Everyone has a special person who has influenced their life and professional practice model. Dr. Jean Watson is that person for both of us. Dr. Watson was the closing keynote speaker at the 2023 CMSA National Conference, and it was so very special to have the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with her! Literally, a dream come true. Her theory on human caring was the foundation for both of our graduate studies and case management practice. What an amazing experience!
And not just for the pair of us, as we noted. As we escorted Dr. Watson to the speaker-ready room, attendees sitting along the main corridor saw her. Looks of surprise and excitement were common. We stopped to chat in the middle of the hall and people started coming up to us, asking for photos, autographs, and sharing their personal experience with her Caritas theory. It was clear that everyone was excited, with some being overwhelmed by emotion in meeting her (including us).
Dr. Watson is a world-renown visionary in caring science. Her nursing theory of human caring has now reached beyond nursing, providing a framework for other disciplines. She developed 10 caring (Caritas) processes that include embrace (loving, kindness), inspire (faith, hope), trust (transpersonal), nurture (relationship), forgive (all), deepen (creative self), balance (learning), co-create (healing environments), minister (humanity), and open (infinity). These transpersonal processes are between the patient and the case manager. She refers to them as “caring moments.”
After our brief stop in the speaker-ready rooms, and before her keynote, we had an opportunity to sit down with Dr. Watson. After a few moments, we settled down, not to a formal interview but an incredible conversation with this legendary thought leader.
Question: How can case managers embrace the theory of caring?
Dr. Watson: Caring radiates from you, the case manager. It’s all relationship based. It’s a holistic approach where we see the patient as an individual or as a family.
Question: How can I express a caring, healing environment with my patients telephonically?
Dr. Watson: By the caring transit, the caring energy of your voice and your messages and your presence. Energy transcends time, space and physicality and can be transmitted telephonically. You can communicate caring. It’s all about how you ask the questions and how you open space. Patients will know the difference whether you are just trying to get data or whether you are actually present and connecting with them. Be sure to allow for pauses for authentic listening and to reflect back to the patient. By just holding that space for them, it’s almost like a sacred moment that you create because people are hungry for somebody to talk to and to listen to them. When you can have that consciousness and that skill set on how to be there for them, you are creating a healing environment.
Question: Have you seen the implementation of Caritas science in a hospital, not just impacting patients?
Dr. Watson: Yes, I have seen it impacting the employee experience. It’s about creating caring and healing environments for the staff as well as for the patients and families.
Dr. Watson went on to explain what she refers to as “caring moments.” She said these are very special transpersonal times that depend on how we connect and how we honor that connection with ourselves and each other. It shows who we are and who we are becoming, and it affects you, the cas manager, and it affects the patient. It also affects the next experience.
Dr. Watson encouraged us to create a community of caring that creates a safe space for another person to be vulnerable, share feelings and experiences and receive support. She stated that, by supporting each other, we can be more authentic, and communication will be enhanced. She emphasized that we should become more conscious of caring moments and being present when communicating with others.
When asked about artificial intelligence and all the technology that is accelerating, Dr. Watson reported that “caring” and the need for human-to-human touch, connections and interactions will be very vital.
Dr. Watson left us with the image of an evolution of consciousness which can be life giving and life receiving. Early the following morning, Colleen was awaiting her ride to the airport and Dr. Watson was in the same area, awaiting her ride as well. Dr. Watson mentioned that she was very impressed with the CMSA Conference and attendees, stating that she “had never experienced a more caring group” and congratulated CMSA on truly promoting caring in healthcare. High praise and recognition, indeed.
Thank you, Dr. Watson. This time with you was spiritual, exciting, rejuvenating and inspiring.
, PhD, RN, FAAN, AHN-BC, World renowned visionary in caring science, Founder of Watson Caring Science Institute. Founding member of the International Association for Human Caring, Fellow at the Academy of Nursing and honored as a Living Legend.
