Living Out Watson’s Caring Science (WCS) Theory

Being a Nurse

The nursing profession is about providing a caring, healing and supportive environment for patients and families. It’s been my intention – for 40-plus years – whether I was tucking in a patient during my shift, making sure patients had the services they needed at discharge home, or simply providing a welcoming office when I was a school nurse. It was in those professional environments that I learned to be a nurse, not just do nursing clinical practice.

When did I associate my behavior with Watson’s Caring Science Theory?

Thirteen years ago, I worked in a community hospital as a staff development manager. I began to learn about the 10 Caritas Processes developed by Jean Watson, a nursing theorist. Watson’s Human Caring Theory was in use at this hospital as their practice model for ANCC Magnet designation. When I learned about this theory, it immediately resonated because I was already working that way. It focuses on the importance of caring in nursing and the interpersonal relationship between the caregiver and the patient. I then began to attend Massachusetts Watson Caring Science Institute (WCSI) Regional Caring Consortium meetings, one of several consortiums across the United States with another 13 WCS Country Groups throughout Latin America and Europe.

As program enrichment director at WCSI, it is an honor to support the seven United States WCS Regional Caring Consortiums. These regional meetings are a platform for nurses and other healthcare providers to unite and expand shared values, philosophies, theories, practices and commitments to advance human caring, healing, health and peace in our world. My attendance provides inspiration and support to embrace compassion, kindness and authentic presence in my personal and professional life that are at the core of the 10 Caritas Processes.

What is Watson’s Caring Science?

You may have heard how nurses live out Watson’s Caring Science, but what does it mean?

WCS theory is a transpersonal approach that incorporates the art and science of nursing practice and includes concepts from the fields of philosophy, ethics, ecology and mind-body-spirit medicine, creating a caring environment that enhances the patient’s well-being, resulting in positive outcomes. Watson’s theory is founded on her development of the 10 Caritas Processes, which are considered universally agreed-upon truths about what it means to care. They are like canons or tenets – values of caring and caring processes to live and work by.

The 10 Caritas Processes are an invitation and an opportunity to interact with caring ideals, to experiment with and grow your practice based on the theory. These easily understandable practices set the foundation to live out the theory in one’s personal and professional life. Watson’s 10 Caritas Processes include embrace (Loving Kindness), inspire (Faith-Hope), trust (Transpersonal), nurture (Relationships), forgive (Healing Space), deepen (Creative Self), balance (Learning), co-create (Caritas Field), serve (Humanity) and open (Infinity).

My Journey, Understanding and Enhancement

I began to realize that throughout my career I had been striving to live out the 10 Caritas Processes; in other words, I was already doing it. My actions were and are a representation of Watson’s Caring Science Theory, and the processes gave me the language and structure, validating my daily interactions as a nurse, wife, mother and human. As nurses, our lives are not determined by the end of the workday. We are nurses, personally and professionally. Always.

The 10 Caritas Processes; what do you see?

I reflect on my personal and professional interactions and see evidence of these 10 Caritas Processes everywhere – specifically in several small but profound Caring Moments. Jean Watson defines a Caring Moment as “maybe this one moment, with this one person, is the very reason we’re here on Earth at this time.” It refers to that special invisible connection we have with a patient or another person, the caring relationship that helps them during their healing process. It focuses on a holistic approach to caring-healing practices to impact our patients’ well-being and the quality of their lives.

I have fond memories of patients, students, families and friends that I have cared for, nurtured, listened to and supported. I also recall moments when I could have been more caring. I reflect on those moments to learn how my interactions shape my life and the lives of others.

I recall a particular professional caring moment that I experienced as a hospice nurse. A family’s newborn had several congenital health issues that would contribute to an early death. The family cared for the child at home for a few weeks, and I was the nurse who visited for the pronouncement. The time spent with the child and parents in silence and respect will always be in my heart.

A personal caring moment was when I cared for a friend who had surgery. I spent two weeks in her home assisting with all aspects of her daily living. This situation presented many caring moments. I vividly recall using aromatherapy to improve her sleeping. The lights were low, and I added some lavender oil on a cotton ball and asked her to close her eyes and take slow deep breaths as I brought the cotton ball back and forth under her nose for a few minutes. Calmness and peace filled the space we shared.

Being-in-Relation in a Caring Paradigm

Watson referenced several philosophers in her Caring Science Theory. The following philosophers and works laid a foundation for her theory. Watson’s work in some ways can be considered a call to action for nurses and the nursing profession: “a return to the sacred core of humankind, inviting mystery and wonder back into our lives, work and world … to reintroduce a sense of reverence for an openness to infinite possibilities.”

• Ethics of Belonging,” by Emmanuel Levinas (1969), “seeks a science model that integrates the metaphysics within the material physical domain and reinvites ethics of belonging to the infinite field of Universal Cosmic Love.”
• “Ethics of Face,” by Emmanuel Levinas (1969), is seen as “facing our own and other’s humanity – explored as a metaphor for how we deepen and sustain our humanity.”
• “Ethics of Hand,” by Knud Logstrup (1997), “reminds us of the sovereign, unarticulated and an often anonymous ethical demand that we take care of the life which trust has placed in our hands.”
• “Ethics of Heart,” by Jean Watson (2025), adds a fourth dimension to the Caring Paradigm. “It is the metaphysics of the nurse’s heart which brings life, energy, meaning, and purpose to nursing as a caring-healing profession.”

Caritas is a Latin word that means the love of humankind. Watson says, “It is when we include caring and love in our science, we discover our caring-healing professions and disciplines are much more than a detached scientific endeavor, but a life-giving and life-receiving endeavor for humanity.” Nursing continues to be the most trusted profession, ranking #1 in Gallup’s annual Most Honest and Ethical Professions Poll for the 22nd year. It is the trust that we hold dear. Watson’s Caring Science Theory is a reminder that what we do matters. It is an honor to authentically provide compassionate care for our patients and communities, working within a theory that guides our practice and helps elevate and shine a light on this most beautiful profession.

Open your heart to Watson’s Caring Science Theory, as we are already fostering meaningful patient care and improving our professional fulfillment.

Special Acknowledgement

I acknowledge and thank my co-author, Julie Watson, BGA, MA, FRSA, executive director of Watson Caring Science Institute and managing editor of the Lotus Library.