Study of a nursing theory ( choose a nursing theorist ) for use in Research Paper

Study of a nursing theory ( choose a nursing theorist ) for use in practice - Research Paper Example One such theorist is Jean Watson who developed and conceptualized the "Theory of Human Caring". According to Watson (2009), "nursing is a lifetime journey of caring and healing, seeking to understand and preserve the wholeness of human existence, and to offer compassionate, informed, knowledgeable human caring to society and humankind." In this essay, application of Watson's theory to clinical nursing practice will be exercised for better understanding of the concepts of the theory. Context of development of theory Jean Watson, an imminent theorist and nurse educator has contributed immensely to the nursing profession. Her most popular conceptualization of nursing profession is the Theory of Transpersonal Caring which is commonly known as the Theory of Human Caring. The nurse educator was born in West Virginia. She graduated from the Colarado University and completed Master's degree from the same University. Her specialty was psychiatric-mental health nursing. She did her Ph.D in cou nseling in psychology. She is currently a distinguished professor at the Colarado University. She is the founder of the Center for Human Caring located in the same city as the University she is employed at (Cara, 2003). The theory is the output of the professor's experience in the field of psychology, mental health and counseling, her specialty subjects during her post graduation and doctorate degrees. This theory emphasizes the humanistic aspect of the noble profession of nursing based on principles of scientific knowledge acquired through education, learning, research and training. Thus, this theory is very important for the profession of nursing both theoretically and practically. Watson (2009) opined that "the ability to resolve conflicts between what nursing is and what nurses supposedly do, may be the most critical challenge for the discipline and for the profession’s survival into this millennium." Watson strongly believed that resolution of conflicts at all levels of society is crucial, because; such conflicts can affect health care at any level (Cara, 2003). The theory of Human caring was brought out in 1979. According to Watson, nursing is a profession that is distinct from other health related professions. Based on this distinct nature of the profession, she defined, ascertained and opined about the distinct role of the profession in the caring for humans who are sick. Infact, this theory defined the role of nurse. According to the theory of Human Caring, nurses impart care by establishing a good relationship with the patients and also their relatives (Sitzman, 2007). Nurses have to treat patients by including all aspects of life, the mind, body and spirit and not just deal with physical ailments of the body. Thus, nurses are expected to provide holistic care to the patient. It is because of holistic care that various needs of the patient like spiritual, emotional, psychological, economical and physical needs of the patient are met. The theor y strongly upholds the fact that nurses must display acceptance towards patients and their relatives in an unconditional manner and whatever treatment is instituted is done with positivism. Nurses are expected to cause health promotion and well-being through appropriate knowledge concerning the medical condition of the patient and also through medical interventions. Above all, it is expected that

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

History - Essay Example This paper aims to explore a period in history that radically transformed the manner by which society viewed the world. The Renaissance and Humanism The Renaissance Period started in Northern Italy during the 14th century and scattered all over Europe during the late 15th century (Alchin, â€Å"Renaissance Period†). Herein, a new kind of thinking shifted the culture and thought of the Europeans in a totally different light. Indeed, this is why it is called the renaissance, for renaissance means â€Å"rebirth† or a new beginning. In this period, a movement, called Humanism dominated the scene. Humanism â€Å"is the term generally applied to the predominant social philosophy and intellectual and literary currents of the period from 1400 to 1650† (Kreis â€Å"Renaissance Humanism†). Herein, humanists contributed to the rebirth of scholarship, literature and art through a general emancipation of the individual. â€Å"The Renaissance passion for what was human and the discovery or rediscovery of this same inclination in the classical world we today call humanism† (Kreis, â€Å"The Medieval Synthesis†). Its emergence was a result and reaction towards the medieval period, i.e. The Middle Ages. During the middle ages, Christianity began to globalize, and along with it were challenges. One major challenge was the development of human reason. This was characterized by man’s capacity to rationalize. The Church wanted to explain its teachings through faith alone. Thus, making reason a threat. To compensate for this, Humanist thinkers sought to reconcile religion and science, for according to the Church, they have one common factor, i.e. they both led to a single truth: â€Å"God exists† (Kreis, 2009b, n.p.). Furthermore, during the Middle Ages, the dominant view was that of geocentricism. Since the earth was known to be the center of the universe, human beings were made to feel central above all else. It is this view that the Church accepted and advocated. It was not until a major breakthrough by Nicolaus Copernicus that initiated the first and final break from religious dogma. Scientific Revolution and The Enlightenment Herein is the birth of modern science. Since the time of the publication of Copernicus’ On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres (1543), religious authorities and teachings were attacked and questioned. In what ways did this revolution affect the previous worldview? The greatest impact was on how people thought and believed. Due to the rise of modern scientific methods, the geocentric view of the universe was replaced with the new heliocentric theory, which made the sun as the center of the universe. Religion was forced to step down as the source of truth along with the decline of the authority of the Church. Not only did the power of religious authorities decline, so was the nature of human knowledge. â€Å"This in turn raised questions about the traditional Human Ete rnal Verities, i.e. how humans understood themselves in relation to 'God, Nature, and Man'† (â€Å"Hatch,† n.d., n.p.). Science was slowly overpowering the powerful image of God. â€Å"Science is faith. And the Gospel of that faith was written by Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Einstein and others† (â€Å"Kreis,† 2009a, n.p.). The foundation of religion is faith, while science stems from human reason, i.e. the capacity of human beings to think. The former hindered humanity’