Dr.

Margaret Jean Harmon Watson, Phd, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN 1

Dr. Jean Watson Nursing Concepts October 24, 2012

Dr. Margaret Jean Harmon Watson, Phd, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN 2

Abstract

Dr. Margaret Jean Harmon Watson, Phd, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN 3

Born under the name Margaret on July 21, 1940 in the small town of Welch, West Virginia; Dr. Jean Watson spent most of her time surrounded by her seven older brothers and sisters and a community environment in the Appalachian Mountains (Alligood, 2012). With her hard work and dedication to make a positive difference in nursing, she has changed the way of many nurses with the attribution of her Philosophy and Theory of Transpersonal Caring, helping to develop trusting, caring, and patient centered relationships. Dr. Watson attended High School in her small hometown of West Virginia, then continuing her education at the Lewis Gale School of Nursing in the town of Roanoke, Virginia, graduating in 1961. After graduating, Watson married Douglas, whom she described as not only her spiritual partner, but also her best friend (Alligood, 2012). She and Douglas then moved west to Colorado where her two daughters, Jennifer and Julie, were born. Watson continued her nursing education and graduate studies at the University of Colorado, where she earned her baccalaureate degree in nursing in 1964. She then went on to earn her masters degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing at the Health Sciences Campus of Colorado in 1966. In the year 1973, at the Graduate school of Boulder, Colorado, Watson earned her doctorate in educational psychology and counseling. Once her doctoral degree was in completion, she joined the School of Nursing faculty, serving in both faculty and administrative positions at the Health Sciences Center of the Denver campus, University of Colorado (Alligood, 2012). During the 1980s,

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colleagues and Watson began the Center for Human Caring, the nations first center dedicated learning center for human care knowledge using moral and scientific basis for the clinical practice and leadership in the nursing field. The Center for Human Caring sponsored projects on human care, educational, and community scholarship activities involving national and international scholars; connecting colleagues from all around the world. These activities still continue to this day at the University of Colorados International Certificate Program in Caring-Healing, here Watson offers her courses on theory for doctoral studies (Alligood, 2012). Studying here will only boost excellence in any nursing career considering Watsons 10 Honorary Doctoral Degrees, including her seven International Honorary Doctorates in Sweden, the United Kingdom, Spain, British Columbia, Japan, Canada, and Quebec (Watson, 2012). Watson then began her sabbatical and international traveling studies, starting with New Zealand, Australia, India, Thailand and Taiwan in 1981-1982, earning her nickname, Global Jean (Watson, 2012). At the School Of Nursing, Colorado campus, Watson devoted her time to serving as a chairperson along with assistant dean of the apprentice program. Her time serving in these positions involved her in the planning and actions of the PhD program allowing her place of coordinator and director during 1978-1981. Watson then gained the title of Dean of the University Of Colorado School Of Nursing and the title of Associate Director of Nursing Practice at University Hospital in the years 1983 to 1990. During her reign as Dean, Watson

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developed post baccalaureate nursing curriculum in human caring, health, and the healing that leads to a Nursing Doctorate (ND); a professional and clinical doctoral degree. This program was converted to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in 2005 and still is in existence (Alligood, 2012). In the year 1992, Watson was honored by the University of Colorado by declaring her as a Distinguished Professor of Nursing, receiving six honorary degrees from United States Universities and three Honorary Doctorates at international Universities. Watson was once again honored in the year 1993 when she received the Martha E. Rogers award, recognizing nursing scholars substantial offerings in advancing knowledge in nursing and in other health sciences. Watson then began to serve as a member of the Executive Committee and the Governing Board, elected as president from the years 1995 to 1996, leading to her honorary lifetime certificate as a holistic nurse in 1997
(Alligood, 2012). The year 1998 marked another achievement for Dr. Watson,

but also a period of great sadness when her husband, Douglas, passed away. In 1998, she was recognized by New York University as a Distinguished Nurse Scholar, and in 1999 she received the Fetzer Institutes National Norman Cousins Award. This was awarded in acknowledgment of her pledge to evolving, preserving, and demonstrating relationship centered care practices. In my own opinion, her greatest recognition was given in the year 1999 when Watson assumed the nations very first Murchison-Scoville Endowed Chair of Caring Science (Alligood, 2012). Of her higher

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achievements, she later was also awarded an International Kellogg Fellowship in Australia, following with a Fulbright Research Award in Sweden (Watson, 2012). Watson shares her nursing theory and knowledge as the author and coauthor of over eighteen books and her features in at least twenty different videotapes and audio tapes. Watsons achievement list is ongoing and is fully credited to her thirst for learning and determination for changing nursing care for the better, even generations later. Distinguished Professor and Dean Emerita Dr. Jean Watson retired on July 1, 2012 after standing as Endowed Chair in Caring Science for sixteen years at the University of Colorado Denver College of Nursing and Anschutz Medical Center (Watson, 2012). Since then she has built Watson Caring Science where she continues to polish her theory and remains dedicated to the future of nurses and their care for patients. Her sole stated mission for the Watson Caring Science is to restore the profound nature of caring-healing in todays healthcare systems and to retain its most prized resource, caring qualified nurses and trans-disciplinary care team memberships (Watson, 2012). Watsons theory is based on using care as a sacred science. She is responsible for the Caring Science Ten Caritas (care) Processes. The first process, Humanistic-Altruistic Values, is performing selfless acts. Taking the time to act humanely, putting the patient first. The second process, FaithHope, is most necessary helping to instill faith and hope into the patient about his or her illness providing a sense of comfort and well-being to the patient

