Jean Watson’s Description of a Caring Moment: The Theory of Human Caring

Jean Watson uses his theory of Human Caring to describe a caring moment as that one where a carer shows compassion and love towards a person in need such as a patient with selfless intent. It is a moment whereby one foregoes their comfort and dedicates their energy towards ensuring that the needy and sick person becomes comfortable. In a nursing context, the caring moment means establishing a caring and therapeutic relationship with a patient and getting their trust. Watson’s Theory of Human Caring goes beyond the duty of care that a nurse owes to a patient. It is not just about offering nursing care as a matter of course. It is going beyond the call of nursing to show love, compassion, and understanding for the suffering that a patient goes through (Alharbi & Baker, 2020; Pajnkihar et al., 2017). In my opinion, Watson’s caring moment is just a little more than holistic nursing. In other words, it is holistic nursing as we know it plus unmatched love and compassion.  Jean Watsons Description of a Caring Moment Essay

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As student nurse, I have got to experience such a caring moment when I was taking care of an elderly patient in a rehabilitation center. This was a patient aged 78 years old with multiple pre-existing comorbidities that essentially made them disabled. Because of their diabetes, they had already suffered all the microvascular complications of retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy. They were blind, had kidney failure, and had lost sensation in their extremities such that they got burnt in their foot creating large wound. The patient also had hypertension and recently suffered a stroke with ensuing hemiparesis. To cap the patient’s suffering, she had no children or any next of kin to take care of her ADLs. I made it my duty to assist this patient take care of her ADLs every time that I was on shift, even if I was not assigned the patient. I also talked to her and kept her company psychologically as holistic nursing demands (PracticalNursing.org, 2020). With time she developed a lot of trust in me such that she would ask for me whenever I had not reported for the practicum shift. This is the moment of caring according to Watson that I can reflect upon and that stands out for me as a nurse.    Jean Watsons Description of a Caring Moment Essay

References

Alharbi, K.N., & Baker, O.G., (2020). Jean Watson’s middle range Theory of Human Caring: A critique. International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Scientific Research, 3(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.31426/ijamsr.2020.3.1.3011

Pajnkihar, M., McKenna, H.P., Stiglic, G., & Vrbnjak, D. (2017). Fit for practice: Analysis and evaluation of Watson’s theory of human caring. Nursing Science Quarterly, 30(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318417708409

PracticalNursing.org (August 2, 2020). The importance of holistic nursing care: How to completely care for your patients. https://www.practicalnursing.org/importance-holistic-nursing-care-how-completely-care-patients .  Jean Watsons Description of a Caring Moment Essay