Editorial
Promoting caring in nursing n his editorial Nursing models redundant in practice (Vol 1(5): 219), Francis Biley drew attention to the exploration of the ‘real essence of nursing’. Indicators of this new development are the recognition of nursing narrative as a source of knowledge, new value being attached to feminist perspectives, and the exploration of concepts such as caring. Caring is not simply an emotional feeling or attitude; it is a total way of being, relating, acting, and a quality of investment and engagement in the experience of an other person (Roche Sr, 1991). Caring in nursing is con cerned with relieving the vulnerability of people’s life experiences, as well as the promotion of health and wholeness (Gadow, 1988; Leininger, 1988; Watson, 1988). Thus, nurses work with concepts such as hope, compassion and empathy to moderate reductionist ap proaches which produce averages and idealistic norms. Caring is the moral and scientific basis of nursing (Watson, 1988). Each nursing interaction calls for a unique blending of empirical, aesthetic, personal and ethical knowledge (Carper, 1979). Caring is not, there fore, a series of predetermined, isolated actions, but manifests as patterns of interaction not regulated by rules. Caring defies quantification and it is this irreducibility that causes some nurses to compare the promotion of caring in nursing with the story of the emperor’s new clothes. However, the analogy is not appropriate as car ing is not absent, just submerged in the biomedical, reductionist model to the extent that it is no longer a valued component of healing. Caring is a precondition for the survival of the human race and the quality of human life. As Capra (1983) notes, ‘we live today in a globally interconnected world in which biological, psychological, social and environ mental phenomena are all interdependent’. Detached, patriarchal, reductionist world views have resulted in global crisis manifestations which include famine, pollu tion, increasing violence and war, and the creation of a class of non-persons, e.g. the elderly, handicapped and mentally ill. The new vision includes holistic approaches to health and healing, an integration of Western and Eastern phil osophies, a new conceptual framework for economics and technology, and an ecological, feminist and spiritual perspective that will lead to profound changes in our social and political structures (Capra, 1983; Noddings, 1984; Skinner, 1990). Caring is at the heart of this para digm shift and its promotion is an urgent task. Nurses have already taken some important steps. In 1986, Dr Jean Watson established the Center for Human Caring at the University of Colorado School of Nursing. Its major purpose is ‘to develop and use knowledge of human caring and healing as the founda tion for transforming the healthcare system’ (Center for Human Caring, 1992).
I
British Journal of Nursing, 1992, Vol I,No II
The Center has an interdisciplinary approach focusing on research-based clinical caring as distinct from, but complementary to, biotechnical, cure-focused activities. The four major goals are as follows: to integrate knowl edge from the arts and humanities into nursing and health science education, practice and research; to devel op, evaluate and disseminate new human caring and healing models for the redesign of healthcare systems and reform of health policy; to provide a forum for interdisciplinary, national and international dialogue and formal educational and research activities; and to serve as an international resource and clearing house for infor mation sharing, consultation and dissemination of gen eral and specific information related to human caring and healing theory, education, research and clinical prac tice models and projects (Center for Human Caring, 1992). The time is right to extend this work. In September, Dr Watson officially inaugurated the Scottish Highlands Centre for Human Caring at the Highland College of Nursing and Midwifery, Inverness, which will share the mission and goals of the parent establishment in Color ado. Programme initiatives will come from practising nurses and, in the first instance, will include collabor ative programmes for the empowerment of older per sons, values education in schools, caring for caregivers and care management. The stimulus for the establishment of these two centres is care, and the hope is that a global network of centres will develop to help create a more caring world. The promotion of caring in nursing is not just another fad from the USA. Those who remain uncon vinced should consult the writings of Florence Nightin gale. What a pity we failed to learn the lessons first time around. m Elizabeth Farmer Reader in Nursing Highland College of Nursing and Midwifery in association with the Dundee Institute of Technology Raigmore Hospital, Inverness Capra F (1983) The Turning Point. Science, Society anil the Kiting Culture. Flamingo, London Carper B (1979) Fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing. Adv N un Sci 1(1): 13-23 Center for Human Caring (1993) Programme Portfolio. University of Colorado, Denver Gadow S (1988) Covenant without cure. In: Watson J, Ray MA, eds. The Ethics o f Care and the Ethics o f Cure. National League for Nursing, New York: 5-14 Leininger M (1988) Caring, the Essence o f Nursing and Health. Wayne State University Press, Detroit Noddings N (1984) Caring, A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education. University of California Press, Berkeley Roche Sr MS (1991) Creating Communities of Caring. In: Curriculum Revolution: Community Building and Activism. National League for Nursing, New York: 123-38 Skinner Q (1990) Introduction: The Return of Grand Theory. In: Skinner Q, ed. The Human Sciences. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 1-20 Watson J (19X8) Nursing: Human Science and Human Care: .4 theory o f Nursing. National League for Nursing, New York
