Can Someone Be a Nurse Without Jean Watson??

Nurses General Nursing

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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?

:imbar Jean Watson, who in the heck is she?? I barely remember Sister Calista ???whatsherface and her theories. From what I gather here I think she went a little far is she beleives we need to care for our patients as much as our parents. I think that to be a good nurse you need to genuinly care about the welfare of people and want to help them. Knowing that some people will drive you nuts and with others you will form a special relationship with as soon as you meet them; and if you have a basic belief that all patients deserve a certain level of care simply because they exist, then you will do pretty good in caring for your patients. You will be a "Good Nurse" :saint: If you only want to get the job done then I think you will fail to meet the needs of your patients to the best of your ability. On the other hand there are times we all just need to get through a shift. Doesn't make you a "bad nurse", just human. :kiss Occasional bad days are human, a career of just getting the job done could qualify you for a "bad nurse" label. Why would anyone stay in a job they don't have a passion for???? :confused:

Are you referring to Sister Roy??? I've been reading this thread with interest. And it lives up to my estimation of why nursing is not viewed as a profession, by other professionals. Almost everyone has nothing but negative things to say about nursing theory. However, I'm willing to bet my last plug penny that the same group would complain about not being treated or viewed as professionals, by other health care professionals. And I am not surprised at the other professionsviews on us. :crying2:

Grannynurse :balloons:

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

So what theorists/theories guide the "true" professions of Physical therapy, Occupational therapy, Audiology, Pharmacy, Medicine, Dentistry, and others? Do they sit and argue which theorist/theory that is the "right one" all day long in school?

I just am curious.

Because if we are to define ourselves as professionals by having theories and theorists to hold to, I want to know what the others are doing, since they have already been ordained "true professions" by so many.

I thought everyone was saying we can't be considered a "true profession" due to our lower entrance point to nursing (ADN/LPN, not baccalaureate).

This is the first time I have heard anyone mention we may not be viewed as professionals because many of us don't care to argue about theorists/theories in nursing.

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.

I'm not aware of any group of professionals who look down on nurses. There are individuals within other professions that may feel that way, of course, but it is hardly a fair statement to say that we're not viewed as professionals. The suggestion to the contrary strikes me as sounding a bit like an inferiority complex.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I am not saying that; many others are. I say we ARE professionals. Others say we cannot be considered such due to our lack of baccalaureate-level entry and now, being defined by theorists and theories. There is NO inferiority complex here in me.

Getting back to the OP, I think many nursing theories are a bunch of garbage. They are discussed in the academic arena ad nauseum, but of no use in the "real world" of bedside nursing. Of course we respect our pts & care about what happens to other human beings -- this is part of good customer service & basic human nature, and it's NOT a "theory" owned by nursing.

Honestly, these theories/systems are a product of students working on PhD dissertations, simply b/c someone has to have SOMETHING to write about in an original way. It's the result of academic pressures, but that doesn't mean it is of value outside of that environment. They are forced onto nursing students b/c our profession feels that it needs to have a complex theoretical base for something that is really common sense & very simple.

Now don't get me started on "critical thinking"! :chuckle

Seriously, ask yourself all bedside nurses -- do you ever refer to these theorists in actual practice in order to change the way you do things, or enhance your understanding? Personally, I wish that there had been a greater emphasis on pathophysiology and pharmacology in my program so that I could work with medicine @ a higher level. Most nursing programs/nurses seem to have wide gaps of real knowledge (b/c we wasted much of our school time on ridiculous content), even NPs -- our programs are failing us!

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
I am not saying that; many others are. I say we ARE professionals. Others say we cannot be considered such due to our lack of baccalaureate-level entry and now, being defined by theorists and theories. There is NO inferiority complex here in me.

My post merely followed your's, it wasn't referencing it. There was a specific allegation made in another post that "other professionals" don't consider nurses professionals. I don't buy it.

Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Just finished a class in theory. Many of them were so off the wall as to be useless, but others were pretty good. Basically, nursing theory is to define the scientific body of knowledge that is peculiar to nursing, our professional knowledge data base, that separates our profession from any others. Yes, pharmicists and OT and PT all have their own areas of expertise; nursing theory acknowledges that we have something unique to offer (ie Watson's caring) as well as an established data base of knowledge, that requires education at a professional level.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
I'm not aware of any group of professionals who look down on nurses. There are individuals within other professions that may feel that way, of course, but it is hardly a fair statement to say that we're not viewed as professionals. The suggestion to the contrary strikes me as sounding a bit like an inferiority complex.

There are garbage men that consider themselves "professionals" as well as waitresses. When we want a plumber we tell our spouses "you can't fix it, get a professional".

But there is a university accepted definition of what is a "professional". That includes autonomy and self-governence, a specific body of knowledge to itself that is defined and researched, and bacalaureate (sp?I'm tired) level of education, etc..

Nursing has been striving to separate itself from medicine as being a science and profession unto itself, separate from the control and supervision of MD's. That's not an inferiority complex IMO. The problem is the definition leaves out LPNs and ADNs in their definition in what is professional and that's a siginificant portion of the "profession".

Honestly, though I think it's only at the university level that others don't think of nurses as "professionals". Certainly we think of ourselves as professionals, and the lay public hopefully does (but that's debatable).

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?

Are you referring to Jeanne Watson Driscoll?

When I was 20 and an unwed mother, I was admitted to a local hospital to give birth to my first child. Although I was scared I was not one of those women who screamed out during their contractions or anything like that....(one main reason was because I was embarrassed and my mom who I had let down was right there with me:o ). I was the perfect trooper! After I had given birth a nurse came in to give me a catheter. I guess I wasn't holding my legs open enough because the nurse yanked (yes, yanked) my legs open and gave me this look like...."YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS BEFORE SO OPEN YOUR D*MN LEGS!" she didn't say that but her look and actions were such that you could have interpreted it that way. This hospital is a learning facility and most unwed mothers on medicaid go there to have their children.

So yeah, nurses don't have to give a rat's behind about you.....

When I was 20 and an unwed mother, I was admitted to a local hospital to give birth to my first child. Although I was scared I was not one of those women who screamed out during their contractions or anything like that....(one main reason was because I was embarrassed and my mom who I had let down was right there with me:o ). I was the perfect trooper! After I had given birth a nurse came in to give me a catheter. I guess I wasn't holding my legs open enough because the nurse yanked (yes, yanked) my legs open and gave me this look like...."YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS BEFORE SO OPEN YOUR D*MN LEGS!" she didn't say that but her look and actions were such that you could have interpreted it that way. This hospital is a learning facility and most unwed mothers on medicaid go there to have their children.

So yeah, nurses don't have to give a rat's behind about you.....

YANKED!! OMG! That's abuse!

I may not be the most "touchy feely dare-to-care person", But I sure wouldn't abuse someone.

Specializes in Utilization Management.
When I was 20 and an unwed mother, I was admitted to a local hospital to give birth to my first child. Although I was scared I was not one of those women who screamed out during their contractions or anything like that....(one main reason was because I was embarrassed and my mom who I had let down was right there with me:o ). I was the perfect trooper! After I had given birth a nurse came in to give me a catheter. I guess I wasn't holding my legs open enough because the nurse yanked (yes, yanked) my legs open and gave me this look like...."YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS BEFORE SO OPEN YOUR D*MN LEGS!" she didn't say that but her look and actions were such that you could have interpreted it that way. This hospital is a learning facility and most unwed mothers on medicaid go there to have their children.

So yeah, nurses don't have to give a rat's behind about you.....

I think that the OP's point is that professionalism includes "caring behaviors" such as trustworthiness, respect, courtesy, and dignity to the patients as well as a technical expertise, experience, and education.

I would say that you did not have a very good nurse that time. She should've asked you and if you didn't respond appropriately, the next step would have been to clarify the request, since you might not have understood.

I'm sorry you had that experience, and I hope you will speak up if ever there's a next time, so that you are treated with the respect and dignity that every patient deserves.

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