Dr. Margaret Jean Harmon Watson, Phd, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN 7 (yesensain, 2011). The third process, Sensitivity to Self and Others, is to make

sure the nurse remains sensitive to what is going on with the patient. The nurse should not pass judgment and should interact compassionately with the patient, assessing him or her in a genuine way, promoting health and higher levels of functioning for the patient. The fourth process, Helping-Trusting Relationships, is forming a sense of trust between the patient and the nurse. An example would be to make sure that the nurse answers the call light in a timely matter so a caring empathetic bond is created (yesensain, 2011). The fifth process, Positive and Negative Feelings, is the nurses use of therapeutic communication, acknowledging the feelings of not only the patient but also the patients family leading to an understanding by the nurse as to why they may feel this way. The nurse should encourage both positive and negative sharing of feelings by the patient as well as the patients family members
(yesensain, 2011). The sixth process, Problem Solving, provides the nurse with

the way of thinking that her job isnt done with just the physical aspects of the patient; her job also includes acting as a mediator when necessary. The nurse should assess for the causes of the particular dilemma and help the patient and family throughout the problem solving process by providing all resources available, such as information on what the dilemma might include by providing literature to read, or helping the patient and family contact outside sources for help (yesensain, 2011). The seventh process, Interpersonal Teaching-Learning, this is where the nurse understands and learns the patients

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point of view on his conditions and decisions, not trying to direct the patient in any way, but following the patients choices. The eighth process, Environment, is to make sure the nurse creates a safe, healing, comfortable, and supportive environment allowing the ease of the patients suffering
(yesensain, 2011). The ninth process, Gratification of Human Needs, is to

make sure that all of the patients needs are of equal importance allowing for the health and well-being of the patient. The tenth and final process, Existential-Phenomenological, means being open and sensitive to the spiritual views of the patient, meaning understanding others from the way things appear to them. Including this in patient care allows the nurse to assist the patient in finding strength and courage to confront their condition according to their own spiritual preference (yesensain, 2011). Watson encourages nurses to use the task of hand washing as a ritual to pause and wash all of their thoughts of their mind to become more in the moment for their interactions with their patients, encouraging patient centered care. She encourages nurses to use the sense of caring touch to let their patients know they are in the moment and centered fully on the patient alone, leading to a trusting patient/nurse relationship and working towards more of an open conversation that could be used as a way to correctly form a nursing diagnosis. She encourages nurses to sit down bedside, focus purely on the patient and ask the patient what he or she needs to make their situation more comfortable, offering every option possible. This theory and the above mentioned ten

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processes have not only helped to shape the future of nursing care, but have made the process of caring more manageable within the nursing field helping to promote excellence. Care is such a colossal aspect of nursing; some even consider the words nursing and care to be synonymous. Care is the essential and core element of nursing itself. Caring as the central aspect of nursing has led to many care theories, including that of Dr. Jean Watson who describes nursing as a human science with the major focus on the process of human care (Vance, 2003). Without the focus of care within the nursing field, patients would be without help in their conditions and would lack the correct nursing diagnosis. Care in nursing can be classified as the holistic outlook of the patient beginning in the assessment phase of the nursing process. Jean Watson declares caring as a science. She states; caring is the science that incorporates a humanitarian, human science direction, human caring practices, phenomena, and experiences (Vance, 2003). Transpersonal caring is the acknowledgement of the unity of life and connections that move in concentric circles of caring from individual, to the others, to the community, to the world, to the planet earth, then to the universe (Vance, 2003). The process of care begins when you care for individuals; it is only when you are done caring for the individual that you can care for others, and so on. Caring behaviors are defined by nurses in ways such as consoling, active listening, touch, sympathy, admiration, morality, persistence, accountability, patience, helping

