The theory of people caring by Jean Watson underpins the critical principles of nursing education, assuming holistic, compassionate, and professional care. Careful reasoning about this theory constitutes one of the crucial stages in teaching a nursing student about its specificity and applicability in health facilities. Analyzing this theory enables learners to acquire knowledge and skills vital to nursing. This paper will thus delve into the theory’s background, analyze its strengths and shortcomings, and finally examine the use of the theory in nursing practice today.

Background for Jean Watson’s Theory regarding Human Caring

The aspects of human affection propounded by Jean Watson date back to the 1970s when positive shifts toward a more holistic approach to patient care occurred in nursing. Ultimately, Watson was significantly influenced by existential philosophies, phenomenology, and spiritual conventions. This caused her to develop a theory that accentuates the interrelatedness of mind, body, and soul in the healing process (Gonzalo, 2023). This conceptual model contributes to the idea that nursing is figurative, not just experimental, and vocational, emphasizing intuitive knowledge, experienced understanding, and compassionate care in nurse-patient relationships.

Watson’s philosophy of human care frequently encompasses rules for nurse-patient interactions. It highlights the issues and problems usually associated with patients, even in the intensive care units (Gonzalo, 2023). Rather than describing the fourth meta-paradigm concept of the environment, Watson identified ten qualities crucial to the caring relationship between people that nurses should address while caring for their patients. Watson asserted that caring is typically the moral ideal of nursing, which aims to preserve human dignity; “the moral ideal of nursing, whereby the end is protection, enhancement, and preservation of human dignity,” respectful interpersonal relationships tend to be highly paramount in protecting and preserving human dignity. Watson’s Carative Factors tend to uphold the patients’ caring experience. These particular factors usually aim to facilitate honour healing and contribute to the evolution of humanity (Pajnkihar et al., 2017). Watson stressed that nursing education should emphasize individualized, holistic, and client-centred nursing care.

A Critical Analysis of Jean Watson’s Model of Human Affection

Using relational and emotional elements in care, Watson’s philosophy reveals the essence and necessity of dealing with patients comprehensively to their physical and psychological wellness. Such an all-inclusive approach goes hand-in-hand with the latest healthcare paradigms inclined toward the multi-factorial nature of health and health outcomes, often interconnected with the social determinants of health and psychosocial well-being (Ozan & Okumuş, 2020). Moreover, Watson emphasizes the nurse-patient relationship, which promotes trust and rapport. It has a positive impact on patient satisfaction and compliance with therapeutic regimens.

Watson has offered an alternative theory, but certain flaws in that theory should be evaluated critically. One thing to mention is that the method still needs to be scientifically supported to improve patient results. Even though qualitative research has explored the compassion and empathy that nurses and patients possess within the defined context of the caring process, there remains a need for rigorous and scientific research strategies that will study how the caring theory would impact different types of healthcare settings. Another area for improvement of the Watson approach is that those opponents claim that the applicability rate of her theory can be relatively low in highly technical or skilled care where the primary target is speed and a task-oriented attitude. However, its direct applicability might be limited to some clinical settings and should be adapted to the existence of evidence-based practices.

However, these limitations do not put Watson’s theory out of date; it is still helpful and impacts current nursing practice. Its holistic outlook and its stress on compassion and empathy are aspects of healthcare that become more important with the evolving industry, which is becoming more patient-centred and interdisciplinary (Rossillo et al., 2020). Moreover, the theory helps nurses build therapeutic communication skills and foster professional empathy, significant points in patient care. As we advance, it will be vital for continuous critical judgment and the merging of empirical data to keep updating and validating Watson’s theories to make sure they are always applicable and significant with the shifting changes in health care.

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