JEAN WATSON

Philosophy and Science of

Caring / Transpersonal
Caring
Jean Watson
Margaret Jean Harman
Watson
She was born in Southern West
Virginia and grew up during the
1940s and 1950s in the small town
of Welch, West Virginia in the
Appalachian Mountains.

She earned BS Nursing in 1964 at
Boulder Campus at Colorado.

MS in Psychiatric-Mental Health
Nursing in 1966 at the Health
Sciences Campus

PhD in Educational Psychology and
Counseling in 1973 at the Graduate
School, Boulder Campus

1980s- established the Center for Human
Caring at the University of Colorado

Established a nonprofit organization –
Watson Caring Science Institute (WCSI)

Served as chairperson and assistant dean
of undergrad program at UC

1978-1981- director of the PhD program
at UC

Received numerous honors and awards from
national and international universities and
organizations including honorary degrees
(15), leadership awards and honoraria for her
work and service.

1988- Distinguished Nurse Scholar by
NYU..and many more awards…

Authored 12 books, 9 shared authorship
books, published countless articles in nursing
and interdisciplinary journal
 THEORETICAL SOURCES

Watsons work has been called a philosophy,
blueprint, ethic, paradigm worldview,
conceptual model, framework and theory.


Attributes her emphasis on the
INTERPERSONAL AND
TRANSPERSONAL qualities of
CONGRUENCE, EMPATHY AND
WARMTH to Carl Rogers
 THEORETICAL SOURCES
-nurses are not here to manipulate and
control others but rather to understand was
profoundly influential at a time when
CLINICALIZATION(therapeutic control
and manipulation of patient) was considered
a norm.
 THEORETICAL SOURCES

She describes a “transpersonal
caring relationship” as a
foundational to her theory.

It is a special kind of human care
relationship- a union with another
person—high regard for the whole
person and their-being-in-the world.
 THEORETICAL SOURCES

She describes a “transpersonal
caring relationship” as a
foundational to her theory.

It is a special kind of human care
relationship- a union with another
person—high regard for the whole
person and their-being-in-the world.
Conceptualized the Human Caring
Model
Emphasized that nursing is the
application of an art and human Science
through transpersonal caring
transactions to help persons achieved
mind-body soul harmony, which
generates self knowledge, self control,
self care and self healing. She included
health promotion and treatment of
illness in Nursing.
Major Concepts
and
Definitions
 Caring

Nurturant way of responding to a valued
client towards whom the nurse feels a
personal sense of commitment and
responsibility.

It is the nursing term representing the
factors nurses use to deliver healthcare to
patients.
 Curing
Medical term referring to
elimination of disease
Philosophical Foundation
for the Science of Caring
(Ten Carative
Factors/Ten Caritas
processes)
 Ten caritas processes

Originally based her theory for nursing practice
on 10 carative factors and now evolved into
what we call 10 caritas processes

CARITAS CONSCIOUSNESS- an awareness
and intentionality that forms the foundation of a
caritas nurse

essential care provided by nurses
1. Formation of Humanistic-Altruistic
System of Human Values by
practicing loving-kindness,
compassion, and equanimity
(calmness) with self/other (embrace)
- satisfaction through giving and
extension of the sense of self and
increased understanding of the impact
of love and caring to self and other. .
2. Being authentically present; enabling
faith, hope, and belief system; honoring
subjective inner, life world of self/others
(INSPIRE)

