Philosophy of

Nursing
Jean Watson

 Born in Southern West Virginia

Attended Lewis Gale School of Nursing
Studied in University of Colorado
BSN 1964
MS 1966
PhD. 1973
Professor of Nursing

About the Author

 Chair in Caring Science at University of Colorado Health

Center

Founder of Center for Human Caring in Colorado

Fellow of American Academy of Nursing
Previous Dean of Nursing at University Health Sciences
Center
Past President of National League for Nursing (NLN)

About the Author

 Widely published author

Awards and Honors
An International Kellog Fellowship in
Australia
A Fulbright Research Award in Sweden
6 Honorary Doctoral Degrees

About the Author

 The theorys foundation was

published in 1979 in nursing The
Philosophy and Science of Caring
1988: Nursing: Human Science
and Human Care

The Theory

 Carative factors
Transpersonal Caring Relationship
Caring Occasion/Caring Moment

Major Elements of the

Theory

10 Carative Factors
1. The formation of humanistic-altruistic system of values.
2. The instillation of faith-hope.
3. The cultivation of sensitivity to ones self and to others.
4. The development of a helping-trust relationship.
5. The promotion and acceptance of the expression of positive and negative
feelings.
6. The systematic use of the scientific problem-solving method for decisionmaking.
7. The promotion of interpersonal teaching-learning.
8. The provision for a supportive, protective, and corrective, mental, physical,
sociocultural, and spiritual environment.
9. Assistance with the gratification of human needs.
10. The allowance of existential-phenomenological forces

Carative Factors

 Begins at an early age with values shared with

the parents
Mediated through life experience, the learning
one gains and exposure to humanity.

1. The Formation of a HumanisticAltruistic System of Values

 Is essential to both carative and

curative process.
Can provide a sense of well
being to a person

2. Faith-Hope

 Development of ones own feeling is needed to interact

genuinely and sensitively with others.;

3. Cultivation of Sensitivity
to ones self and to others

 Characteristics needed in the Helping-Trust Relationship

Congruence
Empathy
Warmth

4. Establishing a helpingtrust Relationship

 Feelings alter thoughts and behavior, and they

need to be considered and allowed for in a caring
relationship.
Expression of the feelings helps to understand the
behavior it produces.

5. The expression of feelings,

both positive and negative

 Scientific problem-solving is the only method that allows

for control and prediction and that permits selfcorrection.

6. Systematic use of the scientific

problem-solving method fo decision
making

 Understanding the persons perception

of the situation assists the nurse to
prepare a cognitive plan.

7. Promotion of Interpersonal
Teaching-Learning

 Divided into external and internal variables, which the

nurse manipulates in order to provide support and
protection for the persons mental and physical wellbeing.

8. Provision for a supportive,

protective and/or corrective
mental, physical, socio-cultural
and spiritual environment

 Each need is equally important for quality

nursing care and the promotion of optimal
health. All the needs deserve to be attended
to and valued.

9. Assistance with the

gratification of human needs

 Lower order needs (biophysical needs)

The need for food and fluid
The need for elimination
The need for ventilation
Lower order needs (psychophysical needs)
The need for activity-inactivity
The need for sexuality

Watsons Ordering of
Needs

 Higher order needs (psychosocial needs)

The need for achievement
The need for affiliation
Higher order needs (intrapersonal-interpersonal need)
The need for self actualization

Watsons Ordering of
Needs

 Helps the nurse to reconcile and mediate

the incongruity of viewing the person
holistically while at the same time
attending to the hierarchal ordering of
needs.

10. Allowance for existentialphenomenological forces

10 Carative Factors

CCP Translation

1. The formation of humanisticaltruistic system of values.

1. Practice of loving kindness and

equanimity within context of caring
consciousness.

2. The instillation of faith-hope.

2. Being authentically present, and

enabling and sustaining the deep belief
system and subjective life world of
self and the one being-cared for.

3. The cultivation of sensitivity to

ones self and to others.

3. Cultivation of ones own spiritual

practices and transpersonal self, going
beyond ego self, opening to others
with sensitivity and compassion.

4. The development of a helping-trust

relationship.

4. Developing and sustaining a

helping-trusting, authentic caring
relationship.

