Can Someone Be a Nurse Without Jean Watson??

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2005

Timothy I can agree with you there.

Hopefully, the BSN or ADN two weeks out of school is still on orientation. But two weeks out of orientation they had better be qualified to care for my parents, utilizing resources and gaining experience along the way.

Sometimes the old folks with experience aren't as up to date on the medications, and knowledge as the new grads. So while experience is the teacher, we all have much to offer the field and our patients.

No, the rationale for the BSN as the entry level for RN status is not that the ADNs are inferior at graduation to take care of patients. ADN programs have advanced far beyond that rationale.

It is very difficult though to state the rationale for the BSN as the entry level for RN status without alienating the ADN nurses. Because how can you say "to be considered a professional, you must have a BSN" "to gain the respect of other professions the entry level must be a BSN" and not step on toes, or get ADNs, like myself and yourself all riled up. :)

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Jul 17, 2005

It is very difficult though to state the rationale for the BSN as the entry level for RN status without alienating the ADN nurses. Because how can you say "to be considered a professional, you must have a BSN" "to gain the respect of other professions the entry level must be a BSN" and not step on toes, or get ADNs, like myself and yourself all riled up. :)

But that's just it: it's NOT about needing an BSN to be considered professional. I'm a professional now. And most of the people we're so trying to impress don't have the slightest idea the difference.

The goal of BSN-entry might be to codify 'professionalism' to others, but it's not about attaining it in any real sense. It's about perceptions, not realities.

And I don't object to the concept of improving the 'perception' of nurses with a BSN entry.

I object to BSNs, brainwashed in their programs to believe that they are superior, looking down their noses at ADNs and actually believing and exposing that it's about the 'reality' that professionalism improves with a degree.

I object to being told that I 'diminish' THEIR profession. That's garbage.

~faith,

Timothy.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2005

But that's just it: it's NOT about needing an BSN to be considered professional. I'm a professional now. And most of the people we're so trying to impress don't have the slightest idea the difference.
The goal of BSN-entry might be to codify 'professionalism' to others, but it's not about attaining it in any real sense. It's about perceptions, not realities.
And I don't object to the concept of improving the 'perception' of nurses with a BSN entry.
I object to BSNs, brainwashed in their programs to believe that they are superior, looking down their noses at ADNs and actually believing and exposing that it's about the 'reality' that professionalism improves with a degree.
I object to being told that I 'diminish' THEIR profession. That's garbage.
~faith,
Timothy.

Obviously you don't buy into the accepted definition of a "profession".

I'm not sure I do either.

Try not to generalize and stereotype BSNs though. I certainly didn't feel brainwashed into feeling I was superior when in my BSN course I studied the argument for BSN as the entry level for RN status, and definition of a "profession". I've only encourted one that looked down their nose at ADNs with superiority in real life. Now on this website it's another story, but that's because the topic comes up from time to time. And most of the time it's not them sticking their nose down at us, but stating their opinion that they feel their education is superior. But it's hard to do without arrogance.

Sometimes I wish the issue would go away, because it's a non-issue as far as I'm concerned. My issue is safe RN to patient ratio, be that an ADN or a BSN. :stone

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 18, 2005

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

anymore thoughts on WATSON?

we have LOTS of BSN versus ADN debates already. No one wins 'em. And the arguments never seem to change.

mattsmom81 · Jul 18, 2005

I didn't read all the pages of this...I am just answering the OP's question. She asked if someone can be a nurse without Jean Watson, and since I don't know who this is, I have proven one can..(of course I'm a verrry old nurse...hehe) LOL! :)

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Jul 18, 2005

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
anymore thoughts on WATSON?
we have LOTS of BSN versus ADN debates already. No one wins 'em. And the arguments never seem to change.

This does bear repeating a few times, doesn't it? :chuckle

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Jul 18, 2005

Obviously you don't buy into the accepted definition of a "profession".
I'm not sure I do either.

I've read the supposed 'definition' of a profession. The problem is that the same people that want us to adopt their 'body of knowledge' as the accepted definition of our 'profession' are the same wackos that brought us care plans and diagnoses that have no practical application to nursing practice. Oh and I believe I said earlier that it was the same Ivory tower elitists that brought us BSN-entry, which is what started this side track anyway.

I have no idea who Jean Watson is, but I guess (looking at this thread) she was deeply involved with 'care theory'. Hogwash if you ask me. I'm very good at what I do because of my professional abilities, technical skills and knowledge. Does that mean that I'm not caring? Of course not, but as long as we dismiss our usefulness as 'intangibles' the longer our 'tangible' assets will be ignored.

If we want to improve nursing as a profession, instead of fighting over BSN-entry requirement, which will never happen, we should spend our energy debunking that nursing means caring and focusing on the fact that nursing means a phenomenal amount of skill and knowledge. Caring is PART of my job and a necessary job requirement, but caring isn't my job: being a high tech, high skilled bedside monitor, interventioner, and clinician is my job.

I think the recent BSN sidetrack was part of the Jean Watson debate: can you be a nurse without the unfounded disconnected ramblings of ivory towered nurses who haven't been nurses in so long that they aren't nurses anymore? Of course, and we'd be better for it.

We wouldn't have useless care plans, useless diagnoses and useless BSN-entry debates.

~faith,

Timothy.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Jul 18, 2005

And tweety, I keep quoting you to take off from your comments and expound upon them - not to be confrontational.

We are much more in agreement than disagreement.

I CAN see some merit to the BSN thingy and mostly along the lines that you address.

I understand that it's hard to address the issue without seeming to 'put down' ADN nurses. I guess I'm just not willing to be 'put down' in order to advance the issue.

I just don't want you to think that I'm being argumentative with you. I'm not.

I'm not really even disagreeing with you.

~faith,

Timothy.

chadash · Jul 18, 2005

"Caring is PART of my job and a necessary job requirement, but caring isn't my job: being a high tech, high skilled bedside monitor, interventioner, and clinician is my job. "

This is the kind of person I want if someone in my family is sick.

cdngirl2005 · Aug 18, 2005

I haven't even thought of "nursing theory" since grad school ( went thru BSN in the olden days and didn't have to worry about nursing theories). They make my head hurt.

Make your head hurt!! I am currently taking a masters course at U of Pheonix and am in a theory class. Try analysing many theorist! Anyway my reason for coming to this web site is to find out what nurses really think about Watson's theory

Mommy2Katiebaby · Aug 18, 2005

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?

She was the dean at the nursing school I went to. "Dean Jean the Caring Queen," we called her. Most of my class liked her theories, but thought that practically speaking the lady was moderately nuts. I mean yes it's very important to care for your patients, but the fact is that at some point you're going to get someone you can't STAND to take care of and if your desire to love everyone conflicts with the reality that thus and such a patient is a real scumbag (I am thinking here of a convicted rapist I took care of once) you are going to burn out fast. Most of us simply cannot throw our whole being and all of our emotional investment into our patients - you need to save those resources for the rest of your life.

SmilingBluEyes · Aug 18, 2005

She was the dean at the nursing school I went to. "Dean Jean the Caring Queen," we called her. Most of my class liked her theories, but thought that practically speaking the lady was moderately nuts. I mean yes it's very important to care for your patients, but the fact is that at some point you're going to get someone you can't STAND to take care of and if your desire to love everyone conflicts with the reality that thus and such a patient is a real scumbag (I am thinking here of a convicted rapist I took care of once) you are going to burn out fast. Most of us simply cannot throw our whole being and all of our emotional investment into our patients - you need to save those resources for the rest of your life.

I agree. Good points.