Watson’s theory of caring in nursing education: challenges to integrate into nursing practice

Abstract

Nursing is based on the principle of caring. Caring involves looking after and providing care to the patients. The first of these two main domains in holistic nursing are concerned with professional expertise and knowledge, while the second is concerned with client religious and emotional considerations. Endorsing the principle of human caring as the foundation or guide for nursing profession is one way to ensure that caring is important to the patients' experience. Watson's caring theory says that nursing care goes beyond human interaction and instead focuses on the patient's soul. When a nurse cares for a patient, Watson argues that the nurse enters the patient's living space and detects his or her psychological state. Nursing education is important in the formation and advancement of caring qualities, and this should be stressed throughout their careers. The problem is to discover ways to integrate Watson's Human Caring Theories into practice as it continues to expand and drive the nursing discipline. According to research, both the nurses and the patients benefit from this shared experience when patients are involved in this way. When the caring theory is incorporated into the undergraduate nursing curriculum, nursing students learn to use the theory in their own practice from the beginning, allowing for a more realistic nursing experience for themselves and their patients. Using Dr Jean Watson ideas can add a new depth to learning that is both rewarding and challenging.