Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring

Definition
According to Watson (1997), the core of the Theory of Caring is that humans cannot be treated as
objects and that humans cannot be separated from self, other, nature, and the larger workforce. Jean
Watson describes the caring moment as a deep connection to the patient on a human to human level
transcending space and time. The theory is focused on the centrality of human caring and on the caring-to-
caring transpersonal relationship and its healing potential for both the one who is caring and the one who is
being cared for.

Relation to spiritual nursing

Jean Watson expanded concepts such as the sacredness of the human being, the connection with
more genuine sources of love, and the proposition of healing as a reconstitution of being. Her theory
encompasses the whole world of nursing with the emphasis placed on the interpersonal process between
the care giver and care recipient. Caring science helps us to embrace the positive energy that flows from
an integrated mind, body and spirit and is mutually rewarding to both the patient and the nurse. When
modern science has nothing further to offer the person, the nurse can continue to use faith-hope to provide
a sense of well-being through beliefs which are meaningful to the individual. The spirit to spirit connections
involve compassion, presence and authentic listening, and the creation of a healing environment.
According to the Caritas Process, it is necessary to enable individuals to cultivate their belief system and
perform their rituals, helping to maintain faith in themselves for healing. The openness to the expression of
spirituality in its purest form, proposed by ethnopsychology, relates not only to the theoretical principle of
maintaining the person's belief system, but also to the principle of developing a relationship of trust,
recognizing the capacity of each individual to exercise full freedom and autonomy.