Jean Watson Research Paper
The Theories of Lenininger and Watson in Nursing
SUNY Empire State College
July 14, 2013
As the healthcare system undergoes major transformations and the role of the professional nurse is expanding, having a definition of the goals and responsibilities of a nurse relative to other professionals within the healthcare community is vital. Nursing theories establish the scope and the significance of a nurse’s role as a healthcare provider. They provide a universal description of nursing that can be applied to nurses practicing within a variety of settings. This paper will examine how the theories of Jean Watson and Madeleine Leininger impact the manner in which professional nurses practice, specifically within the school nurse setting. Jean Watson’s Philosophy and Science of Caring shows how caring is at the core of nursing practice and is more important than curing. Additionally, she believed that a holistic approach to care is central to the practice of nursing. Watson devised a framework for understanding nursing by developing the ten carative factors. The term carative is used instead of curative to emphasize the distinction between …show more content…
Leininger defined human caring within the context of culture. She recognized that there was a lack of knowledge among nurses in regards to how different cultural backgrounds impacted human behaviors. She identified that care and beliefs about health and illness are imbedded in the values, worldviews and life patterns of people (Cohen 1991). Leininger like Watson also viewed caring as the essence of nursing and unique to the profession. However, she emphasized the aspects of care within a cultural context. Blais and Hayes explain that central to Leininger’s theory is the belief that cultures have differences in their ways of perceiving, knowing, and practicing care but that there are also commonalities about care among cultures (p
SUNY Empire State College
July 14, 2013
As the healthcare system undergoes major transformations and the role of the professional nurse is expanding, having a definition of the goals and responsibilities of a nurse relative to other professionals within the healthcare community is vital. Nursing theories establish the scope and the significance of a nurse’s role as a healthcare provider. They provide a universal description of nursing that can be applied to nurses practicing within a variety of settings. This paper will examine how the theories of Jean Watson and Madeleine Leininger impact the manner in which professional nurses practice, specifically within the school nurse setting. Jean Watson’s Philosophy and Science of Caring shows how caring is at the core of nursing practice and is more important than curing. Additionally, she believed that a holistic approach to care is central to the practice of nursing. Watson devised a framework for understanding nursing by developing the ten carative factors. The term carative is used instead of curative to emphasize the distinction between …show more content…
Leininger defined human caring within the context of culture. She recognized that there was a lack of knowledge among nurses in regards to how different cultural backgrounds impacted human behaviors. She identified that care and beliefs about health and illness are imbedded in the values, worldviews and life patterns of people (Cohen 1991). Leininger like Watson also viewed caring as the essence of nursing and unique to the profession. However, she emphasized the aspects of care within a cultural context. Blais and Hayes explain that central to Leininger’s theory is the belief that cultures have differences in their ways of perceiving, knowing, and practicing care but that there are also commonalities about care among cultures (p