Dr. Kristen Swanson “Theory of Caring” Prepared by: Amira Mansoor Course Instructor Dr: Maria Charito Indonto Learning Objectives.. Background of Theorist Theoretical Sources 5 Domains on Knowledge of Caring Major Assumptions The Structure of Caring Acceptance by the Nursing Community Further Development Analysis Conclusion References Theory of caring “ Caring is a nurturing way of relating to a valued whom one feels a personal sense of commitment and responsibility ” (Swanson, 1991) Dr. Kristen M. Swanson RN PhD FAAN (1953 to present) Born in Providence, Rhode Island Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Magna Cum Laude) University of Rhode Island, College of Nursing 1975. RN, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester. Master Degree in Adult Health Illness Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1978. Dr. Kristen M. Swanson RN PhD FAAN (1953 to present),con. Work as Clinical Instructor of Medical Surgical Nursing Dept. University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Ph.D. in Nursing, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado. Dean and Alumni Distinguished Professor , University of North Carolina (UNC), School of Nursing at Chapel Hill; Associate Chief Nursing Officer for Academic Affairs UNC hospital, 2009 Theoretical Sources Caring Knowing Being With Doing For Enabling Maintaining Belief Caring- is a nurturing way of relating to a valued other toward whom one feels a personal sense of commitment and responsibility. Knowing – is a striving to understand the meaning of an event in the life of other, avoiding assumptions, focusing on the person cared for, seeking cues, assessing meticulously, and engaging both the one caring and the one cared for in the process of knowing. Being With – means emotionally present to the other. It includes being there in person, conveying availability, and sharing feelings wihtout burdening the one cared for. Doing For – means to do for others what one would do for self if at all possible, including anticipating needs comforting, performing skillfully and competently, and protecting the one cared for while preserving his or her dignity. Enabling – facilitating the other’s passage through life transition and unfamiliar events by focusing on the event, informing, explaining supporting, validating feelings, generating alternatives, thinking things through, and giving feedback. Maintaining Belief – is sustaining faith in others capacity to get through an event or transition and face a future with meaning, believing in other’s capacity and holding him or her in high esteem, maintaining a hope filled attitude, offering realistic optimism, helping to find meaning, and standing by the once cared for no matter what the situation. 6 5 Domains on Knowledge of Caring 1st – persons capacities to deliver caring. 2nd – individuals concerns and commitments that lead to caring actions. 3rd – conditions (nurse, client, organization) that enhance or diminish the likelihood of ...

1. Dr. Kristen Swanson
“Theory of Caring”
Prepared by: Amira Mansoor
Course Instructor Dr: Maria Charito Indonto
Learning Objectives..
Background of Theorist
Theoretical Sources
5 Domains on Knowledge of Caring
Major Assumptions
The Structure of Caring
Acceptance by the Nursing Community
Further Development
Analysis
Conclusion
References
Theory of caring
“ Caring is a nurturing way of relating to a valued whom one
feels a personal sense of commitment and responsibility ”
(Swanson, 1991)

2. Dr. Kristen M. Swanson RN PhD FAAN (1953 to present)
Born in Providence, Rhode Island
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Magna Cum Laude) University
of Rhode Island, College of Nursing 1975.
RN, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester.
Master Degree in Adult Health Illness Nursing, University of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1978.
Dr. Kristen M. Swanson RN PhD FAAN (1953 to present),con.
Work as Clinical Instructor of Medical Surgical Nursing Dept.
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Ph.D. in Nursing, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado.
Dean and Alumni Distinguished Professor , University of North
Carolina (UNC), School of Nursing at Chapel Hill; Associate
Chief Nursing Officer for Academic Affairs UNC hospital, 2009
Theoretical Sources
Caring
Knowing
Being With
Doing For
Enabling
Maintaining Belief

3. Caring- is a nurturing way of relating to a valued other toward
whom one feels a personal sense of commitment and
responsibility.
Knowing – is a striving to understand the meaning of an event
in the life of other, avoiding assumptions, focusing on the
person cared for, seeking cues, assessing meticulously, and
engaging both the one caring and the one cared for in the
process of knowing.
Being With – means emotionally present to the other. It
includes being there in person, conveying availability, and
sharing feelings wihtout burdening the one cared for.
Doing For – means to do for others what one would do for self
if at all possible, including anticipating needs comforting,
performing skillfully and competently, and protecting the one
cared for while preserving his or her dignity.
Enabling – facilitating the other’s passage through life
transition and unfamiliar events by focusing on the event,
informing, explaining supporting, validating feelings,
generating alternatives, thinking things through, and giving
feedback.
Maintaining Belief – is sustaining faith in others capacity to get
through an event or transition and face a future with meaning,
believing in other’s capacity and holding him or her in high
esteem, maintaining a hope filled attitude, offering realistic
optimism, helping to find meaning, and standing by the once
cared for no matter what the situation.
6
5 Domains on Knowledge of Caring
1st – persons capacities to deliver caring.
2nd – individuals concerns and commitments that lead to caring

