Caring Science, Mindful Practice: Implementing Watson's Human Caring Theory

Praise for the First Edition:

"The book offers rich examples of nursing projects that may broaden nursing care for greater patient and student satisfaction and assist nurses with holistic self-care."

--Gale Robinson-Smith, PhD, RN

Associate Professor, College of Nursing, Villanova University

International Journal for Human Caring

"Provides wonderful tools for nurses to use in practice, education, or even for self-care. Designed for any nurse, . . . who wishes to learn more about applying Jean Watson's Human Caring Theory to practice ... [It] is a practical, easy-to-read book for all nursing audiences and could be used at any educational level."

--Doody's Medical Reviews

"Sitzman and Watsons' book is an invaluable resource. The strength of this book is its simplicity on one level yet its complexity as the reader works throughout the layers incorporated within the book."

--Nursing Times

This seminal work, based on the philosophy of Watson's Human Caring Theory, is designed to help students and practitioners of nursing to simplify Watson's complex teachings and integrate them into everyday practice. The revised second edition includes an abundance of new micro-practice examples for each of the 10 Caritas Processes(R); practical exemplars from Dr. Sitzman's research, enabling readers to cultivate Caritas and mindfulness on a daily basis; and new case studies demonstrating how others have implemented Human Caring Science into everyday life and work.

Drawing on the contemplative and mindfulness teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, the text offers an engaging entry into Human Caring Theory for newcomers and deepens understanding for current practitioners. Clear and simple content supports foundational learning and promotes direct experience related to Watson's work. The book features guided mindfulness activities and artistic practices for each of the 10 Caritas Processes, plus case studies and guided procedures to facilitate learning and internalizing the method. The text also serves as the foundational text for the WCSI online course that provides step-by-step instructions on how to integrate and ground the philosophy and abstracts of Human Caring Theory into practice.

New to the Second Edition:

• New and updated content throughout
• Presents new examples from authors' research for cultivating daily Caritas and mindfulness practices
• Each Caritas Process chapter includes micro-practice examples from scholarly work demonstrating use of Watson's Theory
• Abundant case studies demonstrate how others have implemented Caring Science and Mindfulness in everyday life and work

Key Features:

• Engages newcomers in learning Human Caring Theory and deepens understanding for current practitioners
• Facilitates integration of the philosophy and abstracts of Human Caring Theory into clinical practice
• Provides abundant case studies and guided activities to reinforce content
• Includes guided mindfulness and artistic practices for each of the Ten Caritas Processes
• Designed for a diverse audience including undergraduate, graduate, and international nursing and health science students
• Serves as the foundational text for the companion WCSI online course (including videos)

Kathleen Sitzman, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN, Distinguished Watson Caring Science Scholar, is a professor of undergraduate nursing science at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina. Previous to her current position, she held dual appointments at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, as the director of the Bachelor of Integrated Studies Program and faculty in the School of Nursing. She was inducted into the Academy of Nursing Education in 2015 and into the American Academy of Nursing in 2016. Dr. Sitzman has been a nurse since 1983 and has used her extensive experience to produce scholarly work that contributes to the nursing profession and body of knowledge on international, national, state, community, and local levels. She has been principal or co-investigator on 10 research projects, several of which focused on nursing students' perception of caring online. She has received numerous awards for her scholarship, mentorship, and teaching, including the Jean Watson Award for outstanding scholarship in caring science from the International Association for Human Caring (2007-2008). Dr. Sitzman has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and has coauthored four books: Understanding the Work of Nurse Theorists: A Creative Beginning, second edition (2011), A History of American Nursing: Trends and Eras, second edition (2014), Caring Science, Mindful Practice, first edition (Springer Publishing, 2014), and Watson's Caring in the Digital World (Springer Publishing, 2017). She is a member of the American Nurses Association, the National League for Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, and the International Association for Human Caring. Dr. Sitzman has been generous with her skills and expertise by serving on a wide variety of health-related service projects.

Jean Watson, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, is distinguished professor emerita and dean emerita of the School of Nursing at the University of Colorado. She is the founder of the Center for Human Caring in Colorado, a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, and a past president of the National League for Nursing. Dr. Watson is a widely published author and recipient of several awards and honors, including an international Kellogg Fellowship in Australia, a Fulbright Research Award in Sweden, and five honorary doctoral degrees, including Honorary International Doctor of Science awards from Goteborg University, Sweden, and Luton University, London. Dr. Watson's caring philosophy is used to guide new models of caring and healing practices in diverse settings worldwide. At the University of Colorado, Dr. Watson holds the title of distinguished professor of nursing, the highest honor accorded its faculty for scholarly work.