Nurse practitioners (NPs) should use various theories to develop appropriate care delivery models. Adult-gerontology nurse practitioners (AGNPs) possess adequate competencies that guide them to provide comprehensive medical support and care to adult patients. This discussion describes how I can apply Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring in my practice as an AGNP.
Watson’s Theory: Metaparadigm of Nursing
Jean Watson’s nursing theory is a powerful model that continues to empower and guide NPs to provide exemplary services to their patients. This philosophy of caring indicates that evidence-based factors are needed to maximize healing. The theorist redefined the four metaparadigms of nursing to develop a superior caring model. The first one is that of human beings or people (Ozan, Okumuş, & Lash, 2015).
The model defines it as a valued individual in need of care, respect, and continuous support. Practitioners should understand people’s medical needs and meet them in a holistic manner. The second metaparadigm is that of health. According to the theory, this is a high level of social, physical, and mental functioning characterized by the absence of a disease. Efforts should also be evident to treat existing medical conditions.
Watson uses the metaparadigm of the environment to assert that nursing and caring exist in all communities. The culture of nursing should, therefore, be aimed at coping with the environment. The fourth metaparadigm is that of nursing (McEwen & Wills, 2014). Watson’s theory encourages practitioners to embrace this concept in order to provide adequate patient care, restore health, and prevent diseases.
Applying Watson’s Theory in My Specialty Area
Watson’s Philosophy of Nursing is a powerful model whose assumptions, metaparadigms, and curative factors are applicable in different areas or settings. Adult-gerontology nurses providing primary care to different patients can use it to develop positive interpersonal relationships with their patients across the lifespan (Ozan et al., 2015).
They will also create the best environment by focusing on attributes and practices that will deliver positive results. The first metaparadigm can guide AGNPs to value their patients, focus on every unique health need, and respect them. They will go further to develop evidence-based procedures to deliver holistic care and medical support.
The idea of nursing, according to Watson’s theory, is aimed at preventing illnesses and restoring patients’ health. The use of appropriate procedures and initiatives will meet the needs of persons with terminal illnesses. AGNPs can expand this theory to form multidisciplinary teams, involve different professionals, and offer high-quality nursing services. The nursing process outlined in this theory begins when nurses assess different patients.
This practice will guide them to understand their health conditions and develop the best treatment and intervention plans. The established relationship will empower NPs to address patients’ medical needs. Nurses can also collect and analyze data to evaluate the effectiveness of their intervention strategies (Ozan et al., 2015). The collected information will them empower them to engage in lifelong learning and acquire new evidence. This achievement will guide them to continue providing exemplary services in the selected specialty area.
Conclusion
The above discussion has revealed that AGPNs can use Jean Watson’s nursing theory to provide comprehensive health support to more adults across the lifespan. The philosophy’s definitions of the four metaparadigms are applicable in this area to maximize patients’ outcomes. AGPNs can also engage in lifelong learning to acquire new concepts and eventually improve their care delivery models.
References
McEwen, M., & Wills, E. (2014). Theoretical basis for nursing (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Ozan, Y. D., Okumuş, H., & Lash, A. A. (2015). Implementation of Watson’s Theory of Human Caring: A case study. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 8(1), 25-35.