This document discusses several nursing theorists and their perspectives on caring. It notes that caring is universal and influences how people think and act. Several theorists such as Nightingale, Benner, Leininger, and Watson view caring as central to nursing. Benner equates excellent nursing with caring. Leininger sees caring as nurturing and dependent on an individual's culture. Watson focuses on holistic caring to help patients achieve healing and wholeness. Caring involves knowing patients, being with them, doing for them, enabling them, and maintaining belief in them.

1. Nursing Hi Nursing

2. Caring is Universal...Nursing Hi Nursing
• Influences the way people think,
feel and act
• Many nursing theorists have
tired to “define” caring –
Nightingale was first
• Caring is the heart of nursing

3. Benner (Holistic Theory)…. Nursing Hi Nursing
• Equates excellent nursing practice with
CARING
• People, events, projects (things) have
importance
• Caring means connectedness or involvement
• Caring helps patients understand and adjust
to illness

4. Benner, con’t….. Nursing Hi Nursing
• Defines health as a state of being
– Individualized by one’s
• Values
• Personality
• Lifestyle
– Treatment for illness is worthless if not
applied to the individual

5. Leininger (Transcultural) Nursing Hi Nursing
• Caring is the essence of Nursing – it is a
distinguishing characteristic
• Purpose of care is to assist the individual
toward improvement in condition
• Caring is
– Nurturing
– Dependent on needs of individual
– Must reflect the patient’s own culture

6. Watson (Transpersonal) Nursing Hi Nursing
• Holistic
– Patient, family, environment
• Nurses exhibit conscious decision to care
– This helps patient toward healing and
wholeness
• Focus in on cAre, not cUre
– cAring “inner healing” health
• Nurse & patient affected by relationship

7. Swanson….. Nursing Hi Nursing
• Caring is has 5 dimensions
– Knowing
– Being with
– Doing for
– Enabling
– Maintaing belief
• Caring is central to nursing
• Theory can be applied to clinical setting

8. Caring is Relational …. Nursing Hi Nursing
• Patients value nurse Effectiveness
– Ability to perform tasks
• Also value nurse Affect
– Attitude or demeanor while performing the
tasks
• Patients are more willing to participate if they
sense that they are cared about

9. Ethic of Care …. Nursing Hi Nursing
• Protects human dignity
• Often perceived as a moral imperative
• Requires awareness of potential unequality
in relationships
– This due to either real or perceived “power”
that patient assigns to the nurse
– Knowledge is power

10. Expressions of Care…. Nursing Hi Nursing
• Spiritual
– Being aware of & honoring patient’s beliefs
• Presence
– Being there
• Physically present
• Demonstrating understanding
– Being with
• Sharing oneself

11. Nursing Hi Nursing
• Touch
– Skin-to-skin
– Eye contact (nonverbal)
– Protective – to prevent injury
• Listening
– Taking in patient information
– Interpreting what has been taken in

12. Nursing Hi Nursing
• Knowing
– Understanding the client
– Understanding the planned interventions
– Avoid making assumptions
– Focuses on client

13. Nursing Hi Nursing
Parveen Kumar Chadha