Anne Boykin Nursing as Caring

Theory
By: Ann Wright Glover
Cheryl Muffley
Lori Couch
 Original Source of Theory:
Philosophy and Human Science
 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.
 Short Description of the theory, continued
 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.
 What research has been completed
with this theory?

 Boca Raton Community Hospital in Florida used this theory

in their emergency room and oncology units
 They set out to prove that growing in caring would improve
the morale of healthcare personnel and would result in
higher levels of patient satisfaction
 Intentional focus on caring, respect and honor the dignity of
the person
 Quantitative measures showed increased employee and
patient satisfaction
 How has this theory been applied 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.
 How could this theory be applied to
your nursing practice?
 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”.
 Conclusion

Nursing is a lifetime journey of caring and healing,

seeking to understand and preserve the wholeness of
human existence, and to offer compassionate,
informed, knowledgeable human caring to society and
humankind.