Nursing as a Caring Profession:
Course Description:
This course explores the philosophical, theoretical, and practical foundations of nursing as an ethical and human science centered on caring. It moves beyond the mastery of technical skills to delve into the moral, spiritual, and interpersonal demands of professional nursing practice. Students will analyze major theories of human caring (e.g., Watson, Benner, Leininger), develop skills in therapeutic communication and presence, and critically reflect on their personal and professional values as they relate to providing holistic, compassionate care across diverse populations and complex healthcare settings. Emphasis is placed on ethical decision-making, self-care, and professional advocacy within the context of a caring-based practice model.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
🌏Analyze the philosophical underpinnings and historical evolution of caring as the central moral imperative in professional nursing practice.
🌏Differentiate between and critically evaluate major grand and middle-range nursing theories of caring (e.g., Watson, Benner, Leininger, Parse).
🌏Apply principles of therapeutic communication, authentic presence, and cultural humility to establish effective, trusting, and caring nurse-patient relationships.
🌏Examine the ethical concept of the "Ethic of Care" and demonstrate moral agency in addressing patient advocacy and navigating ethical dilemmas in clinical practice.
🌏Evaluate the impact of high-technology environments and healthcare systems on the nurse's ability to express and sustain caring practices.
🌏Develop personal strategies for self-care, resilience, and addressing compassion fatigue and burnout inherent in the caring profession.
🌏Articulate a personal philosophy of nursing that integrates core caring concepts, professionalism, and commitment to lifelong learning.
Course Structure: 15 Chapters
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1: The Essence of Nursing: Defining Care and Caring, Distinguishing between "care" (action) and "caring" (intentional relationship); The holistic nature of nursing; The moral covenant of nursing; Nursing as an art and a science.
Chapter 2: Historical Roots of Compassion and Service, Florence Nightingale's view of nursing as service; Early models of hospital and community care; Transition from vocational calling to professional science; The impact of historical trauma on modern care models.
Chapter 3: Theoretical Foundation I: Jean Watson's Human Caring Science, The 10 Caritas Processes; The transpersonal caring relationship; Caring-healing consciousness; Application of Caritas in contemporary clinical settings.
Chapter 4: Theoretical Foundation II: Patricia Benner’s Novice to Expert, The continuum of skill acquisition; Understanding the role of experience and clinical wisdom (phronesis); Moving from reliance on rules (novice) to holistic understanding (expert); The importance of relational skills at each stage.
Chapter 5: Theoretical Foundation III: Cultural Caring and Diversity, Madeleine Leininger's Culture Care Theory (Sunrise Model); Concepts of culture care preservation, accommodation, and repatterning; Cultural humility versus cultural competence; Addressing health inequities through caring.
Chapter 6: The Ethic of Care and Moral Agency, Differentiating the Ethic of Care (Gilligan) from Justice Ethics; The role of moral courage and moral distress in nursing; Patient advocacy and the professional obligation to speak up; Ethical dilemmas in high-stakes environments.
Chapter 7: The Nurse-Patient Relationship: Therapeutic Communication, Active listening and reflective practice; Building trust and rapport; The use of silence and touch in therapeutic encounters; Barriers to communication in acute and chronic illness settings.
Chapter 8: The Power of Presence: Being with the Patient, Defining "authentic presence" and its healing effects; The difference between "being there" and "being present"; Non-verbal communication and conveying attention; Practicing mindful awareness in the clinical area.
Chapter 9: Caring in Context: Environment and Healing, The concept of the healing environment; Environmental stressors in healthcare settings (noise, light, privacy); Creating aesthetically and emotionally supportive spaces; Patient-centered care models.
Chapter 10: Spiritual Care and Existential Concerns, Assessing spiritual needs and distress; Providing care that respects belief systems without imposing personal views; Addressing fundamental human questions of meaning, hope, and suffering; The nurse's role as a spiritual resource.
Chapter 11: Caring for the Caregiver: Professional Self-Efficacy, Understanding and mitigating compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary trauma; Strategies for resilience, stress reduction, and emotional regulation; The ethical necessity of self-care; Organizational strategies for promoting nurse well-being.
Chapter 12: Caring Across the Lifespan: Geriatrics and Pediatrics, Specialized caring needs of vulnerable populations; Promoting dignity and autonomy in older adults; Family-centered care models in pediatrics; Navigating complex family dynamics.
Chapter 13: The Challenge of Suffering, Grief, and End-of-Life Care,
Palliative care and hospice philosophy; Managing pain and other symptoms with a caring presence; Communicating effectively about prognosis and dying; Assisting with anticipatory grief and bereavement support.
Chapter 14: Technology and Humanism: Caring in the Digital Age, Balancing high-tech monitoring with high-touch interaction; The impact of EHRs and documentation on presence; Leveraging technology to support caring, not replace it; Maintaining human connection in telehealth.
Chapter 15 The Future of Caring: Leadership, Policy, and Global Impact, Leading with a caring philosophy; Influencing health policy to support humanistic care models; Nursing's role in global health and humanitarian aid; Professional accountability and the lifelong commitment to caring.
