1
Watson’s Theory of Caring
Purdue Global University
NU502
2
Watson’s Theory of Caring
Jacqueline Fawcett said, “Nursing theory is characterized as sets of concepts, definitions,
and propositions that address the metaparadigm phenomena of person, environment, health, and
nursing, by specifying relations among variables derived from these phenomena." The
exploration and practice of such theories are essential to the growth and development nursing.
These theories help map the processes we as nurses use every day for clinical decision making
and treatment protocols. Theories in nursing shape nursing research and create conceptual
blueprints, that determine the how and why that drive nurse-patient interactions (Nursing World,
2023). Grand theories, according to McGwen, are derived from conceptual models and are the
most complex and broadest in scope. They are based on abstract ideas and are not always
directly used for experimentation. Grand theories are providing the framework for academic
research and assist nurses to integrate the results from numerous studies that can applied to
education, practice, further research, and administration (McEwen & Wills, 2022). Grand
theories can be categorized in three ways, scope, nursing domains, and paradigms. By scope,
, categories include philosophies, nursing conceptual models, nursing theories, theories, and
middle range theory. When categorized by domain, theories arranged by types of theorists such
as: needs theorists, interaction theorists or outcome theorists. When categorized by paradigms,
theories grouped based on their philosophical perspectives. These are assumptions or beliefs that
help nursing researchers confront and explicate phenomena in the nursing field. In this paper, I
will be explaining the Theory of Caring. I will explore this theory through the examination of its
foundational ideas, goals, and function. I’ll also explain how the Theory of Caring relates to the
four concepts of the nursing paradigm and how theorists use the paradigm concepts within it.
Watson’s Theory of Caring
Purdue Global University
NU502
2
Watson’s Theory of Caring
Jacqueline Fawcett said, “Nursing theory is characterized as sets of concepts, definitions,
and propositions that address the metaparadigm phenomena of person, environment, health, and
nursing, by specifying relations among variables derived from these phenomena." The
exploration and practice of such theories are essential to the growth and development nursing.
These theories help map the processes we as nurses use every day for clinical decision making
and treatment protocols. Theories in nursing shape nursing research and create conceptual
blueprints, that determine the how and why that drive nurse-patient interactions (Nursing World,
2023). Grand theories, according to McGwen, are derived from conceptual models and are the
most complex and broadest in scope. They are based on abstract ideas and are not always
directly used for experimentation. Grand theories are providing the framework for academic
research and assist nurses to integrate the results from numerous studies that can applied to
education, practice, further research, and administration (McEwen & Wills, 2022). Grand
theories can be categorized in three ways, scope, nursing domains, and paradigms. By scope,
, categories include philosophies, nursing conceptual models, nursing theories, theories, and
middle range theory. When categorized by domain, theories arranged by types of theorists such
as: needs theorists, interaction theorists or outcome theorists. When categorized by paradigms,
theories grouped based on their philosophical perspectives. These are assumptions or beliefs that
help nursing researchers confront and explicate phenomena in the nursing field. In this paper, I
will be explaining the Theory of Caring. I will explore this theory through the examination of its
foundational ideas, goals, and function. I’ll also explain how the Theory of Caring relates to the
four concepts of the nursing paradigm and how theorists use the paradigm concepts within it.
