Can Someone Be a Nurse Without Jean Watson??

[Q.]

Ok now, as I delve back INTO nursing philosophy and theories, I come across, again, the theories of Jean Watson that have been hailed as the greatest thing since polyurethane IV bags - The Caring Theory of Nursing.

Personally, I have never been a fan of Watson, only because I feel that she OVERemphasized the caring aspect, and, in my opinion, dumbified nursing - hence, the ad campaign in the late 80's "If Caring Were Enough, Anyone Could Be a Nurse." Watson threw a fit when she saw this.

As nursing evolves to a more technically challenging field, requiring more acute assessment skills, and as the

"How Women Know" movement which has shaped nursing education for the last decade or so has become archaic, wondering what your thoughts are on if someone can be a nurse and NOT subscribe to the caring theory. Can one be a competent nurse and NOT care about her patients any more deeply than simply getting the job done?

Watson's theory goes a bit deeper than simply "caring" - more so than "caring" about any other job. But "caring" as far as honestly caring about the patient as you would your mom or dad.

Do you think someone CAN be an effective nurse WITHOUT having so much an emphasis on loving her patients?

[Glad2behere]

llg,

Thank you for the site!

This will be very useful. 2.2 million RN's ! Doesn't include the LPN's or LVN's! Woweeeeeee! Much better than I thought!

I think 2.2 million people as an organized body around one central philosphy may seek and initiate beneficial advances for healthcare. Wow! A new frontier.

[Glad2behere]

Ok, I am posting again to keep this thread alive and well! Part of my caring inherent in my infrastructure as a nurse. (laugh)

Food for thought. If the above figures are reasonably accurrate, anyone care to postulate what they would be factored by a reasonable multiple of ten? X 10?

Have a good impact on nursing and healthcare. Any pet research projects having difficulty obtaining funds for? Perhaps if your request was duly submitted in a democratic fashion its merit and funding could be open to discussion in the next county meeting where it could be presented on a state level.

Any mind enriching ideas?

[llg, PhD, RN]

Glad2behere:

You seem to have a lot of good ideas about converting our musings into political action. I am a bit curious ... are you currently an active member of any nursing organizations that are already trying to do some of things you are suggesting? Many organizations try to fund research projects, etc. ... but can't seem to find the members to keep their efforts going.

Just curious,

llg

[Glad2behere]

llg,

Answer to your question, NO.

Reason if there is a good one and I agree there really isn't.

I should join a minimum of the ANA, and today I will.

However, even though I do take issue with the structure and command of an organization, my primary apathy regarding membership of any organization is the net effect of their dismal recruiting efforts as you stated, directly observable in the membership tally.

I can never remember a representative of such organization visiting a workplace to recruit. This is common in virtually any other business. Open a new independent business and wait to see how long it takes the NFIB to visit...and they always leave with money and renewed memberships, and a very comprehensive detail of groundwork being done and projects completed, and very good information on lobby efforts, who the friends and enemies are. When they leave, one feels a sense of unity and focus, participation and belonging. And what is really great is when they come by totally unsolicited to ask ten minutes of time to write down what new concerns may have arisen. Open the briefcase, and wow, 150 pages of haphazard notes scribbled by other business owners. Upon the next visit, complaints by other business owners are categorized and presented as a percentage. A poll is constructed to verify and emphasis of the organization are directed to resolving the higher percentage issues.

We do not have that intense leadership. When our kind have to join the AFL-CIO to be heard, it means one thing. We are having to borrow leadership. That is being done because ours is obviously being perceived as ineffectual. To expect a purely volunteer membership with any power to initiate philosophical changes is flawed and no directional. There is no way with this system to unite the burned out nurses or the new grads, and the end product has no coherent voice.

[Dayray, RN]

Nursing does not own the patent on caring. Those professions you listed above care just as much about their jobs as nurses do about theirs.

