Nightingale, Watson, and Caring Science in Nursing Practice

Nursing Theorist Overview: Florence Nightingale's Environmental Theory

Theory guides nursing practice and provides a framework for nurse leadership and healthcare management (McKenna, Pajnkihar & Murphy, 2014). All prominent nursing theorists have influenced nursing practice in some way, and all resonate with me on both a personal and professional level. I intend to incorporate elements of multiple theorists into my practice in terms of interpersonal communications and attitudes toward health and healing. Of the theorists covered, Florence Nightingale resonates the most because of her inclusion of environmental factors implicated in patient care. Environmental factors such as lighting and ventilation can have a profound impact on perceptions of quality of care, which in turn bears strongly on the efficacy of the healthcare institution (Sabza & Pirani, 2016). The environmental factors that Nightingale identified as important to patient care also have a direct effect on physiological responses in some patients, as I have noticed in my own nursing practice. For example, ventilation is a factor implicated in respiratory function. Some patients are more sensitive to air quality or air temperature, which is especially critical for those with respiratory health issues or those receiving specific types of treatment.

Because I have aspirations in nurse leadership, I intend to build on Nightingale's environmental theories to make critical decisions related to institutional and workplace settings. In fact, Nightingale's theories are already applicable to my current practice area. I have noticed how patients respond to changes in their environment, with either beneficial or adverse outcomes. Sudden or constant noises are among the most noticeable factors affecting patient responses to healthcare interventions. Environmental factors influence the efficacy of some treatment interventions by creating a sense of comfort in some patients or initiating a stress response in others. The design of the environment may also be conducive to relaxation, socializing, or rest. Nurses need to be aware of patient needs, with attention paid to cultural variables and other sociocultural issues such as gender. Other aspects of Nightingale's nursing theory that I can immediately apply to my patient care practices center on the nurse's responsibility to actively promote healing through alterations to the care context.

Caring Science and Watson's Theory of Human Caring

The concept of caring has become so embedded in nursing that it is often taken for granted as an implied aspect of service delivery. When caring is absent from nursing practice or patient interactions and communications, it can have an adverse impact on health outcomes and on organizational behavior. A lack of formalized caring practices in the healthcare institution can also lead to workplace dissatisfaction and poor morale among employees (Watson, 2009). Caring has had to be revitalized in nursing theory and education in order to reinstate its principles and clarify what caring truly entails. Watson (2009) and the Watson Caring Science Institute (2018) have offered nurse leaders, nurse educators, and practitioners the opportunity to standardize definitions of caring and operationalize consistent caring procedures. The theory of human caring embodies my beliefs about the nursing profession, which is fundamentally holistic and multidisciplinary in nature.

Nursing needs to be grounded in evidence-based practice, and caring is a major component of that approach to healthcare interventions (Watson, 2009). Administering assessments, tests, and procedures without caring would achieve only a narrow range of healthcare goals and objectives. Desirable outcomes in patient care go far beyond quantitative measures to include empowering patients to take charge of their own health beliefs and practices, promoting psychological growth and healing, and encouraging the integration of social support networks into the overall treatment plan. I have always recognized the importance of cultural contexts and sociological factors such as gender, age, and other variables that shape behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs. Learning about the patient through active listening, including family members in health-related decisions, and advocating for patients by communicating with other members of the care team are all parts of a caring-focused nursing practice.