Analyzing Watson's Theory of Caring in Nursing Practice

This article critically analyzes Watson's Theory of Caring in nursing practice and its integration into research and practice basis. It discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the theory and its impact on the nursing profession.

Running head: NURSING THEORY 1
Nursing Theory
Professor’s Name
Student Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date

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Advanced Nursing theory
Advanced Nursing theory
The emergence of theories in the nursing workforce has been facilitated greatly by the various
progression in the nursing education. These progressions due to the introduction of different
disciplines in the academic and professions. The theories promote an autonomy especially when
applies as a guideline in making decisions and thinking critically. The main objective of this
piece of work is to analyze critically the theory of caring presented by Watson. The article will
also try to illustrate the theory of Watson. For a decade of years, many people have chosen to
nurse as profession and career. A research done has shown different rationales and the basis to
contemplate on nursing profession (Watson 2012). Though compassion and the cognitive
behaviour is very vital in the nursing workforce. The compassion is more important because of
the responses and impetus justification that patient's care is the most fundamental goal and must
be given first priority.
The article will look into the fundamental necessities of every patient which include food,
shelter, clothes and healthcare. Hence every nurse is obliged to take all these basic needs into
consideration while carrying his or her duties. Watson's theory has therefore scrutinized greatly
the roles of nurses in the healthcare. The theory has taken care of how nursing practices can be
advanced in order to elevate the well-being of the patients and clients. Watson theory can,
therefore, become effective if the seven assumptions are adhered to. The article has also revealed
that the primary needs of the patients are connected to the four basic concepts of the Watson
theory. Nursing health care, individual patients and the environment have also constituted the
universal nursing procedures. The emanation of the Watson's theory has tried to analyze the gain

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and the way people view nursing profession globally. The theory views the art differently from
other proposed theory (Dossey et 2012)
The theory has emphasized on the understanding oneself deeply and human to the human
relationship which results to the harmony of the soul, mind and body health. The caring science
theory by Watson and the science of philosophy are felicitous philosophy in developing the
nursing workforce. The Watson theory article has vividly proven to nurse to be science and an
art. The fact to this is through the application of the theory in nursing procedures, various
methodologies, education and researches (Swanson 2012).
Discussion of how the Watson theory has been integrated into research and practice basis
The nursing procedures guided by the Watson theory incorporated similar scientific research
steps, analysis, intervention and plans. The Watson theory tries to endorse the analysis of
identification, reviewing of the problems and observations and also formulating the research
questions. Their nursing practitioners have to come up with the plan that aid in determining the
variables that would be used for investigation and the kind of data to be collected. Then the data
is examined and the results are used in formulating research questions.
The nursing profession is viewed differently traditionally. For many years the nursing profession
people regarded it as the ladylike job in its innate characteristics. It's due to it tradition concepts
developed of taking care of the sick for decades. Hence nursing profession has remained as a
stereotyped to be dominated by many females. Other than the feminized view of nursing
traditionally, Lachman (2012) views nursing as a form of ritual. For instance, washing hands for
disease-causing micro-organism control and other self-preparation before getting the ward.

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Watson theory depicted the Caritas procedures as the one to cultivate equanimity, kindness and
love. A nurse is not allowed to get into Caritas procedures for healthcare with no personal
preparation. Developing trust and good preparation is among the many Caritas procedures
described by Watson. Personal preparedness is vital for any nursing practitioner since there need
to understand the best practices in order to offer appropriate safety, quality and competency to
their clients. According to Ray (2012), there are significant roles of the nursing theories. These
include the nursing researchers, patient examinations, interventions and diagnosis. The theories
have contributed much to improve the nursing quality and the value. The theories have paved
way for the communication procedures and incorporated other disciplines that involve the
healthcare. Watson nursing theory has supported the nursing profession autonomous, reliability,
responsibilities and the advancement of the healthcare practices (Reed, 2017).
The goals and objectives of the project have a lot to do with the differences between the self-
experienced and the self-perceived. An individual will get ill only when there is a disunity within
the soul, body and mind (Alligood 2017). In this case, the illness does not necessarily mean a
sickness or a disease. It may be some kind of uncertainty of the unconscious and conscious of a
person. It helps nurses to gain the autonomy and the freedom in the context of their professional
requirements and responsibilities. The concept of the Watson's theory validity is fully elaborated
on the bases of strengths and weakness. The two antagonistic factors are used to give Watson's
theory the determination of its application in terms of utilitarianism in the field of nursing
(Watson
et al 2012).

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Strength
The theory is quite appealing due to the emphasis it put on the philosophy of caring instead of
a specific situational theory. This gives some room for it to be used in almost all areas of the
nursing field. Wanton's theory has been widely used recently by the medical practitioners due to
their desire and needs to come up with a holistic method towards the health care. The current
popularity of the ‘science of caring' has influenced some scholars like Tomey and Marriner to
note
that there is some increase in the number of articles offering nursing care that reference to
Watson.
They include the importance of care as an essential sphere of nursing. Watson's theory has been
embraced and applied in many different settings like the care for the elderly, pediatric care and
intensive care unit (Sharf,2016). When using the theory, the nurse spends some good time with
the patient making the theory the most appropriate to undergo an accurate evaluation. If well
utilized, it offers the best chance for both the client and the nurse to develop a strong relationship
and trust between them. This relationship is then used to improve the understanding and the self-
knowledge of both parties. The client's anxiety is reduced to enable him/her to open up freely
to the nurse with an assurance of being understood, cared for and respected (Özkan et al 2013)

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Watson theory has another health benefit for different clients. The client gains some knowledge
on control of different events as well as self-care they are rather than dealing with the internal
negative feelings about their conditions. The clients are enabled to mutually participate in a
respectful and trust founded relationships with an increase in their sense of self-worth and
independence (Wiklund et al 2013). Most of the elderly clients are constantly affected by
hopelessness.an the fear of death. Watson believed that it is the duty of everybody involved in
nursing care (nurses and clients) to understand their feelings and positively influence the
relationship between them. The caring of the old people is really effective to their spiritual,
psychological emotional and physical health (Wu & Volker 2012).
Weaknesses
The science of caring theory has been greatly adopted and applied in different domains of
nursing though it has some weaknesses. The main component of the theory is to improve and
enhance the relationship between the patient and nurse.it focuses on creating a good and suitable
environment for interaction. It lays more emphases on personal relationships rather than
communal (Butts & Rich,2013).
One of the major weaknesses of Watson's theory is that the patient's biophysical needs are given
less attention. The main focus is directed to the psychosocial needs of the client. This is a key
limitation to health since the biophysical requirements of the client are not given the needed
importance (Alligood 2013).
Watson's theory is also weak because it demands the level of care that is practically impossible
due to the short period spent in the hospital and the acuity of the sickness. In the bureaucratic
health care system and the business-oriented era, the theory is extremely difficult to be

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implemented by the nurses. The nurses find today's hospital practices and policies complicated
and they limit their ability to implement it. The health system has different beliefs and values
that hinder its implementation. Watson's theory changes the attention from the idea of treatment
to focus on caring and healing.it calls for the restructuring the entire health system to focus on
healing which is not practically possible (Vandenhouten et al 2012).
References
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Watson, N. (2012). Theorising the lives of disabled children: How can disability theory help?.
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