JEAN WATSON’S THEORY OF

TRANSPERSONAL CARING
MARGARET JEAN
WATSON
 Born: West Virginia in 1940 July 21 st.
Educated: BSN (1964), MS (1966), PhD
(1973) from University of Colorado.
Dr. Watson has earned undergraduate
and graduate degrees in nursing and
psychiatric mental health nursing and
PhD in educational psychology and
counseling.
 Distinguished Professor of Nursing at
the University of Colorado Health
Sciences Center.
 She was also the Dean of Nursing at
the University Health Sciences Center
and President of the National League
for Nursing Widely publish
 MARGARET JEAN

WATSON
Widely published author and recipient of
several awards and honors, six Honorary
Doctoral Degrees, including 3 International
Honorary Doctorates (Sweden, United
Kingdom, Canada).
 Her research has been in the area of
human caring and loss.
The foundation of Jean Watson’s theory of
nursing was published in 1979 in nursing:
“The philosophy and science of caring”
In 1988, her theory was published in
“nursing: human science and human care”.
In 2002 she published the book “Assessing
and measuring caring in nursing and health
MARGARET JEAN WATSON
MILESTONES:
 Author and co-author of over 20
books
 Past President of the National
League of Nursing
 Fellow of American Academy of
Nursing
 Distinguished Professor of
Nursing and Chair in Caring
Science at the University of
Colorado Health Sciences Center
(watsoncaringscience.org, 2015)
 MARGARET JEAN WATSO
 Founding member of International
Association in Human Caring and
International Caritas Consortium
 Founder and Director of the
Watson Caring and Science
Institute
 In 2010 launched the Million nurse
Global Caring Field Project (2015)
 October 2013 was inducted as a
Living Legend by the American
Academy of Nursing (Kelly, 2013)
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS OF THE THEORY
Watson proposes even assumption of about the science of caring
these are:
 Caring can be effectively demonstrated and practiced
only
 Effective caring promotes health and individual
interpersonally.
or family growth.
 Caring responses accept person not only as he
or she is now but as what he or she may
become.
 BASIC ASSUMPTIONS OF THE THEORY
A caring environment is one that offers the
development of potential while allowing the person
to chose the best action for himself at a given point
in time.
 Caring is more “health ogenic” than is curing. A
science of caring is complementary to the science if
curing.
 The practice of caring is central to
nursing.
 METAPARADIGM IN NURSING
NURSING
According to Watson “nursing is concerned with
promoting health, preventing illness, caring for
the sick and restoring health”.

She defines nursing as “A human science of persons

and human health-illness experiences that are
mediated by professional, personal, scientific, aesthetic
and ethical human transactions”.
 METAPARADIGM IN NURSING
PERSON
Watson views the person as “a unity of mind, body,
spirit and nature”.
She adopts a view of the human being as: “….. a
valued person in and of him or herself to be
cared for, respected, nurtured, understood and
assisted; in general a philosophical view of a
person as a fully functional integrated self”
 METAPARADIGM IN NURSING
HEALTH
refers to unity and harmony within the mind, body
and soul.
It is also Watson, in addition to WHO’s definition
includes these three elements:
1. high level of over all physical, mental and social
functioning.
2. A general adaptive – maintenance level of daily
functioning
3. The absence of illness
 METAPARADIGM IN NURSING
ENVIRONMENT
 According to Watson caring has existed in
every society.
 A caring attitude is not transmitted from
generation to generation. It is transmitted by
the culture of the profession as a unique way
of coping with its environment.
 MAJOR
CONCEPTS
The 10 Caring Caring and
Transperson
carative occasion healing
al caring
factors model of
relationship
focuses on an
theory
(Greek word actual tangible
“caritas” means moment in time
to cherish & “This portion of The nurse is able
in which the to help the
appreciate, giving the theory nurse recognizes
special attention focuses on “the patient with
the connection overall well-being
to, loving factors) one caring and that is developed
the one cared by assisting them
between with the release
for.” him/herself and of “disharmony
the patient. and blocked
energy”.
CARATIVE FACTORS
 Goal was to provide a framework for the “core of
nursing” Watson referred to the “core” as the
philosophy, science and art of caring
 Transitioned from Carative Factors to Caritas Processes
as Watson’s ideas and values evolved.
 Caritas processes openly displays more love and
caring and a deeper human experience (Watson, 2014)
 10 CARATIVE
FACTORS

8. Provision for a
4. Development of a supportive, protective,
6. Systematic use of a
2. Instillation of helping–trusting, creative problem
and/or corrective
faith–hope human caring solving caring process
mental, physical,
relationship societal, & spiritual
environment

10. Allowance for

1 .Formation of a existential–
humanistic– phenomenological
altruistic system –spiritual forces
of values (Watson,2014)

5.Promotion and
3. Cultivation of acceptance of the 7. Promotion of
sensitivity to 9. Assistance with
expression of transpersonal gratification of
one’s self and to positive and teaching– learning human needs
others negative feelings
 10 CARATIVE
FACTORS

1 .Formation
of a 2.
humanistic– Instillation
altruistic of faith–
system of hope
values
 10 CARATIVE
FACTORS

3. Cultivation 4. Development
of sensitivity of a helping–
trusting, human
to one’s self
caring
and to others relationship
 10 CARATIVE
FACTORS
5.Promotion
6. Systematic
and
use of a
acceptance of
creative
the expression
problem
of positive and
solving caring
negative
process
feelings
 10 CARATIVE
FACTORS
8. Provision for a
supportive,
7. Promotion protective,
of and/or corrective
transpersona mental, physical,
societal, &
l teaching–
spiritual
learning environment
 10 CARATIVE
FACTORS

9. Assistance 10. Allowance

with for existential–
gratification phenomenologi
cal–spiritual
of human
forces
needs
 STRENGTHS & WEAKNESS

 Watson uses nontechnical, sophisticated, fluid, and

evolutionary language to artfully describe her concepts,
such as caring-love, and caritas processes and
consciousness. Paradoxically, abstract and simple concepts
such as caring-love are difficult to practice, yet practicing
and experiencing these concepts leads to greater
understanding.
 The caritas processes provide guidelines for nurse-patient
interactions, an important aspect of patient care

 One critique is that the theory does not furnish explicit

direction about what to do to achieve authentic caring
healing relationships.