4. actions.
3rd – conditions (nurse, client, organization) that enhance or
diminish the likelihood of delivering care.
4th – actions of caring.
5th – consequences or the intentional and unintentional
outcomes of caring for both the client and the provider.
Major Assumptions
Swanson further developed her theory of “informed caring” by
making the following assumptions explicit about the four main
phenomena of concern to the nursing discipline:
NURSING
PERSON/ CLIENT
HEALTH
ENVIRONMENT
Nursing – as defined by Swanson is an informed caring for the
well being others. She asserts that the nursing discipline is
informed by emperical knowledge from nursing and other
related disciplines, as well as “ethical, personal and aesthetic
knowledge derived from the humanities, clinical experience,
and personal, societal values, and expectations.
Persons- is a unique beings who are in midst of becoming and
whose wholeness is made manifest in thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors. Persons both shape and are shaped by the
environment in which they live.
Health – According to Swanson “ to live the subjective,

5. meaning filled experiences. Wholeness involves a sense of
integration and becoming wherein all facets of being are free to
be expressed. The facets of being include the many selves that
make us a human; our spirituality, thoughts, feelings,
intelligence, creativity, relatedness, feminity, masculinity and
sexuality to name just a few”, Swanson sees reestablishing well
being as a complex process of curing and healing that includes
“releasing inner pain, establishing new meanings, restoring
integration, and emerging into a sense of renewed wholeness”.
Environment – is any context that influences or is influenced by
the designated client, examples are environment, cultural,
social, biophysical, political, and economic realm, to name only
a few.
8
The Structure of Caring
Maintaining Belief
Knowing
Being With
Doing For
Enabling
Maintaining Belief – is a philosophical attitudes towards
persons ( in general) and the designated client (in specific).
Knowing – informed understanding of the clinical condition (in
general) and the situation and client in specific.
Being With –means message conveyed.
Doing for – are therapeutic actions.
Enabling – client well being, and the intended outcome.
9
Acceptance by the Nursing Community
Practice

6. Education
Research
Practice – Swanson theory has been embraced as a framework
for professional nursing practice. Nurse caring is manifested in
different ways and practice context. For example in postpartum
context demonstration of a baby bath to new parents
incorporates all five caring processes. The act involves being
with demonstrating bathing to the newborn to the parents.
Education –Swansons theory offer nurse educators a simple
way of initiating students into profession by immersing them in
the language of what it means to be caring and cared for in
order to promote, restore maintain the optimal wellness of
individual.
Research – examples of application of Swanson’s Theory of
Caring in clinical research include exploring clinical
scholarship in practice, guidelines for nurses working with
patients diagnosed with different multiple ailments.
10
Further Development
Clarity
Simplicity
Generality
Accessibility
Importance
Clarity – the concept of caring and caring processes (knowing,
being with, doing for, enabling, and maintaining belief) that are

7. central for theory are clearly defined and arranged in logical
sequence that describes the processes of caring delivery, her
theory offer contextual linkages with concepts of the nursing
discipline (person, nurse, environment and health).
Simplicity – it has minimal number of concepts. It brings the
importance of caring to the forefront and exemplifies the
disciplines and values. The main purpose of theory is to foster
delivery of nursing care focused on the needs of the individuals
while fostering their dignity, respect, and empowerment.
Simplicity and consistent language used to define the concepts
and processes allows student and nurses to understand and apply
Swanson theory in their practice.
Generality – Theory of Caring may be applied in research and
clinical work with diverse population. The conditions essential
for delivering caring that promotes individuals wholeness across
the the life span have been described clearly, hence the theory
has been generally accepted.
Accessibility – the completeness and simplicity of operational
definitions strengthens emperical precisions of this theory. The
template for delivering caring based interventions and the
research based instruments open possibilities for use and further
testing with other populations.
Importance – Swansons theory of caring describes nurse client
relationships that promote wholeness and healing. The theory
offers a framework for enhancing contemporary nursing
practice, education, and research, while brining the discipline to
its traditional values and caring healing roots.
11
Analysis
Dr. Swansons “Theory of Caring” are applicable in research and
clinical work with diverse populations. The conditions essential
for delivering caring that promotes individual’s wholeness
across the life span has been describe by Dr. Swanson (1999).
Thus the theory is generalizable to nurse client relationship in
clinical setting.

