I plan to include core principle of caring, loving kindness and equanimity in my practice
please include I am an ICU nurse and due to
the covid pandemic, I\’ve had to Apply this theory. meditating and praying before going in to see my Patient so I am able to care, show more compassion and allow for a safe environment to promote overall healing.
Because of hospital lock down, I had to find out my patietns favorite music and played them on youtube, hold their hands and just be present when their family cannot be there.
I am often called the music nurse in the covid unit. Theory of Human Caring in the Covid-19 Unit by an ICU Nurse Essay Paper
Application of Watson’s Theory of Human Caring in the Covid-19 Unit by an ICU Nurse
As an APRN working in the ICU and taking care of covid-19 patients, I have seen first-hand the suffering, despair, and loneliness that these patients go through. These are patients who cannot have their loved ones at their bedside to comfort them and talk to them during their last moments on Earth. I realized that as the only person they had access to, i have to assume the role of both the care giver and the next of kin. This is why I was inspired by Watson’s Theory of Human Caring to get closer to the patients and at least play for them their favourite music when I am with them to ease their suffering. This has been my way of caring, showing kindness, compassion, and loving. The positive response from the patients has been overwhelming. They appreciate my gesture and now have greater faith and trust in me because they feel that I am closer to them, just like their real relatives. This is why they fondly refer to me now as the ‘music nurse’. Theory of Human Caring in the Covid-19 Unit by an ICU Nurse Essay Paper
Watson’s Theory of Human Caring is all about establishing a closer therapeutic relationship with the patient. It leads to the development of trust towards the nurse by the patient and generally better patient outcomes. The theory expects the nurse to care for others, to enjoy the therapeutic relationship, to provide an environment that is favourable for healing, and to believe in the power of miracles and healing. Also, the nurse is expected by this theory to honor not only the body but also the mind and the spirit (Alharbi & Baker, 2020; Pajnkihar et al., 2017). In essence, Jean Watson’s theory of Human Caring states that the nurse needs to offer holistic patent care even as they provide a conducive environment filled with love and compassion for healing and a return to wellbeing.
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 Theory of Human Caring in the Covid-19 Unit by an ICU Nurse Essay Paper