CARING

The caring model or theory can also be considered a philosophical and moral/ethical foundation for professional nursing and part of the central focus for nursing at the disciplinary level. A model of caring includes a call for both art and science; it offers a framework that embraces and intersects with art, science, humanities, spirituality, and new dimensions of mindbodyspirit medicine and nursing evolving openly as central to human phenomena of nursing practice. I emphasize that it is possible to read, study, learn about, even teach and research the caring theory; however, to truly "get it," one has to personally experience it; thus the model is both an invitation and an opportunity to interact with the ideas, experiment with and grow within the philosophy, and living it out in one’s personal/professional life.

The ideas as originally developed, as well as in the current evolving phase (see Watson, 1999), provide others a chance to assess, critique and see where, how, or if, one may locate self within the framework or the emerging ideas in relation to their own "theories and philosophies of professional nursing and/or caring practice."

If one chooses to use the caring perspective as theory, model, philosophy, ethic or ethos for transforming self and practice, or self and system, the following questions may help (Watson, 1996, p. 161): Is there congruence between (a) the values and major concepts and beliefs in the model and the given nurse, group, system, organization, curriculum, population needs, clinical administrative setting, or other entity that is considering interacting with the caring model to transform and/or improve practice? What is one’s view of human? And what it means to be human, caring, healing, becoming, growing, transforming, etc. For example: In words of Teilhard de Chardin: "Are we humans having a spiritual experience, or are we spiritual beings having a human experience?" Such thinking in regard to this philosophical question can guide one’s worldview and help to clarify where one may locate self within the caring framework.  Are those interacting and engaging in the model interested in their own personal evolution? Are they committed to seeking authentic connections and caring-healing relationships with self and others?  Are those involved "conscious" of their caring-caritas or non-caring consciousness and intentionally in a given moment and at an individual and system level? Are they interested and committed to expanding their caring consciousness and actions to self, other, environment, nature and wider universe? Are those working within the model interested in shifting their focus from a modern medical science-technocure orientation to a true caring-healing-loving model?

This work, in both its original and evolving forms, seeks to develop caring as an ontological and theoretical-philosophical-ethical framework for the profession and discipline of nursing and clarify its mature relationship and distinct intersection with other health sciences. Nursing caring theory based activities as guides to practice, education and research have developed throughout the USA and other parts of the world. Watson’s work is consistently one of the nursing caring theories used as a guide. Nurses’ reflective-critical practice models are increasingly adhering to caring ethic and ethos.

Because the nature of the use of the caring theory is fluid, dynamic, and undergoing constant change in various settings around the world and locally I am not able to offer updated summaries of activities. Earlier publications seek to provide examples of how the work is used, or has been used in specific settings.

All content Copyright © 2007, Jean Watson