As part of the Initial Discharge Planning Assessment, each PCC was asked to give a blessing at the bedside with the patient or to add a moment of brief kind spoken words during completion of all assessments. The goal of this project was to create a transpersonal caring moment between patient and nurse with focus upon use of Caritas Process #4, Creation of a trusting, caring relationship between the nurse and patient in establishing a comprehensive discharge plan.

1. Kaiser Permanente, Northern California
Caritas Consortium 2013
Blessings: Creating a Transpersonal Caring Moment
Caritas in Action
How Caring Science informs and inspires KP caregivers and affirms our commitment to provide our
patients and their families exceptional care

2. Blessings:
Creating a Transpersonal Caring Moment
Intent to Contribute Statement:
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to develop awareness among Patient Care Coordinators of how a transpersonal
caring moment can be created at the bedside with our patients. This project will assist in encouraging reflection on
individual caring practices with fresh eyes and the intent of heightening Caritas consciousness through the use of self
in the creation of a transpersonal healing environment. (Watson, 2008)
Project Description: A brief presentation was given to the Patient Care Coordinators and Managers of the Resource
Management Department in order to provide an overview of the blessings project. Everyone who participated in this
presentation was encouraged to examine the patterns and processes of their interactions with patients as they carried
out such components of their professional roles such as the completion of the Initial Discharge Assessment. Through
this discussion, a number of ways one communicates were identified. Such as: being aware of one’s body
language, listening to the tone and pace of one’s voice, critiquing the choice of words used and, as Jean Watson
describes, reading the “phenomenal field," (Watson, 2008, pg. 79) or, in other words, heightening one’s awareness of
what is going on with and around the patient in the moment. In addition, Caritas literature was made available to each
participant, including: Core Concepts and Caritas Processes™ of Jean Watsons Theory of Human/Caring
Science, Centering Exercises, Creation of a Transpersonal Caring Moment, Caritas Consciousness, and Caritas
Processes™ #1. Cultivating the Practice of Loving-Kindness and Equanimity Toward Self and Other. #4. Developing and
Sustaining a Helping-Trusting Caring Relationship. (Watson, 2008).
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3. Blessings:
Creating a Transpersonal Caring Moment
Con’t:
Project Description: After the initial class, individual and group discussions were held to deepen understanding of
additional strategies that could be used to create a transpersonal caring moment during completion of the initial
discharge planning assessment. Examples were provided of scripted spoken kind words" or blessings. With these
examples in mind, the Patient Care Coordinators were encouraged to move beyond the scripts when they were ready
to express and create from their own hearts a blessing or "spoken kind words” with an individual patient focus.
Projected Outcome: This project is still in process and evolving. From a very personal measure, the projected outcome
of the creation of a blessing for the patient is a renewed sense of meaning and experience of the joy of what it means
to practice heart-focused nursing care. A total of 30 patient blessings have been performed since the project began.
No patient refused the blessing and several patients reported experiencing something beyond their expectation. All
patients gave overwhelming positive feedback.
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4. Blessings:
Creating a Transpersonal Caring Moment
Inspired Contributor(s) 1 :
Joan Adam – Caritas Coach

-----Service Area: East Bay
Medical Center: Oakland
Affiliation: PCS
-----Venue: Caritas Consortium
Format: Poster
ID #: n/a
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Identifier
 Consortium2013-July, East
Bay, Oakland, Poster, Caritas
Coach, Patient Care Services
 Healing
Environment, Self, Patients/Famil
ies
Descriptor
 Caring Moment
Year Shared: 2013
1
Keyword TAGs:
Names as listed in Lotus Notes, otherwise personal e-mails indicated

5. Blessings:
Creating a Transpersonal Caring Moment
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