Nurses Looking at Each Other Holding Tablet

The Science of Caring and How It Leads to Whole-Person Health

Nurses are the heart of healthcare, and at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth, they’re the foundation of how we deliver whole-person care.

Registered nurse Dr. Jean Watson theorized that humans cannot be separated from themselves, which means that the care nurses provide must be provided to patients’ whole selves.

If it’s a nurse’s job to promote health, prevent illness, care for the sick and restore health, we nurses are uniquely positioned to care for our patients' whole selves, not just their current condition.

Principles of a Caring Consciousness

As nurses, we promote the principles of a caring consciousness, which looks like:

  • Relationship with self

    • Self-reflection and self-care
    • Healing practices
    • Centering from the heart

  • Relationship with others

    • Transpersonal caring relationship
    • Authentic presence
    • Caring moments
    • Honoring dignity and uniqueness

Dr. Jean Watson’s 10 Factors of Caring

We work to implement the 10 factors of caring every day at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth. Implementing these factors helps us deliver quality care in every healthcare setting.

  1. Embrace altruistic values and practice loving kindness with self and others.
  2. Instill faith and hope and honor others.
  3. Be sensitive to self and others by nurturing individual beliefs and practices.
  4. Develop helping, trusting, caring relationships.
  5. Promote and accept positive and negative feelings as you authentically listen to another’s story.
  6. Use creative scientific problem-solving methods for caring decision-making.
  7. Share teaching and learning that addresses the individual needs and comprehension styles.
  8. Create a healing environment for the physical and spiritual self which respects human dignity.
  9. Assist with basic physical, emotional and spiritual human needs.
  10. Be open to mystery and allow miracles to enter.