8. Conclusion
Dr. Swanson “theory of caring” describes the nurse client
relationships that promotes wholeness and healing. The theory
offers a framework for enhancing contemporary nursing
practice, education, research, while bringing the discipline to its
traditional values and caring healing roots.
It has been applied to interdisciplinary caring relationships
beyond nurse client relationships. It most recent research it has
intensified linkages among nursing research, education, and
practice. Dr. Swanson has worked in strengthening the
scholarship that support nursing education and research in
clinical practice through equality, her research has been seen
mostly in Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washinton
D.C. USA.
References
Swanson K.M. (1998) Caring Made Visible, Creative thinking
4(4),8-11,16.
Swanson K.M. (1999). The Effects of Caring, Measurement, and
time on Miscarriage impact and women’s well being in the first
year subsequent to loss. Nursing Research, 48 (6), 288-298.
Swanson K.M., Chen H.T. Graham, J.C.; Wojnar, D.M. &
Petras , A. (2009) Resoulution of depression and grief during
the first year after miscarriage; A Randomized Controlled
Clinical Trial Couples focused on Interventions. Journal of
Women’s Health and Gender Based Medicine 18(8), 1245-1257.
Nursing Theorist and their Work by Martha Raile Alligood; 8th
edition, 2015.

9. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Education
University of Hail
College of Nursing
‫ة‬ ‫عودي‬ ‫س‬ ‫ال‬ ‫ية‬ ‫عرب‬ ‫ال‬ ‫كة‬ ‫ل‬ ‫مم‬ ‫ال‬
‫يم‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ال‬ ‫وزارة‬
‫ل‬ ‫ـائ‬ ‫ح‬ ‫عـة‬ ‫امـ‬ ‫ج‬
‫ض‬ ‫تمري‬ ‫ال‬ ‫ية‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ك‬
Theoretical Foundation for Nursing (NURS 501)
Guide for Theory Critique – Written Assignment
GUIDELINES FOR THEORY CRITIQUE – WRITTEN
ASSIGNMENT
The Theory Critique is an essay that you will systematically
evaluate a theory on work’s effectiveness including what it does
well and what it does poorly. You discuss your assigned theory
and must read carefully specifically the unfamiliar terms or

10. concepts. If you are unfamiliar with the terms and concepts, it
requires you to do research related reading prior to writing the
theory critique written assignment.
I. INTRODUCTION
State the title of the theory you are assigned to critique. The
name of the theorist. Outline main ideas of the theory and the
application in the nursing practice. State your own statement
and your own idea about the theory.
e.g. The environment theory of Florence Nightingale is an
excellent work
because the theory . . .
II. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRUCTURE AND
FUNCTION
· Clarity
· Consistency
· Simplicity/Complexity
III. DIAGRAM OF THEORY
The critique/analysis may look at whether the theory is:
· Visual and graphic presentation
· Logical representation
· Clarity
IV. CIRCLE OF CONTAGIOUSNESS
· Geographical origin of theory and geographical spread
· Influence of theorist versus theory.
V. USEFULNESS
Criteria
Unit of Analysis
Practice
· Direction
· Applicability
· Generalizability
· Cost Effectiveness
· Relevance

11. Research
· Consistency
· Testability
· Predictability
Education
· Philosophical statement
· Objectives
· Concepts
Administration
· Structure of care
· Organization of care
· Guidelines for patient care
· Patient classification system
VI. EXTERNAL COMPONENTS OF THEORY
Criteria
Units of Analysis
Personal Values
· Theorist implicit/explicit values
· Critic implicit/explicit values
Congruence with other professional values
· Complementarity
· Esotericism
· Competition
Congruence with social values
· Beliefs
· Values
· Customs
Social Significance
· Value of Humanity
VII. REFERENCES
Five (5) minimum references with APA format.
Please follow the cover page.

12. ‫ة‬ ‫عودي‬ ‫س‬ ‫ال‬ ‫ية‬ ‫عرب‬ ‫ال‬ ‫كة‬ ‫ل‬ ‫مم‬ ‫ال‬
‫يم‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ال‬ ‫وزارة‬
‫ل‬ ‫ـائ‬ ‫ح‬ ‫عـة‬ ‫امـ‬ ‫ج‬
‫ض‬ ‫تمري‬ ‫ال‬ ‫ية‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ك‬
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Education
University of Hail
College of Nursing
Title of the Theory
Theory Critique
Theoretical Foundation
NURS 501
Name of the Student
Name of the Professor
Page 1 of 3
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