Nurses’ performance in palliative care: spiritual care in the light of Theory of Human Caring

ABSTRACT Objectives: to analyze nurses’ role in assisting patients in palliative care, with emphasis on the spiritual dimension, in the light of Theory of Human Caring. Methods: this is an exploratory, qualitative study, carried out in a hospital in João Pessoa, Paraíba, between August and December 2019, with 10 nurses. For data collection, semi-structured interviews were used. For analysis, we opted for content analysis. Results: the spiritual dimension of care is contemplated by several religious and spiritual practices. These are respected and encouraged by nurses, although there is difficulty in providing care for the spiritual dimension. Final Considerations: nurses have attitudes consistent with Jean Watson’s Theory and apply the Caritas Process elements during assistance to patients’ spiritual dimension in palliative care.

Sexual Violence: A Review and Case Study Utilizing Watson’s Caring Science

The care provided to persons who experience sexual violence is complex and needs to be individualized and account for the person’s expressed needs. Nurses have the potential to facilitate the recovery from such traumatic events. Utilizing Watson’s theory of human caring science, nursing care practices provide an influence through their utilization of artistry with caring-healing processes and attending to the healing environment for people. The authors in this article present a case study enlightening the applicability, implementation, and outcomes of caring for patients with this experience sensitively and holistically.

Caritas Education: Theory to Practice

Increasingly complex occupational demands along with varied educational and personal examples of caring, may impact the ability to deeply connect with patients. Literature has identified that nurses and patients have differing perceptions of caring behaviors. Jean Watson's Theory of Human Caring provides a framework for care delivery that focuses on the caring nurse–patient relationship and the experience through the patients' lens.Caring healing relationships are at the core of professional nursing. The purpose of this project was to design and deliver an educational seminar based on Jean Watson's Theory of Human Caring to newly graduated nurses to examine the impact on self-efficacy in caring behaviors.The project participants (N = 56) consisted of a nonprobability convenience sample of newly graduated nurses at a local faith-based community hospital. The educational intervention consisted of experiential learning activities to facilitate translating theory to practice. The study utilized the Caring Efficacy Scale (CES), which is an instrument based on Watson's caring theory and Albert Bandura's self-efficacy theory. Results demonstrated a significant improvement in caring efficacy between the preintervention (M = 5.1, SD = .47), and immediate post intervention (M = 5.5, SD = .38); t (52) = −9.09, p = .000.The knowledge from this study could provide insights for the development of effective teaching strategies to facilitate translating nursing theory to practice. Establishing and developing skills to facilitate nurturing, caring nurse–patient relationships may enhance both the patient and caregiver experience.

Employing Watson's Theory of Human Caring With People Experiencing Loss and Grief

Loss is a fundamental human experience, and with loss comes grief. Healthcare's fast-paced, high-tech, professional environment is juxtaposed to the human caring focus of the nursing profession. Providing nurses with a theoretical context for working with people dealing with loss and grief will help nurses to provide care to those in need. By employing the three major conceptual elements of Watson's Theory of Human Caring, the caritas processes, the transpersonal caring relationship, and the caring occasion/caring moment, a nurse can create a more holistically therapeutic experience for patients and families.