NURSING THEORY 1

Exploring the Development of a Nursing Theory

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Introduction

Therefore, by presenting a thorough grasp of one selected theorist, the purpose of this

research is to investigate how nursing ideas have changed over time. Jean Watson is my choice

because of her remarkable contribution to nursing, specifically her Theory of Human Caring,

which altered the foundational ideas of the field. Consequently, it should be mentioned that

Watson has proposed the humanistic approach's components about touch and emotions as a

crucial component of treatment, and as a nurse, I wholeheartedly concur (Alligood, 2021). In

contrast to the primarily physical perspectives of the medical model approach to nursing, her

philosophy is also very supportive of the need to embrace patient care, understanding, feelings,

and physical, social, psychological, and spiritual needs (Cirakoglu et al., 2024). Watson's work

might be analyzed to learn more about how the nursing profession can advance in its efforts to

meet the demands of providing more comprehensive and sensitive patient care.

Theorizing Stage

Born in 1940, Jean Watson began her nursing career and matured as a theorist during a

period of significant change in the field. In the 1970s and 1980s, medical personnel received

much of their training from biological models, which prioritized technicality over patient care

(Devi et al., 2022). Given this context, Watson made an effort to reintroduce the humanistic idea

into nursing practice by drawing on her experience as a teacher and nurse. Watson lived in a

social and cultural setting that saw the emergence of patient-centered care monitoring and the

nursing profession's embrace of empathy and/or understanding (Fatmawati et al., 2023). Patients'

temperaments were emphasized alongside their physical conditions as medical discourse grew

more codified.
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Watson's analysis of the philosophy of the construction industry led to fundamental

inquiries about the nature of nursing. She began to question if the patients' emotional or spiritual

needs could be adequately met by the state-oriented medical model that is in place now. As the

foundation for the nursing profession, this led to her growing interest in concepts like

environmentalism, health, and care (Mayut Delgado Galeano et al., 2023). Watson presented a

caring theory that was centered on the interpersonal components, emphasizing the need for an

integrative and multifaceted approach to patient care as well as the necessity for the caregiver to

have a compassionate and empathic mindset.

Syntax Development

In her Theory of Human Caring, Jean Watson highlights the phenomenon of "caring,"

which was later renamed "Caritas" to reflect a more being-with-intent form of caring. First of all,

Caritas was identified as a comprehensive process involving interpersonal relationships and the

concept of empathy (Alligood, 2021). That is to say, during Watson's early years of theoretical

growth, she changed this phrase to "Caritas," adding valuable spiritual and ethical elements to

the idea while also highlighting the intentional and purposeful loving parts of nursing practice.

Watson established the comprehensive idea of caring, or Caritas, which integrates health, the

environment, and the nurse-patient interaction. For instance, closeness and communication

between nurses and patients are crucial to patients' happiness with their care and its success

(Cirakoglu et al., 2024). How can we view the social, emotional, and physical surroundings as

essential components that include healing touch, love, gratitude, and care? Concerning Watson's

theory of health and healing, these links are essential to bolstering the idea of interdependence

between people and their surroundings.

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Even though theoretical knowledge has grown, over time, changes to the theory have

been made to make it more in line with research findings and contemporary nursing practice.

These days, nurses can establish compassionate interpersonal interactions by using the concept

of Caritas to discover 10 creative variables (Devi et al., 2022). The goal of these improvements is

to make Watson's emphasis on spirituality, ethics, and cultural requirements more

operationalizable so that the theory can be applied suitably to the variety of healthcare realities

that exist today.

Theory Testing

Because Jean Watson's idea of human caring is so frequently applied in research

investigations, it has become more well-known. For example, a study by Fatmawati et al. (2023)

examined the effects of Caritas processes on healing and patient satisfaction levels. To ascertain

the results of the nurses' caritas in terms of patient happiness and quality of life, the researchers

employed focus groups and questionnaires (Alligood, 2021). According to the findings, patients

who scored higher on the Caritas scale were happier with the nursing care they received and had

greater emotional health than the other patients.

