disciplinary, scientific, and professional standing
with itself and its public.MAJOR CONCEPTUAL ELEMENTS
The major conceptual elements of the original (and
emergent) theory are:- Ten carative factors (evolving toward “clinical
caritas processes”) - Transpersonal caring relationship
- Caring moment/caring occasion
- Caring-healing modalities
Other dynamic aspects of the theory that have
emerged or are emerging as more explicit compo-
nents include: - Expanded views of self and person (transper-
sonal mind-body-spirit unity of being, embod-
ied spirit - Caring-healing consciousness and intentionality
to care and promote healing caring conscious-
ness as energy within the human environment
field of a caring moment - Phenomenal field/unitary consciousness: un-
broken wholeness and connectedness of all - Advanced caring-healing modalities/nursing
arts as future model for advanced practice of
nursing qua nursing (consciously guided by
one’s nursing ethical-theoretical-philosophical
orientation).
CARING SCIENCEThe latest emergence of the work is a more ex-
plicit development of caring science as a deep
moral-ethical context of infinite and cosmic
love. This view takes nursing and healing
work beyond conventional thinking. The
latest orientation is located within nursing at
its finest while transcending nursing. Caring
science as model for nursing allows nursing’s
caring-healing core to become both discipline-
specific and transdisciplinary. Thus, nursing’s
timeless, enduring, and most noble contribu-
tions come of age through a caring science
orientation—scientifically, aesthetically, and
ethically.Ten Carative Factors
The original (1979) work was organized around
10 carative factors as a framework for providinginside out and heading toward caring-healing
practices and models of caring, guided by Watson’s
theory and philosophy.
Dr. Watson’s book, Postmodern Nursing and
Beyond,reflects her most recent work on caring
theory and nursing healing practices (Watson,
1999). In addition, her 2002 book on caring instru-
ments (Watson, J.Assessing and Measuring Caring
in Nursing and Health Sciences.New York: Springer.
A critique and collation of 21 instruments for as-
sessing and measuring caring) seeks to bridge mod-
ern and postmodern views of caring and healing in
relation to current thinking, while pointing toward
a new future beyond current practices. Her latest
work is entitled Caring Science as Sacred Science
(Watson, 2004/5), which makes a case for a deep
moral-ethical, spirit-filled foundation for caring
and healing that is based upon infinite love and an
expanding cosmology. This view in turn elicits the
finest of nursing as the art, science, and spiritual
practice it is meant to be, as it is the highest form of
compassionate service to society and humanity.
Introducing the Theory
The Theory of Human Caring was developed be-
tween 1975 and 1979 while I was teaching at the
University of Colorado. It emerged from my own
views of nursing, combined and informed by my
doctoral studies in educational-clinical and social
psychology. It was my initial attempt to bring
meaning and focus to nursing as an emerging dis-
cipline and distinct health profession that had its
own unique values, knowledge, and practices, and
its own ethic and mission to society. The work was
also influenced by my involvement with an inte-
grated academic nursing curriculum and efforts to
find common meaning and order to nursing that
transcended settings, populations, specialty, sub-
specialty areas, and so forth.
From my emerging perspective, I tried to make
explicit that nursing’s values, knowledge, and prac-
tices of human caring were geared toward subjec-
tive inner healing processes and the life world of the
experiencing person. This required unique caring-
healing arts and a framework called “carative fac-
tors,” which complemented conventional medicine
but stood in stark contrast to “curative factors.”
At the same time, this emerging philosophy and
theory of human caring sought to balance the cure
orientation of medicine, giving nursing its unique
296 SECTION III Nursing Theory in Nursing Practice, Education, Research, and Administration