About the Nature of Nursing

Nurses General Nursing

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A unitary view of the human as a unique, valued, and precious person in and of himself-or herself to be cared for, respected, nurtured, understood and assisted; in general, a philosophical view of a person as a whole person, honoring the unity of mind-body-spirit, continuous with the larger environmental field, the planet Earth,and the cosmos infinite field of life itself.

...[Florence] Nightingale indicated the care for the body can never be separate from the care of the soul. This view of humanity honors the fact that we each belong and relate to the broader infinite field of life itself: the great mystery, the great void, the source of life , the energy-spirit-consciousness-cosmic love, which is greater than any person.

Dr. Jean Watson, Human Caring Science: A Theory of Nursing

Specializes in school nurse.

1. You triggered my pseudo-PTSD with mention of one of the chief B.S. (NOT bachelor's of science) nursing theories. For shame.

2. Why would you mention Florence Nightingale- who actually did real and valuable things- in the same posting as J. Watson whose major accomplishment is causing the aforementioned nursing student PTSD?

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I have read the post three times......well.....actually I read the first two sentences three times and couldn't go any farther.:sleep:

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

I am not only back in school, but also reading this week about grand theories and unitary beings and energy. I have to read each line about four times to comprehend what I am reading. I had no idea how to compare and contrast the Totality Paradigm vs. the Spontaneity Paradigm, but oh boy, now I do! Sigh.

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Specializes in school nurse.
I am not only back in school, but also reading this week about grand theories and unitary beings and energy. I have to read each line about four times to comprehend what I am reading. I had no idea how to compare and contrast the Totality Paradigm vs. the Spontaneity Paradigm, but oh boy, now I do! Sigh.

I imagine it's similar to comparing and contrasting leprechauns and sprites...

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
I am not only back in school, but also reading this week about grand theories and unitary beings and energy. I have to read each line about four times to comprehend what I am reading. I had no idea how to compare and contrast the Totality Paradigm vs. the Spontaneity Paradigm, but oh boy, now I do! Sigh.

That is easily explained. When I want to order a beer for me AND my Sweet Petunia I use the Totality and when I order two beers for myself I use the Spontaneity...in either case I ask the wait-person to bring me a paradigm beers. They won't serve you more than a paradigm at a time.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
That is easily explained. When I want to order a beer for me AND my Sweet Petunia I use the Totality and when I order two beers for myself I use the Spontaneity...in either case I ask the wait-person to bring me a paradigm beers. They won't serve you more than a paradigm at a time.

I can't stop laughing!!! Beer probably would have been extremely helpful.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

As a nurse who came of age in the 70s, I can say that Ms. Watson drew heavily from many popular culture psychology movements of the day. I'm having a flashback of Gestalt principles, Esalen, I'm OK, You're OK, Jonathan Livingston Seagull (a book) and "spikes and waveforms". Oh wait, that last one is a Watson-esque concept that crept it's way into Nursing Diagnoses, (and has finally quietly been retired after being ridiculed for decades). Phew! So cringeworthy!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
As a nurse who came of age in the 70s, I can say that Ms. Watson drew heavily from many popular culture psychology movements of the day. I'm having a flashback of Gestalt principles, Esalen, I'm OK, You're OK, Jonathan Livingston Seagull (a book) and "spikes and waveforms". Oh wait, that last one is a Watson-esque concept that crept it's way into Nursing Diagnoses, (and has finally quietly been retired after being ridiculed for decades). Phew! So cringeworthy!

Yet "energy field, disturbed" lives on as a diagnosis in nursing diagnosis books. No joke!

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

She's a loon.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
She's a loon.

Who, me? The OP? Jean Watson? Hahaha!

All I know is that we got a "caritas room" grant out of our embrace of the Caring model about 10 years ago. That grant bought our ER staff a massage chair and a little Zen fountain in a small quiet room. :D

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
Who, me? The OP? Jean Watson? Hahaha!

All I know is that we got a "caritas room" grant out of our embrace of the Caring model about 10 years ago. That grant bought our ER staff a massage chair and a little Zen fountain in a small quiet room. :D

How wonderful! Now if they only got breaks to enjoy them...

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

By the way, what did we embrace before the "Caring Model"? We cared, but just didn't have a model for it? We didn't care, so we didn't need a model? And what was it called when Florence did it?

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