Carative Factors

10 Carative Factors

CCP Translation

5. The promotion and acceptance of

5. Being present to, and supportive of,
the expression of positive and negative the expression of positive and negative
feelings.
feelings as a connection with deeper
spirit of self and the one-being-cared
for.
6. The systematic use of the scientific
problem-solving method for decisionmaking.

6. Creative use of self and all ways of

knowing as part of the caring process;
to engage in artistry of caring-healing
practices.

7. The promotion of interpersonal

teaching-learning.

7. Engaging in genuine teaching

learning experience that attends to
unity of being and meaning,
attempting to stay within others
frames of reference.

10 Carative Factors

CCP Translation

8. The provision for a supportive,

protective, and corrective, mental,
physical, sociocultural, and spiritual
environment.

8. Creating healing environment of all

levels (physical as well as nonphysical), subtle environment of
energy and consciousness, whereby
wholeness, beauty, comfort, dignity
and peace are potentiated,

9. Assistance with the gratification of

human needs.

9. Assisting with basic needs, with an

intentional caring consciousness,
administering human care essentials,
which potentiate alignment of
mindbodyspirit, wholeness, and unity
of being in all aspects of care; tending
to both the embodied spirit and
evolving spiritual emergence.

10. The allowance of existentialphenomenological forces

10. Opening and attending to

spiritual---mysterious and existential
dimensions of ones own life-death;
soul care for self and the one-beingcared-for.

 Transpersonal caring relationship characterizes a

special kind of human care relationship that
depends on:
The nurses moral commitment in protecting and
enhancing human dignity.
The nurses caring consciousness communicated.
The nurses caring consciousness and connection
having the potential to heal.

Transpersonal Caring
Relationship

 The moment when the nurse and

another person come together in
such a way that an occasion for
human caring is created.

Caring Occasion

 Assessment
Involves observation, identification and review of the
problem
Also includes conceptual knowledge for the
formulation and conceptualization of framework
Includes formulation of hypothesis; defining variables
that will be examined in solving the problem.

Watsons Theory and

Nursing Process

 Plan
Helps to determine how variables
would be examined or measured.
Determines what date would be
collected and how on whom.

Watsons Theory and

Nursing Process

 Intervention
The direct action and
implementation of the plan.
Includes collection of data from
subjects.

Watsons Theory and

Nursing Process

 Evaluation
Analysis of the data as well as examination of
the effects of intervention based on data.
Includes interpretation of the results, the
degree to which positive outcome has occurred
and whether the result can be generalized.
It may also generate additional hypothesis or
even lead to the generation of a nursing theory.

Watsons Theory and

Nursing Process

 Personhood (Human Being)

Viewed holistically
Possesses 3 spheres of being
Body
Mind
Soul

Nursing Concept

 Healing Space and Environment

If there is light in the soul,
There is beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
There is harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,
There is order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
There will be peace in the world.

Nursing Concepts

 Healing Space and Environment

Focused on stress, comfort, privacy,
safety, clean and aesthetic surroundings.

Nursing Concepts

 Healing Space and Environment

Conscious attention to healing space
shifts the health care facility from being
simply a place for bodies to be treated to
a place in which there is conscious
promotion of mindbodyspirit wellness.

Nursing Concepts

 Health, Illness, and Disease

Health is redefined as the unity and harmony within
the body, mind, and soul.
Process of adapting, coping, and growing throughout
life.
Focuses on physical, social, aesthetic , and moral
realms
Reflects a persons basic striving to actualize the real
self and develop spiritual essence of self.

Nursing Concepts

 Health, Illness, and Disease

Illness is a subjective turmoil or
disharmony within a persons inner self
or soul at some level of disharmony
within spheres on mind, body, and soul.
Can lead to disease but are not
continuum.

Nursing Concepts

 Health, Illness, and Disease

Disease is associated with
disharmony between the person and
the environment or nature.

Nursing Concepts

 Transpersonal Nursing-Caring-Healing
Nursings goal is to help person gain a higher
degree of harmony within the mindbodyspirit,
which generates self-knowledge, selfreverence, self-healing, and self-care process
while allowing for diversity and possibility.
Caring and love are the most universal, the
most tremendous, and the most mysterious
forces.

Nursing Concepts