Nursing has changed dramatically throughout time. The modern changes in healthcare have directly affected nursing and many nurses have found the need to change their practice. In this paper, I discuss a strong nurse leader in the modern age: Jean Watson. She set a precedent for caring that many nurses follow today. Being knowledgeable of Watson’s caring theory and her dedication to human connection helps we, as nurses, care for patients on many different levels. Her theories remind us to care not just on the physical level, but also emotionally and spiritually as well. These aspects could be ignored because of the demands of evolving healthcare. The following paper discusses Jean Watsons’ education and experience, her impact on the nursing profession, and her leadership behaviors that led her to an influential nursing career.
Margaret Jean Harmon Watson was born in West Virginia, along the Appalachian Mountains, on June 10th, 1940. She was the youngest of eight children and was surrounded by an extended family communal environment (Jesse, 2010). Dr. Watson states that she is Protestant, although growing up Presbyterian. She explains her religious beliefs “However I am more inclined to honor the sacredness of all and unitary view that unites a shared world view of connectedness, beyond the physical Earth plane: honoring the reality of the world- we are all connected to a source- that which is greater than us, honoring diversity of beliefs” (J Watson, personal communication, January 18th, 2014).
Her religious beliefs and ideals would later influence her nursing practice. She studied at the University of Colorado where she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing and psychology. She continued her education and earned a Masters degree in psychiatric mental health nursing and a Ph.D. in educational psychology and counseling (“Nursing Theory”, 2013).
Dr. Jean Watson is Distinguished Professor and Dean Emerita at University of Colorado Denver College of Nursing and Anschutz Medical Center, where she also held an endowed Chair in Caring Science for 16 years. She is a founder of the original Center for Human Caring in Colorado and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She previously served as Dean of Nursing at the University Health Sciences Center and is a Past President of the National League for Nursing.
Her latest activities include Founder and Director of the non-profit foundation Watson Caring Science Institute. In partnership with Heart science developments, she serves as Distinguished Scholar in Institute of HeartMath. She is a widely published author and recipient of many awards and honors including The Fetzer Institute Norman Cousins Award in recognition of her commitment to developing, maintaining and exemplifying relationship-centered care practices. She also holds an international Kellogg Fellowship in Australia and a Fulbright Research Award in Sweden. She holds ten Honorary Doctoral Degrees including 7 International Honorary Doctorates (Sweden, United Kingdom, Spain, British Colombia and Quebec, Canada, Japan) (Watson Caring Science Institute & International Caritas, 2013).
At the University of Colorado, Dr. Watson held the title of Distinguished Professor of Nursing, which is the highest honor, accorded its faculty for scholarly work. In 1999 she assumed the Murchinson-Scoville Chair in Caring Science, the nation’s first endowed chair in Caring Science based at the University of Colorado Denver & Anschutz Medical Center. In 2013, Dr. Watson was honored with the distinction of “Living Legend” by the American Academy of Nursing, the Academy’s highest recognition of honor (Watson Caring Science Institute & International Caritas, 2013).
Today’s nursing practice is continually influenced by the theories created by Dr. Watson. Many institutions introduce Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring as a guide to patient care. Applying Watson’s theory not only allows for nurses to better care for patients as a whole, but also allows for nurses to better care for themselves as whole beings as well (Gonzalo, 2011). Watson’s main research throughout her career focused in the area of human caring and loss. She founded the “Caring Theory” in 1979 and it served as a guide for the fundamentals of nursing. In Watson’s view, the disease might be cured, but illness would remain because without caring, health is not attained (Gonzalo, 2011).
Watson’s caring theory consists of three core concepts: carative factors, the transpersonal caring relationship, and the caring occasion or caring moment. The carative factors aim to “honor the human dimensions of nursing’s work and the inner life world and subjective experiences of the people we serve” (Lachman, 2012). There are now ten carative, known as caritas factors, that are guidelines for nurses to put caring practice into action (Watson Caring Science Institute, 2010). Watson’s caring model requires the nurse to look at the uniqueness of the individual patient and to make every effort possible to preserve patient dignity. The transpersonal caring relationship calls nurses to make a caring and moral commitment to connect with their patient. The caring occasion moment examines the space and time for the caring to occur (Lachman, 2012).
Dr. Jean Watson had many leadership attributes that led to her achievement of so her outstanding goals. Watson expanded her knowledge past nursing by studying other areas of human behavior. She continuously referred to another great nursing leader, Florence Nightingale, for guidance in the development of her theories and work. She was a leader who dedicated herself to the betterment of the patient and to the advancement of nurse interaction. She never forgot the importance of patient interaction in healing even as she grew away from bedside nursing. She expanded her leadership and expertise by founding The Watson Caring Science Institute.
It is an international non-profit foundation created to advance the philosophies, theories, and practices of human caring. The Watson Institute builds upon the lifetime background and clinical experience of Watson. Dr. Watson has spent much of her career traveling throughout the world educating and developing the science, theories, and philosophies of caring used by nurses (Watson Caring Science Institute & International Caritas, 2013). In conclusion, Jean Watson is a modern day icon in the nursing profession. She is still making tremendous strides towards further developing the nursing profession. Whether agreed with or not, Dr. Watson puts all her emphasis on care of the patient and that is what should be most important to us in our nursing careers.
