Caring in Nursing

Nursing as Informed

Caring for the Well-Being of Others Kristen M. Swanson

Assumptions about four main phenomena of concern to nursing (persons,’ clients, health/well-being,

environments and nursing) are presented and an elaboration is made of the structure of a theory of caring.

The issues that arise when nursing is viewed as “informed caring for the well-being of others is also

examined.”

(Keywords: caring; theory construction/model building; nursing process;

nurse-patient relationship]

Caring is the roar that lies on the other side of silence. When the mists lift nurses can find new images of

caring (Watson, 1987, p. 16).

Nursing is informed caring for the well-being of others. As Carper (1978) has noted, nurse caring is

informed by empirical knowledge from nursing and the related sciences, as well as ethical, personal and

aesthetic knowledge derived from the humanities, clinical experience and personal and societal values and

expectations.

Assumptions Underlying Caring

Persons/Clients

Watson (1985) proposed that how nurses view persons and define personhood sets the stage for who the

clients of nursing are, and what constitutes the practices, environments and goals of nursing-care. -Persons

are unique beings who are in the midst of becoming and whose wholeness is made manifest in thoughts,

feelings and behaviors. The experienced life of each person is influenced by a genetic heritage, spiritual

endowment and the capacity to exercise free will. Persons in their wholeness are not stagnant; rather, as

Travelbee (1971) has noted, they are becoming, growing, self-reflecting and seeking to connect with others.

Persons both mold and are molded by the environment in which. they exist. The genetic heritage serves as a

blueprint for each person’s unique human characteristics. The spiritual endowment connects each being to

an eternal and universal source of goodness, mystery, life, creativity and serenity. The spiritual endowment

may be a soul,...