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Promoting caring in nursing n his editorial Nursing models redundant in practice (Vol 1(5): 219), Francis Biley drew attention to the exploration of the ‘real essence of nursing’. Indicators of this new development are the recognition of nursing narrative as a source of knowledge, new value being attached to feminist perspectives, and the exploration of concepts such as caring. Caring is not simply an emotional feeling or attitude; it is a total way of being, relating, acting, and a quality of investment and engagement in the experience of an other person (Roche Sr, 1991). Caring in nursing is con cerned with relieving the vulnerability of people’s life experiences, as well as the promotion of health and wholeness (Gadow, 1988; Leininger, 1988; Watson, 1988). Thus, nurses work with concepts such as hope, compassion and empathy to moderate reductionist ap proaches which produce averages and idealistic norms. Caring is the moral and scientific basis of nursing (Watson, 1988). Each nursing interaction calls for a unique blending of empirical, aesthetic, personal and ethical knowledge (Carper, 1979). Caring is not, there fore, a series of predetermined, isolated actions, but manifests as patterns of interaction not regulated by rules. Caring defies quantification and it is this irreducibility that causes some nurses to compare the promotion of caring in nursing with the story of the emperor’s new clothes. However, the analogy is not appropriate as car ing is not absent, just submerged in the biomedical, reductionist model to the extent that it is no longer a valued component of healing. Caring is a precondition for the survival of the human race and the quality of human life. As Capra (1983) notes, ‘we live today in a globally interconnected world in which biological, psychological, social and environ mental phenomena are all interdependent’. Detached, patriarchal, reductionist world views have resulted in global crisis manifestations which include famine, pollu tion, increasing violence and war, and the creation of a class of non-persons, e.g. the elderly, handicapped and mentally ill. The new vision includes holistic approaches to health and healing, an integration of Western and Eastern phil osophies, a new conceptual framework for economics and technology, and an ecological, feminist and spiritual perspective that will lead to profound changes in our social and political structures (Capra, 1983; Noddings, 1984; Skinner, 1990). Caring is at the heart of this para digm shift and its promotion is an urgent task. Nurses have already taken some important steps. In 1986, Dr Jean Watson established the Center for Human Caring at the University of Colorado School of Nursing. Its major purpose is ‘to develop and use knowledge of human caring and healing as the founda tion for transforming the healthcare system’ (Center for Human Caring, 1992).
I
British Journal of Nursing, 1992, Vol I,No II
The Center has an interdisciplinary approach focusing on research-based clinical caring as distinct from, but complementary to, biotechnical, cure-focused activities. The four major goals are as follows: to integrate knowl edge from the arts and humanities into nursing and health science education, practice and research; to devel op, evaluate and disseminate new human caring and healing models for the redesign of healthcare systems and reform of health policy; to provide a forum for interdisciplinary, national and international dialogue and formal educational and research activities; and to serve as an international resource and clearing house for infor mation sharing, consultation and dissemination of gen eral and specific information related to human caring and healing theory, education, research and clinical prac tice models and projects (Center for Human Caring, 1992). The time is right to extend this work. In September, Dr Watson officially inaugurated the Scottish Highlands Centre for Human Caring at the Highland College of Nursing and Midwifery, Inverness, which will share the mission and goals of the parent establishment in Color ado. Programme initiatives will come from practising nurses and, in the first instance, will include collabor ative programmes for the empowerment of older per sons, values education in schools, caring for caregivers and care management. The stimulus for the establishment of these two centres is care, and the hope is that a global network of centres will develop to help create a more caring world. The promotion of caring in nursing is not just another fad from the USA. Those who remain uncon vinced should consult the writings of Florence Nightin gale. What a pity we failed to learn the lessons first time around. m Elizabeth Farmer Reader in Nursing Highland College of Nursing and Midwifery in association with the Dundee Institute of Technology Raigmore Hospital, Inverness Capra F (1983) The Turning Point. Science, Society anil the Kiting Culture. Flamingo, London Carper B (1979) Fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing. Adv N un Sci 1(1): 13-23 Center for Human Caring (1993) Programme Portfolio. University of Colorado, Denver Gadow S (1988) Covenant without cure. In: Watson J, Ray MA, eds. The Ethics o f Care and the Ethics o f Cure. National League for Nursing, New York: 5-14 Leininger M (1988) Caring, the Essence o f Nursing and Health. Wayne State University Press, Detroit Noddings N (1984) Caring, A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education. University of California Press, Berkeley Roche Sr MS (1991) Creating Communities of Caring. In: Curriculum Revolution: Community Building and Activism. National League for Nursing, New York: 123-38 Skinner Q (1990) Introduction: The Return of Grand Theory. In: Skinner Q, ed. The Human Sciences. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 1-20 Watson J (19X8) Nursing: Human Science and Human Care: .4 theory o f Nursing. National League for Nursing, New York
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Downloaded from magonlinelibrary.com by 130.237.122.245 on January 17, 2019.
