient relationship. The caring moment will be defined and the application of four carative factors will be described. According to Alligood (2010), “the formation of a humanistic-altruistic system of values, the instillation of faith-hope, the cultivation of sensitivity to one’s self and to others, and the development of a helping-trusting relationship” (p. 113) are the four carative factors.
She believed that the environment can in-directly and directly effect a patients health and it has great benefit on the healing process when controlled and managed to patient recovery Her theory encouraged collaboration and cooperation as the focus of the nurse-patient relationship. She believed to care for the patient manipulating and managing the environment based on the patients needs providing cleanliness, comfort, proper selection and administration of diet and protection from emotional distresses. Theory’s Historical background: Nightingale was born May 12th, 1820 in Florence, Italy to her parents William Edward and Frances Nightingale and an older sister named Parthenope. Nightingale came from a healthy family and did not attend school but was taught at home by their father and governesses. Florence enjoyed learning and was eager to learn as much as she could especially mathematics.
You can also select staff on a basis of caring orientation asking candidates to describe a caring moment that they have experienced. The development and caring competencies serve as a guide to assess and permit staff development and assuring care has had a breakthrough with caring science. Preserving and sustaining human dignity, wholeness, integrity of mind body and spirit will provide a healing environment that will enable self-care, self-knowledge, and self-control, self-healing and potential. She's a global teacher that displays nursing goals assuring the practice of human caring in return for the ethical core values based practices (McGraw, 2002). These practices will extend caring science and knowledge along with development and clinical care persons and caring practice to new professional practice models of authentic caring healing excellence.
What this statement is trying to say is that instead of making emotional decisions that can potentially hurt the patient, a nurse can make a decision that educates and benefits the patient. By doing this nursing professionals are able to provide the appropriate care for the
Florence believed it was the nurse’s job to put the patient in the best possible condition for healing, I believe this to be true as well, but do not feel it is a job just for the nurse. We have so many more professional types that specialize in various areas that I feel it is the “teams” job to put the person in the best possible condition for healing. Florence believed in community health nursing and working with the government. I believe this to be a part of the nurse’s job as well. In my definition I also stated to empathize with the patient and to listen to the patient.
Components of good documentation are the same as Watson’s theory and nursing process; assessment, plan of action, intervention, and evaluation. A caring nurse will want to be able to improve and become more efficient with documentation so that they are able to provide more direct nursing care to their patients. Carative factor number seven in Watson’s theory call for the promotion of interpersonal teaching-learning. This describes “the caring nurses as one that must focus on the learning process as much as the teaching process” (Current Nursing, 2012, para. 3).
The NCNR dedicated areas within its institute to focus just on how to conduct research. Knowing how to conduct research is important as studies were undergone to not only improve nurses’ ability to slow a patient’s illness, but to also assist the nurse in promoting a healthy lifestyle for the patient. The NCNR believes research is necessary because nurses “are more likely to have continuing contact with the most vulnerable populations” (Merritt, 1987). Research is needed to assist nurses in identifying those patients at risk so interventions can be put into place to empower the patient to realize a healthy lifestyle is achievable. Conclusion Nursing research has always been and continues to be directed toward patient care.
She further describes nursing as “a human science of persons and human health, illnesses, experiences that are mediated by professional, personal, scientific, esthetic and ethical human transactions” ( Watson,1999) Becoming a Nurse is not an easy and Nursing is not an effortless profession. Nursing profession entails wisdom and sacrifice, well-mannered behavior and knowledge of human factor. We develop and practice a nurturing relationship not only with our patient as our focus, but an integration of the whole inter-professional team’s collaboration. Our self-awareness, of being mindful of these aspects, projects us to better serve our community and create a healing hand and environment. Over the years, the key to high quality care is the integration of the multi-disciplinary approach.