Evaluating the Theory of Caring
According to the caring theory, caring entails preserving belief, enablement, action, being with, and knowledge. Every aspect in the five phases benefits both the patient and the caregiver’s overall well-being. Besides, they make the theory clear, simple, general, accessible, and vital. The theory aims at anger, disrespect, and powerlessness. This paradigm was created to increase patient satisfaction through the promotion of continuous care actions.
Caring and Sustaining Faith
A fundamental belief is the beginning of a caring strategy in humans and their ability to transitioning and meet their future with purpose. Besides, caring rely on a compassionate manner of communicating with a loved one that inspires genuine devotion and duty. Care is synonymous with growth and health. Nursing practice entails being with, advocating for, enabling, and sustaining belief (Alligood, 2017). Notably, this serves as the cornerstone for nursing care practice. Additionally, regardless of the patient’s health status, a nurse has faith in her or his ability to embrace the days ahead with significance. This perspective strengthens them to commit to serving humanity. As a result, Swanson defines maintaining belief, and it entails treating others with deference and, maybe more significantly, optimism (Wei & Watson, 2019). Similarly, the nurse help clients in regaining a positive attitude on their circumstances. When combined with a humanistic and spiritual attitude, it lends brightness to the maintenance of belief. To maintain faith, it is necessary to identify as a spiritual person who believes in God and has a deep longing for a never-ending relationship. This recognition of the uniqueness of each patient enables nurses to treat them as God’s creatures.
Knowing
Knowing interprets events in terms of their significance in another’s life. It encompasses an in-depth examination of a patient’s reality and condition, which involves both the nurse and the patient in a sympathetic manner. Intellectual cognition, creativity, Insight, empathy and compassion, insight and creativity, evaluation, communication abilities, acceptance of individual variations, and acknowledgment of the other as a significant being are all critical nursing behaviors for knowing. When the process of knowing occurs, an emotional and intellectual link between caregiver and recipient forms. By being physically and intellectually present, a nurse demonstrates awareness, commitment, and a higher level of participation. While stressing clinical knowledge, data collection, documentation, well-developed abilities in evaluation, clinical reporting, and communication are also required. A comprehensive initial assessment is necessary. They assess patients’ physical, psychosocial, and spiritual requirements, as well as their values, wishes, and family traditions.
Being With
Nurses must convey their concern for patients and their experiences by being physically and emotionally present with them. Empathetic nursing is the nonjudgmental sharing of a patient’s ideas, feelings, and experiences. Health care practitioner reassures the patients by desire and readiness to be present. Nurses feel that they want to reassure you that you are not alone, that your story matters, and that we are here to support you (Acob, 2018). In actuality, being with someone requires providing them the space and time to be present, sensitive to their listening, and reflective in their responses. Given that being with someone is considered a progressive availability, patients’ emotional flexibility to a patient and personal relationship during good and sad moments goes far beyond simply being aware of it. As a result, nurses should prioritize both authentic presence and nursing best practices. Compassionate nursing caregivers put themselves in their patient’s shoes to gain a deeper understanding of their feelings and thoughts (Alligood, 2017). Becoming together entails the following characteristics: mutual trust, availability, connection, faithfulness, and patience. By being physically and verbally present with patients, a health care practitioner that is emotionally present attempts to soothe their concerns. As previously said, being with entails displaying attention, concern, dedication, and compassion, and empathy. Protective and anticipatory conduct are also critical features of being with. Additionally, it requires the fortitude to be bold, stern, and do things the patient does not want you to do.
Doing For
The term “doing for” takes on a new meaning in nursing definition: One of the most critical roles clinicians is to help patients, whether sick or healthy, in carrying out those activities that promote health or recovery (or allow for a peaceful death), and to do so in a manner that enables the patient to regain independence as quickly as possible if they possessed the necessary strength, will, or knowledge (Chinn and Kramer, 2017). The acts a nurse takes with patients to accomplish what they would do for themselves if possible are referred to as doing for. As defined above, doing for encompasses acts made by the nurse to support a patient’s long-run health. Performing operations expertly, comforting patients, respecting their human dignity, anticipating their needs, and protecting them from harm are just a few of the obligations of healthcare workers. A similar approach contains professional abilities, a professional appearance and attitude, and caring capacities. Expertise is a composite of qualities that include a nurse’s official education and experience and their clinical knowledge and personal characteristics (Alligood, 2017). Proficient professionals can identify and prevent problems and anticipate and teach others, all while promoting, monitoring, and engaging in surveillance activities that may have both positive and negative implications. A professional’s ability might manifest itself in a variety of ways. These include reassuring, supporting, comforting, and accepting. Additionally, they can entail healing and minimizing damage and suffering. On the other hand, formal markers of professional skill include the technical ability in procedures, tests, medication administration, and success in minimizing toxicity, relieving pain, and managing symptoms. At the heart of a nurse’s job obligations is providing comfort, which includes responding swiftly, listening intently, allowing patients time to speak, using vocal reassurance, and prayerful eye contact.
Enabling
Enabling is the act of assisting another person in navigating the ups and downs of life and new experiences. Enabling, like doing for, fosters a self-healing environment. Thus, the patient is better equipped to recover, realize, and care for himself or herself. Patients are more likely to engage in self-care motivated by intrinsic motivation, knowledge, attitude, and skill level as a result of this empowerment, which results in improved healing outcomes. Apart from providing safety equipment and removing physical, social, or emotional threats and impediments, the external environment also contributes to healing (Chinn and Kramer, 2017). Patients are viewed as partners in this process, having been educated and provided with self-care skills. To enable patients and their families must be kept adequately informed at all times. To accomplish this, you must have regular contact with patients, empathy, cultural and religious beliefs, and prior experiences based on the illness. Communication also includes giving information and explanations based on the supplied medication and care and the patient’s general state. While allowing patients is critical, it may also be good to promote the use of written resources such as books and pamphlets and telephone conversations, emails, and the internet. Finally, nursing care comprises encouraging patients to self-care. Enabling requires the following steps: education, informing, illuminating, providing support through difficult moments, assisting with issue solving, advising, and validating the patient’s experience. Enabling is concerned with a patient’s long-term well-being.
Conclusion
The caring theory by Swanson enlightens nurses on caring benefits. The caring process and its practical and observable standards define the mandatory humanitarian behaviors in nursing. Knowledge, optimism, introspection, care and dedication, communication skills, compassion, and an attention to the other’s experience are the most critical traits. If this concept is effectively implemented in clinical practice, clinicians can assure a person-centered model to therapy. Indeed, the theory of caring is significant for nurses.
References
Acob, J. R. U. (2018). Caring as Unending Expression of Nursing (CUEN): A theory of nursing. The Malaysian Journal of Nursing (MJN), 10(2), 52-57.
Alligood, M. R. (2017). Nursing theorists and their work-e-book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Chinn, P. L., & Kramer, M. K. (2017). Knowledge development in nursing-e-book: theory and process. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Wei, H., & Watson, J. (2019). Healthcare interprofessional team members’ perspectives on human caring: A directed content analysis study. International journal of nursing sciences, 6(1), 17-23.
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