Dr. Margaret Jean Harmon Watson, Phd, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN 10

the patient make informed decisions, and determination to help the patient overcome their individual obstacles. All of these caring behaviors are present in the nurses individualized care plan for the patient; the nurse will continue the care plan until it is successful, proving the important aspect of care within the nursing field. After researching Dr. Watson and her theory on caring, my own concept of caring has expanded from basic care of the patient to caring for not just the patient, but the person as a whole. Caring for the patients basic needs are mandatory, but caring for the patients soul and mind can lead to a positive health outlook and a spiritual well-being during the hospital stay of the patient. Caring of the patient as a whole, addressing their spiritual needs, soul needs, mind needs, along with basic needs, has proven to help the patient as well as the families of the patient remain positive and hopeful; this can even lead to a quicker healing time. For instance, a newly diagnosed cancer patient is full of helplessness and anxiety. The proper care for this patient includes the basics, the assessment, the diagnosis, the explanation of procedures, the procedure, the patients coping, etc. If this patients care were built on just more than the basics and viewed holistically, it would help the patient remain positive and hopeful. Staying positive will help the patient within his own condition, remaining hopeful and prepared to battle his illness (Master Thesis, 2011). This would help the patient feel better, have more will power and can also inspire the patient to appreciate those things that are meaningful in the

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present as opposed to focusing on what may be lost in the future (Master Thesis, 2011). This will also allow the patient to work with a strong support system; he or she will be more probable to involve their friends and family. Their support system will need to stay strong; especially at times they may feel extra down. Eliminating some of the stress of the patient by talking to them, giving them options, offering ways to get the extended care they may need, and focusing on the patient in completion will ultimately help the patient and his or her support system to have an understanding of the illness; helping them to explore options and scenarios together with a positive attitude. Caring in nursing has evolved from mandatory care, to adapted care, to a vested individualized way of caring. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the National League for Nursing have identified caring as a foundational value of nursing (Rhodes, 2011). Caring today has become the moral average by which nursing is measured. How a nurse cares for a patient demonstrates the ability to maintain and continue the caring nature by which nurses have been defined. Dr. Jean Watson reminds us that before we can care for a patient, we must first care for ourselves (Rhodes,
2011). The quality of nursing care is based on the nurses themselves and how

one cares for his or her patient and therefore affecting the quality of nursing care. If a nurse walks into a patients room to initiate care and he or she is obviously agitated, tired, or overwhelmed, the patient will sense this and

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assume the nurse is not willing to help the patient how he or she needs to be helped. In a recent study on nursing care implementing Dr. Jean Watsons method at Adventist Hillsdale Hospital in November of 2011, the nurses gathered for a one day retreat learning the methods of Watsons theory and how to implement them into their own personal care of their patients. The result of the workshop study on Watsons methods proved to be successful with not only the nurses but also the patients. The hospital made important changes to better serve their patients needs. Some of which included a harpist coming into the hospital to provide soothing music for patients, encouragement of twenty-four hour visitation, providing a bible in each room, and offering each patient the CARE channel which provides meditative music along with beautiful scenery (Clegg, 2012). The nurses implemented Watsons methods and took the time to sit and talk with the patient, building patient relationships, and instilling trust with the sense of touch and active listening. Linda Ryan, a nurse at the Adventist Hinsdale Hospital stated: Lately, when I am making my rounds, patients have told me there is definitely a difference now, that they can sense a more caring environment than it was like ten years ago. And some of the nurses, too. They said that they really stop to think about their encounters with patients. Its not just route care, just going in and doing tasks.

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Now, they are more intentional about making that person-to-person connection with the patients and the families. You cant just assume caring is taking place. You need to have some dialogue about it to increase awareness about it to make it more intentional.
(Clegg, 2012)

This hospital has been implementing Watsons methods since November of 2011; continuing to hold Watson workshops for their employees. Once again, Watsons theory proved to be successful in the quality of nursing care. Watsons work has often been described as blueprint, ethic, paradigm, treatise, frame work, and model. Her hard work, dedication, and successful theory on caring will continue to pave the way for many to come. We are the light in institutional darkness, and in this model we get to return to the light of our humanity. (Watson, 2012)

Dr. Jean Watson Reference

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Alligood, M. R. (2012). Nursing theorists and their work. (7th ed., pp. 91-94). Maryland Hts, Missouri: Mosby Elsevier. Clegg, T. (2012, Sept 24). Nurses see results from caring theory. Local Beat, 10. Retrieved from http://watsoncaringscience.org/index.cfm/category/55/pressreleases.cfm Rhodes, M. K. (2011). Nursing at its best: Competent and caring. The Online Journal Of Issues In Nursing, 16(2), doi: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol16No02PPT01 (Master's thesis, Columbia University Medical Center, 2011) Retrieved from http://pancreasmd.org/ed_coping_be.html yesensain. (Performer) (2011). Jean watsons theory, theories 304 [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBiQKjyeWM&feature=related Vance, T. (2003). Caring and the professional practice of nursing. RN Journal, Retrieved from http://www.rnjournal.com/journal_of_nursing/caring_and_the_professi onal_practice_of_nursing_-part_3.htm Watson, M. J. (2012). Watson caring science institute. Retrieved from http://watsoncaringscience.org/index.cfm

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Paper is on Caring, Front Page and reference page do not count as content. Rubric APA Jean Watson Nurse theorist Bibliography Theorist concept on caring Is caring an import aspect of nursing, support finding. What are your own concepts of caring How does caring effect the quality of nursing care References 5 5 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 5 5

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