Theory of Caring

Running head: THEORY OF CARING
THEORY OF CARING
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THEORY OF CARING
Description:
Once, I got an opportunity to care for a patient who was suffering from stage 3 cancer in
a healthcare centre in my hometown. Initially, the patient named Mike was not at all comfortable
with me and did not coordinate with me in the care process. I also faced huge issues in the initial
days as I could not understand why he was so withdrawn from the treatment and why he did not
open up to me. We were providing him all forms of interventions that needed to be provided but
he never participated in the care. I realized that in this way, it would never be possible for me to
provide him with holistic care that is very much important to ensure better quality life.
Therefore, I focused on developing a therapeutic relationship with him so that he gradually opens
up to me. I involved him in extensive communication sessions which included of discussion on
both informal and formal topics. I talked with him on various topics like from his favorite sports
to favorite foods to his famous holiday destinations. Through these discussions along with active
listening skills and exhibiting empathy and compassion to his present state of life, I was able to
develop rapport with him. This relationship was based on mutual trust where I showed respect to
his autonomy and dignity and this made him feel respected and cared. It was after these many
days that he revealed that he had understood he would never survive and so he never participated
in the care. This information helped me understand that he had misconceptions about his health
which had made him depressed as well as anxious about his fate of life. I educated him stating
that proper treatments and lifestyle modifications can help in saving stage 3 patients and making
them live longer lives. To these, he seemed happy and from that day onwards, he started
participating in his care process and his health gradually recovered.

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THEORY OF CARING
Concepts of caring and links with nursing practice
Person centred care guides nursing professionals to develop care plans and interventions
where service users are made equal partners in planning, developing as well as monitoring of the
care to make sure that all their needs are met (Kogan et al., 2016). It mainly means that nurses
have the duties of putting both people as well as their families in the centre of decision making
sessions and sees them as experts. Service users and families should be given the authority in
working alongside the professionals in the healthcare team so that the best health outcomes are
achieved.
Studies are of the opinion that person centred care is associated with many positive
outcomes. When nurses follow person centred care and thereby includes the patients encouraging
them to participate and vocalise their wishes and needs, the patients feel respected and cared.
The patients feel that their autonomy and dignity are respected. Autonomy and dignity are two
bioethical principles that advise nurses to put the needs and wishes of the patients first and to
respect their human rights (Wildevuur & Simonse, 2015). While being in the position of nursing
process, following bioethical principles is a must to ensure quality and safe care to patients and
to avoid ethical and legal obligation. When patients feel this way, they feel much happier and
their adherence with the treatment increases. Person-centred care makes patients feel empowered
when they think that they are capable enough of taking their own decisions. Therefore, their self
coping capabilities and self management abilities are also seen to get much developed and that
have positive outcomes on their health (Fan et al., 2016). The patients are seen to feel much
satisfied and their compliance with treatments increases. While caring for Mike, I ensured that I
involve him in every of the decisions taken for him by the healthcare team. I showed respect to
him and gave him full authority to take his own decisions. He started feeling involved in the care