-develop effective nurse-patient

interrelationship and helping patient adopt
health-seeking behaviors
3. Being sensitive to Self and Others by
Cultivating own spiritual practices, beyond ego-
self to transpersonal presence (TRUST)
- recognition of feelings leads to self-actualization
through self-acceptance for both nurse and patient
- nurses become more genuine, authentic and sensitive to
others
-nurses –lifelong exploration of personal values and
belief system
4. Development and Sustaining Loving, Trusting-Caring
Relationship (NURTURING)
-Promotes and accepts the expression of positive and
negative feelings.
-involves:
- CONGRUENCE -real, honest, genuine, authentic
-EMPATHY- understand the person’s perceptions
-NONPOSSESIVE WARMTH- moderate speaking
volume, relaxed open posture, congruent facial expressions
with other communication
-EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION- Cognitive,
affective and behavior response components
5. Allowing for expression of positive and
negative feelings—listening authentically to
another person’s story (FORGIVE)

-sharing is risk taking experience

-nurse must recognize that intellectual and
emotional understandings of a situation differ
6. Creative problem-solving- “Solution Seeking”
Through Caring process, full use of Self and
Artistry of Caring-Healing practices via use of all
ways of Knowing/ Being/ Doing/Becoming
(DEEPEN)

-Use knowledge creatively in practicing caritas

nursing
7. Engaging in transpersonal Teaching and
Learning within the context of caring
relationship, Staying within other’s frame of
reference (BALANCE)

- Allows patient to be informed and shifts the

responsibility of wellness and health to the patient.
8. Creating a Healing Environment at all
levels, A subtle environment for energetic,
authentic caring practice
-recognize the internal and external envt of
individual
9. Reverentially assisting with basic needs as
sacred acts, sustaining human dignity
(MINISTER)

-must recognize the lower-order needs and

higher order needs.
10. Opening and Attending to the Spiritual,
Mystery, Unknowns—Allowing miracles
(OPEN)

- most difficult to understand and can be best

understood through her own words.
Seven Assumptions about the
science of Caring
1. Caring can be effectively
demonstrated and practiced only
interpersonally.
2. Caring consist of carative factors that
result in the satisfaction of certain
human needs.
3. Effective caring promotes health and
individual or family growth
4. Caring Responses accept a person not
only as he/she is now but as what
he/she may become.

5. A caring environment offers the

development of potential while
allowing the person to choose the best
action for himself/herself at a given
time.
6. Caring is more “healthogenic” than is
curing. The Practice of caring integrates
biophysical knowledge with knowledge of
human behavior to generate or promote
health and to provide care to those who
are ill. A science of caring is therefore
complementary to the science of curing.

7. The practice of caring is central to

nursing.
 Conditions necessary for caring

An awareness and knowledge about one’s need
for care

An intention to act, and actions based on
knowledge

A positive change as a result of caring, judged
solely on the basis of welfare of others.

An underlying value and moral commitment to
care and will to care.
Metaparadigm of
Nursing
 Person
Human being refers to “a valued person to be
cared for, respected, nurtured, understood, and
assisted; in general a philosophical view of a
person as a fully functional integrated self.

-she views the person as “a unity of

mind/body/spirit/nature”
 Environment
NURSES ROLE: attending to supportive,
protective, and/or corrective mental, physical,
societal and spiritual enviroments’

-The caring science is not only for sustaining

humanity but also for sustaining the planet
-Healing spaces can be used to help others transcend

illness, pain and suffering, emphasizing the

connection of person and environment
 Health
Refers to unity and harmony within
the mind, body and soul.
It is also associated with the degree
of congruence between self as
perceived and as experienced.
 Watson, in addition to WHO’s
definition, includes these three
elements:
•
A high level of over all physical,
mental, and social functioning
•
A general adaptive-maintenance level
of daily functioning
•
The absence of illness
 Nursing
“Human science of people and human
health-illness experiences that are
mediated/intervened by professional,
personal, scientific, aesthetic, and
ethical human care transactions”
 References
• Balita, Carl and Eufemia Octaviano. Theoretical Foundations of Nursing:
the Philippine Perspective. Ultimate Learning Series. 1998
• Aligood, Martha Raile and Ann Marimer Tomey. Nursing Theorist and their
Work (fifth Ediation). Mosby Inc. 2004
• Fundamentals of Nursing (Udan)