Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory & Watson’s Theory of Transpersonal Caring

Practice flashcards covering key concepts from Nightingale's Environmental Theory and Watson's transpersonal caring theory.

What is Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory summarized as?

Nursing is the art of utilizing the patient’s environment for his or her recovery.

Name the components of the patient environment according to Nightingale.

Proper ventilation, adequate light, cleanliness, warmth, quiet, diet, and management.

What nickname did Nightingale earn for her work during the Crimean War?

The Lady with the Lamp.

What war did Nightingale participate in and how many nurses accompanied her?

The Crimean War; she led 38 nurses.

What are some of Nightingale’s post-war contributions?

Published Notes on Hospital (1859) and Notes on Nursing (1859); established the Nightingale School and Home for Nurses at St. Thomas Hospital; influenced John Stuart Mill’s work on women’s rights.

What are the four metaparadigms in Nightingale’s theory?

Nursing, Person, Health, and Environment.

How is health defined by Nightingale?

Health is being well and living up to one’s potential; disease/illness are reparative processes initiated by Mother Nature when health is neglected.

What is the central concept of Nightingale’s theory?

A therapeutic environment that enhances comfort and recovery.

What is Nightingale’s definition of the environment?

External conditions and influences affecting life and development of an organism and capable of preventing, suppressing, or contributing to disease, accidents, or deaths.

What data visualization method did Nightingale famously use to present data?

Polar area diagrams (polar diagrams).

Who is the 'Mother of Modern Nursing'?

Florence Nightingale.

Who is Jean Watson?

An American nurse theorist known for transpersonal caring theory; author of Nursing: The Philosophy and Science of Caring; developed 10 carative factors and later 10 clinical caritas processes.

Watson's definition of nursing

Nursing is the human science of persons and human health–illness experiences that are mediated by professional, personal, scientific, aesthetic, and ethical human care transactions.

What is a transpersonal caring relationship?

A special kind of human care relationship that unites the nurse and the one-being-cared-for with high regard for the whole person, beyond ego and the here-and-now.

What is caritas and its origin?

Caritas originates from the Greek meaning to cherish and to give special loving attention; in Watson's theory, it represents the spiritual dimension of caring.

Which are the carative factors that evolved into clinical caritas processes?

The ten carative factors: Humanistic-altruistic value; Faith-hope; Sensitivity to self and others; Helping-trusting, human care relationship; Expressing positive and negative feelings; Creative problem-solving caring process; Transpersonal teaching-learning; Supportive, protective, and/or corrective environment; Human needs assistance; Existential-phenomenological-spiritual forces.

What are clinical caritas processes?

Watson’s ten clinical caritas processes that translate carative factors into actionable clinical steps.

What does existential-phenomenological-spiritual forces address in Watson's theory?

Opening and attending to spiritual-mysterious and existential dimensions of life-death; soul care for self and the one-being-cared-for.

What is a 'caring occasion' in Watson’s theory?

The moment when the nurse and another person come together to create an occasion for human caring.

What is the essence of nursing according to Watson?

Caring.