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An application of Jean Watson's Theory of Caring in Nursing could definitely help to provide a renewed focus on those aspects of rural and remote care that are most essential to patient needs, and that will lead to a greater level of satisfaction and involvement by nurses. Essentially, this theory of nursing insists that the carative rather than the curative aspects of nursing practice and patient outcomes be focused on, which also automatically means treating the whole patient and improving their quality of life rather than simply trying to address specific symptoms and/or diseases (Watson 199; Rafael 2000). Caring for the patient rather than trying to cure the patient leads to a very different perspective in nursing, and this perspective can be applied to whole communities as well as to individuals.

The usefulness of this theory in regards to rural and remote nursing care and practice is difficult to overstate. By approaching rural communities and individuals simply with the focus of providing the best possible care, rather than attempting to provide cures that seem more readily available in less remote settings, nurses would be able to achieve greater levels of self-defined efficacy while at the same time improving the quality of life and the quality of care for their patients (Watson 1999; Rafael 2000). An application of this theory would not immediately address the practical problems of policy and infrastructure that face rural and remote care, but it would provide a solid foundation for the improvement of care in this area -- improvement that research has shown must be brought about by nurses (Coyale et al. 2010). This foundation can then be used to encourage greater official attention to and coordination of the issue.

Incorporating this theory into this area of practice begins simply with changing the mental and emotional fous of care.