It may be claimed that these investigations have improved the method of confirming and

expanding upon Watson's works using the theory of personality (Mayut Delgado Galeano et al.,

2023). The theoretical underpinnings of humanistic care have been empirically supported by this

research, which demonstrates that loving behaviors enhance the quality of the patient by raising

their satisfaction and healing rates. The uncertainties in caring assessment and the variations in

methods for carrying out the Caritas procedures in the various healthcare contexts present

obstacles to theory testing (Cirakoglu et al., 2024). To properly evaluate and implement Watson's
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theory in a variety of clinical contexts, it is necessary to continuously validate the metrics in

addition to the methodology.

Evaluation Stage

The quality of care can be raised by utilizing Jean Watson's Theory of Human Caring to

help nurses and patients communicate with one another. For instance, nursing practices in

numerous healthcare facilities have included various aspects of the Caritas processes,

emphasizing the provision of exceptional care (Devi et al., 2022). According to Watson's

philosophy of nursing, nurses who are empowered take on a personal mission, one of which is to

build rapport with patients by showing them respect and paying attention to what they have to

say. This method improves patients' overall results, which include decreased anxiety and

improved emotional health in addition to raising patients' levels of satisfaction (Fatmawati et al.,

2023). The theory's application has been used in the healthcare industry and has been shown to

improve outcome indicators. Studies have shown that patients who receive treatment in the

human caring mode report feeling better about being cared for as individuals and perceive nurses

to be more attentive and compassionate. For example, a study conducted in a hospital some years

ago revealed that patients who received care by Watson MC thinking saw a higher rate of healing

and fewer readmissions.

However, some scholars have criticized Watson's Theory of Human Caring for being

subjective and emphasizing human relationships over the development of actualist assessment of

the standardized form in various healthcare organizations. As previously mentioned, the theory

has been praised for its focus on patients and alumni through the promotion of holistic nursing

care (Mayut Delgado Galeano et al., 2023). Future studies on the theory should focus on
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developing a caregiver assessment tool and expanding its applicability to various contexts and

cultures.

Conclusion

In this essay, I centered on Jean Watson's Theory of Human Caring, a nursing theory, and

traced its development from its inception to modern nursing practice. In particular, several of

Watson's concepts have improved professional nursing practice about patient care and health

care outcomes. Drawing from Watson's work, I have emphasized the importance of humanistic

principles in nursing in this paper. I now understand the intricacy and specificity of theory

development, as well as how to take ethical considerations and the perspective of the patient into

account. To improve people's lives and wellness, Watson's work might be seen as a reminder of

the things that nursing as a science and profession should not forget.
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References

Alligood, M. R. (2021). Nursing theorists and their work e-book: Nursing theorists and their

work e-book. In Google Books. Elsevier Health Sciences.

https://books.google.com/books?

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+of+a+Nursing+Theory+Jean+Watson+&ots=a-

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Cirakoglu, S., Halil, I., Bilkay, & Polat, M. (2024). Case study nursing approach to an individual

diagnosed with bipolar disorder based on watson’s theory of human caring: A case report.

International Journal of Caring Sciences, 17(2), 610.

https://internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org/docs/61.bilkay.pdf

Devi, D. B., Pradhan, M. S., Giri, M. D., & Lepcha, M. N. (2022). Watson’s theory of caring in

nursing education: challenges to integrate into nursing practice. Journal of Positive

School Psychology, 6(4), 1464–1471.

https://journalppw.com/index.php/jpsp/article/view/3297

Fatmawati, F., Murwati, M., & Sofais, D. A. roeslina. (2023). Application of Jean nursing model

theory in hypertensive patients with the application of finger hold relaxation techniques at

the outpatient poly of Rupit Hospital, North Musi Rawas Regency In 2022. Student

Scientific Journal, 1(2), 171–176.

https://jurnal.unived.ac.id/index.php/ssj/article/view/3930

Mayut Delgado Galeano, Eugenia, L., Beatríz Villamizar Carvajal, & Durán, M. (2023).

Transpersonal caritas relationship: A new concept from the unitary caring science
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framework of Jean Watson. Investigación Y Educación En Enfermería, 41(3).

https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.iee.v41n3e02