I picked some professtions that were not involved in patient care. I threw in doctors becuase allthough some care, many do not. I have worked with some doctors and been very surprized with their compassion and dedication to their patients. More offten I hear them grumble about being woken up at 2:00 am and see them do some really insensitive things to their patients. So I guess I'll do a partial retraction. Some doc's do care about patients. Many of the Doctors I work with became doctors for the social status or becuase they wanted the money. Have you ever stood by (unable to do anything) when a doctor tells a 30 year old women that he wont do PTCA on her unless she comes up with $5,000 up front and then add that if she doesent she will more then likely die within a few months? Have you ever listened while the doctor told an 85 year old man (with end stage lung CA) that he coudlent eat turkey on thanks giveing becuase he had high cholesterol? Have you ever stood by listening when your 72 year old (June Cleaver, Miss Goody tushu silver heaired) patient asked "how much time do I have left" and heard the doctor say "oh what the F**K we all have to go sometime, and your so F**king old any way what does it matter?" Last week A doctor left a delivery when the patient was 10cm and complete becuse she had dinner plans, thankfully her partner go there as the baby was crowning.

I've got hundreds of them but I do relise some doctors do care and I am thankful that they do

[rncountry]

glad2behere, you hit the nail on the head. I have often thought about a nursing group that was designed strictly for political purposes. A group in which it didn't matter if you were for unions or against unions. It didn't matter what your degree was or what area of nursing you worked in. It would be nurse led, nurse directed and it's purpose would be only to consolidate the power and voices of nurses for the good of the profession. Active recruiting would be done. In 11 years of nursing I have never even gotten a flyer from the ANA encouraging me to join. Thought once upon a time that I had the means and ability to do this, but it went to s**t.

I would love to hear your ideas.

[ceecel.dee, MSN, RN]

I'm entering very late, but just had to tip my hat to the very thoughtful discussion in this thread by some interesting intellects about how to change the concept of nursing, nursing theory and the future of nursing. How absolutely great to read something new and fresh, and actually "watch" the evolution of your ideas!

Your thought provoking postings have encouraged some change in my thinking, and in ways that feel quite positive!

Thank you for your real interest in doing something about the problems in our profession!

[Q.]

Thanks for resurrecting this thread! It was great to read it again.

[Glad2behere]

Anybody know what the operating budget of the ANA might be ?

Well, let's try this instead.

2,200,000 nurses factored by $200 annually per nurse.

That is like $440,000,000.

Or FOUR HUNDRED FORTY MILLION HUNSKIES to better our profession. How much does the AMA raise?

Would this kinda money allow for some excruciating, well targeted change? Especially if you had a real voice in your own profession? Can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.

The power of money is awesome when focused in one direction.

[Glad2behere]

Another way to look at this....

Would you trade one softdrink a day to better your profession?

Work about an hour per month specifically to fund your professional advocacy? Make one meeting every occasionally?

You pay Uncle Sam for 5 months straight.

[abrenrn]

I have found my forum. It is late and I have not read everything in it so I'm not sure if I missed the question I have.

Does anyone think about or consider Florence Nightengale, the original nursing theorist who defined a profession? I never really did until recently when I read Notes on Nursing. I started wanted to blame her for the entire mess we are in and was amazed.

Some of the things she said: "Nurses care for patients, physicians treat diseases. They are two separate professions, equally important."

She defined nursing as professional care-giving; i.e. care provided to patients that she bould be based on scientific principles, research and observed results. Her main focus was results. Regardless of underlying theory, she went with what worked. A bit like evidenced based medicine.

She points out that the non-professional care of patients by well meaning individuals often causes more harm than good.

She wanted independent nursing schools to prevent hospitals from taking advantage of students for menial work.

Everything she recommends is backed by current knowledge and observed data.

Yes, her theory does not sound as unintelligibly brilliant as others I have read. Believe it or not, the simpler a theory sounds, the better it usually is.

Until I read this, I did not have the words to say exactly what I do as a nurse, how I differ from a physican. Now I do. I provide professional care for patients. I am not more or less important than a physician, patients benefit from having one profession that focuses on treating disease, another that focuses on them.

How did I miss this in my BS program, MS program, etc? It wan't there. If anything, her theory was a footnote, many of her accomplishments signed over to the field of public health.

Anyone out there agree?

By the way, she did help create the mess we are in because despite her brilliant, out of the box thinking in most areas, she could not escape the box of defined sexual roles and classism. Hence, she said only women could be good nurses and assumed an attitude of deference to the physician - a good physician will attend to what a nurse says, if they don't it's up to the nurse to make him understand.

As for the existing professional structures, I am beginning to feel that their allegiance to hospitals, medicine and other areas overrides their allegiance to professional nursing.

[semstr]

so come on, Anne, this was 100 years ago, even longer-

The women were in a very different position and were seen in their typical female-motherly-roles.

(Some still are----------- LOL)

Renee