To develop a strong understanding of nursing and human caring, attention is paid to five patterns of knowledge. Personal knowledge or wisdom is based on human relationships, the quality of which depends on how well a nurse knows about the self. Esthetic knowledge is the art of nursing that aims at understanding the needs of patients through empathy. Ethical knowledge is important because of weighing values and behavioral norms that determine nursing care. Empirical knowledge (the science of nursing) is based on physical senses, thus focusing on examinations and assessments that reveal true problems and logical decisions. Emancipatory knowledge (social and political aspects) includes social barriers and political actions that promote health and well-being.
The impact of Jean Watson’s theory on nursing practice and personal beliefs is critical. Her approach to viewing nursing care is based on artistic (practice) and scientific (research) knowledge to help patients give meaning to disease, suffering, and healing (Pajnkihar et al., 2017). In her theory, ten carative factors help nurses perform their caring role with their patients. Humanism, help, problem-solving, teaching, hope, sensibility, emotions, needs, spirituality, and environment are the factors of Watson’s theory of human caring that promote health maintenance and peaceful relationships (Pajnkihar et al., 2017). These factors and the theory underline the importance of empirical knowledge (doing for someone and be with someone). Watson views ethical and personal knowledge as an attempt to realize what care is necessary and what behaviors are developed within a particular situation. Ozan et al. (2015) introduce a scenario when a woman receives fertilization treatment to achieve a health-healing-wellness state and prove the importance of attention to each carative factor to understand the reasons for success and failures. These examples, factors, and patterns strengthen nursing practice and improve knowledge about the relationships that patients expect while caring.
References
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.
Pajnkihar, M., Štiglic, G., & Vrbnjak, D. (2017). The concept of Watson’s carative factors in nursing and their (dis)harmony with patient satisfaction. PeerJ, 5.