Introduction
Jean Watson’s theory of human caring is a middle-range theory that focuses on providing productive, compassionate care to patients and on establishing nurturing, healing relationships. This theory embraces individuals’ minds, bodies, and spirits and enables healthcare professionals to maintain kindness and equanimity simultaneously, thereby transforming individualized treatment. Its applicability and importance are even more prominent in my practice with patients diagnosed with cancer receiving hospice and end-of-life care. In oncology units, where people are at risk, nurses eagerly go beyond their ego self and develop authentic interactions with patients, driven by the sensitivity and compassion promoted by this theory of human caring.
Principles
The core principles of Jean Watson’s theory of human caring emphasize fostering harmony among people’s minds, bodies, and spirits, which aligns with the demands of patients in oncology units. On this occasion, every person has the value and right to be protected, cared for, respected, and assisted (Aghaei et al., 2020). The key concepts include transpersonal caring, embracing clients’ distinct values and dignity, and clinical caritas processes grounded in moral principles. Jean Watson establishes carative factors rather than curative ones to inspire nursing professionals to demonstrate compassion, benevolence, and charity toward others, to accept others’ feelings, and to build a safe physical and emotional environment (Alharbi & Baker, 2020).
Meanwhile, people undergoing life-threatening conditions, such as cancer, require treatment for individuals and their families as humans, which is reflected in this theory. Recognizing their unique personalities, values, and perceptions in line with Jean Watson’s beliefs helps these individuals feel valued and improves their well-being (Aghaei et al., 2020). The theory’s fundamental aspects acknowledge patients’ vulnerability during hospice care, incorporate their beliefs into the plan, and empower them.
In most nursing contexts, the subject of care has been overlooked, which might have caused detrimental consequences for individuals in oncology units. The purpose behind Jean Watson’s theory of human caring is to prioritize care, making it more informed for patients and more humanistic for nurses (Devi et al., 2022). For example, ten carative factors guiding nurses’ daily interactions with clients are based on their strong will and commitment. The second factor in this list accounts for sustaining one’s faith (Alharbi & Baker, 2020).
Extensive research on this topic indicates that when nurses recognize individuals’ faith and foster optimism for a quick recovery, health outcomes improve. This aspect is mainly necessary for people in hospice care since they face severe illnesses and learn to deal with negative associations of their conditions, such as death. Faith might be a decisive factor for them, as it allows them to heal spiritually while ensuring that nurses treat them tenderly. Eventually, nursing agents cultivate sensitivity and encourage coping mechanisms established on the hope and deep faith systems of each person living with cancer.
Applicability in Hospice Care
Watson’s theory is highly feasible and essential in end-of-life care, as it ensures that providers build nurturing relationships with their clients. People dealing with severe illnesses such as cancer might suffer from one-sided relationships and sometimes even develop help negation behavior (Aghaei et al., 2020). This situation might negatively affect their emotional and mental state, thereby requiring the incorporation of Watson’s concept of transpersonal relationships.
The central idea is the clinical love phenomenon, which guarantees that nurses establish a supportive system and understand their clients’ needs. However, it extends beyond standard expectations, making professionals facilitate actions, words, non-verbal communication, and intuition to connect, allowing others to co-create their existence, healing, and wholeness (Devi et al., 2022). This caring, trusting connection helps people, as specialists provide them with comfort and physical and emotional presence.
Optimal nursing care integrates physical, psychological, and emotional domains for its clients. That is why, for end-of-life patients, nurses might even use healing therapies similar to music and touch, yoga, and psychological support (Aghaei et al., 2020). Once agents better interact with their customers, they identify possible ways to alleviate suffering and emotional burdens tailored to each unique case. This humanizing nature of theory sometimes leads to beneficial tactics when patients refuse to commit suicide due to nurses’ comprehensive polarization (Costa et al., 2019). Watson’s promoted transpersonal relationship improves people’s well-being through true presence and being centered on healing.
Another significant correlation between human caring theory and hospice care is the prevention of inadequate empathy levels among nursing staff. The most common healthcare trend is the lack of compassion and communication between the two sides, leading to poor symptom management (Robinson et al., 2019). However, Watson’s theory acknowledges this issue since she prioritizes compassion in her caritas narrative (Devi et al., 2022).
As a result of this focus, patients report higher satisfaction with hospital services and more positive care experiences (Costa et al., 2019). This broad term of empathy encompasses the nurses’ ability to intuitively understand individuals’ conditions, discuss their fears transparently and gently, and validate their feelings. It sometimes even covers caring touches such as shaking individuals’ hands, making the environment more comfortable, and offering a hug. As a result, humans with cancer receive non-judgmental, compassionate, and respectful treatment from nursing agents.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Watson’s theory of human caring focuses on building trusting patient-provider relationships, making nursing more humanistic and centered on each person’s uniqueness. Hospice care helps people feel valued and engage more in their treatment decision-making. Nursing specialists prioritize moral values and healing modalities to alleviate suffering while adapting to the clients’ differing personalities and needs. Everyone’s differing faiths, beliefs, and worldviews are respected by healthcare agents who demonstrate enhanced compassion, kindness, and sensitivity.
References
Aghaei, M. H., Vanaki, Z., & Mohammadi, E. (2020). Watson’s human caring theory-based palliative care: A discussion paper. International Journal of Cancer Management, 13(6), 1-6.
Alharbi, K. M., & 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.
Costa, J. R., Arruda, G. O., Barreto, M. S., Serafim, D., Sales, C. A., & Marcon, S. S. (2019). Nursing professionals’ day-to-day and Jean Watson’s clinical caritas process: A relationship. Revista Enfermagem UERJ, 27(1), 1-7.
Devi, 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.
Robinson, J., Moeke‐Maxell, T., Parr, J., Slark, J., Black, S., Williams, L., & Gott, M. (2019). Optimising compassionate nursing care at the end of life in hospital settings. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(11), 1788-1796.