The theory of Nursing As Caring 

is a general or grand nursing theory that can be used as a framework

to guide nursing practice. The theory is grounded in several key assumptions:
1. persons are caring by virtue of their humanness
2. persons live their caring moment to moment
3. persons are whole or complete in the moment
4. personhood is living life grounded in caring
5. personhood is enhanced through participating in nurturing relationships with caring others
6. nursing is both a discipline and a profession (Boykin & Schoenhofer, 2001, p.11).
The most basic premise of the theory is that all humans are caring persons, that to be human is to be
called to live one’s innate caring nature. Developing the full potential of expressing caring is an ideal and
for practical purposes, is a lifelong process.

W. Anne Boykin and Savina Schoenhofer

 Presented the grand theory of Nursing as Caring. They believed that all

person are caring, and nursing is a response to a unique social call. The
focus of nursing is on nurturing person living and growing in caring in a
manner that is specific to each nurse-nursed relationship or nursing
situation. Each nursing situation is original.

 They support that caring is a moral imperative. Nursing as Caring is not

based on need or deficit but is egalitarian model helping.

Philosophy

 Caring is a human mode of

being

 Caring is an essential feature

and expression of being human

 Human Science

 Nursing is a form of human science which focuses on the knowledge needed to

understand the fullness of what it means to be human and on the methods to verify this
knowledge

Short description of the theory

The theory of Nursing as Caring is a grand nursing theory that can be used a framework to guide
nursing practice. The theory is grounded on the following principles:

o Persons are caring by virtues of their humanness

o Persons live their caring moment to moment

o Persons are whole or complete in the moment

o Personhood is living life grounded in caring

o Personhood is enhanced through participating in nurturing relationships with caring others

o Nursing is both a discipline and a profession

The basic premise of this theory is that all humans are caring persons, that to be human is to be called
to live one’s innate caring nature.

 Caring is the intentional and authentic presence of the nurse with another who is recognized as
a person living, caring and growing in caring.

 The ideal of caring is an essential feature and expression of being human and is central in this
theory.

 The nurse endeavors to come to know the other as a caring person and seeks to understand
how that person might be sustained, supported, and strengthened in their unique process of
living caring and growing caring.

Application to nursing

 Nurses intentionally care for an individual which causes them to grow in caring

 Nurses support, sustain, strengthen process of caring and growing in care

 Nurse must be present, actively listening, sensitive to broad range of situations

 Nurses gain expertise from the expression of caring.

 When the nurse enters the patient’s world, they learn to know the other caring and
understanding, and how to care and live in the moment.

 To respond to patients the nurse depends several ways of knowing: personal, empiric, ethical
and esthetic.

 As a school nurse I could treat each student as a unique special individual, listening, showing
caring and responding to what truly matters to them.

 As a nurse educator, caring can help those being taught to have self awareness it encourages
learning and have the ability to apply theory to practice. The goal is to empower nurses to take
responsibility of their practice by gaining knowledge.

 When interviewing nurses for entry-level positions, I can interview and select staff on the basis
of “caring” orientation and ask them to tell me about a “caring moment”.