Question 1

Examine each of the 10 caritas processes developed by Watson. Describe an example of a patient encounter that demonstrates the use of each caritas process.

Accepted Answer

The 10 caritas processes developed by Jean Watson are:

1. Embrace altruistic values and practice loving kindness
2. Instill faith and hope
3. Cultivate sensitivity to one's self and to others
4. Develop helping-trusting, human caring relationships
5. Promote and accept the expression of positive and negative feelings
6. Use creative problem-solving, caring processes
7. Promote transpersonal teaching-learning
8. Provide for supportive, protective, and/or corrective mental, physical, societal, and spiritual environment
9. Assist with the gratification of human needs
10. Allow for existential-phenomenological-spiritual forces

An example of a patient encounter that demonstrates the use of each caritas process could be as follows:

1. Embrace altruistic values and practice loving kindness: A nurse spends extra time with a terminally ill patient, providing comfort and emotional support.

2. Instill faith and hope: A nurse encourages a patient with a chronic illness to stay positive and hopeful about their treatment and recovery.

3. Cultivate sensitivity to one's self and to others: A nurse takes the time to understand a patient's cultural beliefs and practices, and incorporates them into their care plan.

4. Develop helping-trusting, human caring relationships: A nurse builds a strong rapport with a patient by actively listening to their concerns and involving them in their care decisions.

5. Promote and accept the expression of positive and negative feelings: A nurse validates a patient's feelings of fear and anxiety before a surgical procedure, and provides reassurance and support.

6. Use creative problem-solving, caring processes: A nurse collaborates with a multidisciplinary team to develop a personalized care plan for a patient with complex medical needs.

7. Promote transpersonal teaching-learning: A nurse educates a patient and their family about managing a chronic condition, taking into account their spiritual and cultural beliefs.

8. Provide for supportive, protective, and/or corrective mental, physical, societal, and spiritual environment: A nurse ensures that a patient's hospital room is comfortable and conducive to healing, with access to spiritual resources if needed.

9. Assist with the gratification of human needs: A nurse helps a patient with mobility issues to maintain their independence and dignity while performing activities of daily living.

10. Allow for existential-phenomenological-spiritual forces: A nurse supports a patient in exploring their spiritual beliefs and finding meaning and purpose in their illness experience.

Question 2

Reflect on your personal health. Are you a role model for your patients? Which aspects of your personal health do you need to improve? Which strategies will you adopt to improve your health?

Accepted Answer

As a healthcare professional, it is important for me to reflect on my personal health and whether I am a role model for my patients. I believe that I do strive to be a role model for my patients when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, there are definitely aspects of my personal health that I need to improve.

One aspect that I need to work on is my exercise routine. I have found that I have been neglecting regular physical activity due to my busy schedule. I need to make a conscious effort to incorporate exercise into my daily routine, whether it's going for a walk during my lunch break or scheduling regular workouts into my week.

Another aspect that I need to improve is my diet. While I do try to eat healthily, there are times when I indulge in unhealthy foods or rely on convenience foods due to time constraints. I need to prioritize meal planning and preparation to ensure that I am consistently fueling my body with nutritious foods.

In terms of strategies to improve my health, I plan to start by setting specific, achievable goals for both exercise and nutrition. I will also make use of resources such as fitness apps or meal planning tools to help me stay on track. Additionally, I will prioritize self-care and stress management to ensure that I am taking care of my mental and emotional well-being as well.

Overall, I recognize that there is always room for improvement when it comes to personal health, and I am committed to making positive changes to better myself and serve as a role model for my patients.

Question 3

Choose a caring presence strategy to implement in your practice and use the reflective journal template provided in the chapter to reflect on your practice.

Accepted Answer

One caring presence strategy that I would like to implement in my practice is active listening. This involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what is being said. It also involves providing feedback and asking clarifying questions to show that I am engaged and truly interested in the well-being of the individual.

Using the reflective journal template provided in the chapter, I will reflect on my practice after implementing this caring presence strategy:

Date:

Today, I implemented the active listening strategy in my practice. I made a conscious effort to fully concentrate on what my patients were saying, without interrupting or formulating my response in my head. I also provided feedback and asked clarifying questions to show that I was engaged and interested in their well-being.

What went well:

- I noticed that my patients seemed more open and willing to share their concerns and feelings. They seemed to appreciate that I was truly listening and understanding their perspective.
- I was able to gather more comprehensive information about their health and well-being, which will help me provide better care in the future.

What could have been improved:

- I found it challenging to not interrupt and to refrain from formulating my response while the patient was speaking. This is something I need to continue working on to improve my active listening skills.
- I could have provided more specific feedback and asked more clarifying questions to show that I was truly engaged in the conversation.

Overall, I believe that implementing the active listening strategy in my practice was beneficial. It helped me build a stronger connection with my patients and gather more comprehensive information to inform my care. I will continue to work on improving my active listening skills to provide even better care in the future.

Question 4

All of the following are advantages of technology-mediated care except:

Accepted Answer

Assessment technology may not always provide a complete and objective picture of the patient experience, as it can miss subjective nuances and individual patient contexts.

Question 5

The widely accepted definition of a knowledge worker is one who:

Accepted Answer

A knowledge worker is primarily defined as someone who works with information and generates information and knowledge, rather than just engaging in research or being an expert in cognition or information technology.

Question 6

Patient-centered care means that practitioners should focus on:

Accepted Answer

Patient-centered care emphasizes understanding and prioritizing the subjective experience of patients, ensuring that their personal needs, preferences, and values guide all clinical decisions.

Question 7

Which of the following is a potential outcome of patient-centered care?

Accepted Answer

Patient-centered care involves considering patients' experiences, enhancing care providers' reflexivity, and encouraging collaborative insights for organizational improvements.

Question 8

When a nurse is largely competent in carrying out care, efficient with interventions, but inattentive to communication and nonverbal cues projected by patients and families, we say the professional is:

Accepted Answer

The nurse is physically present because they are competent and efficient in interventions but inattentive to communication and nonverbal cues, which are essential for being fully or transcendentally present.

Question 9

What term refers to a nurse taking a few calming breaths, clearing his or her mind of clutter, and silently saying the patient's name a time or two before beginning the patient encounter?

Accepted Answer

Centering is a technique used by healthcare professionals to focus their attention and prepare mentally before engaging with a patient, often involving calming breaths and mental preparation.

Question 10

When we enter the uncharted world of the other without preconceived notions about what to expect, we are practicing:

Accepted Answer

Bracketing is the practice of setting aside our preconceived notions and assumptions in order to enter into the experience of the other without judgment.

Question 11

Technologies are usually not disruptive to the provider-patient caring encounter.

Accepted Answer

Technologies can be disruptive to the provider-patient caring encounter by altering communication dynamics, introducing new workflows, and sometimes creating barriers to personal interaction.

Question 12

Caring consciousness is energy within the human-environmental field of a caring moment.

Accepted Answer

The concept of caring consciousness as energy within the human-environmental field of a caring moment is aligned with holistic and integrative approaches in nursing and healthcare, which view caring as an energetic and interconnected process.

Question 13

In deep transpersonal caring, both the caregiver and the care recipient may experience healing.

Accepted Answer

Deep transpersonal caring involves a mutual, holistic interaction where both the caregiver and the care recipient can experience healing through a shared connection and understanding.

Question 14

The work of nurses is primarily physical.

Accepted Answer

The work of nurses involves both physical tasks and significant mental, emotional, and administrative responsibilities.

Question 15

Nurses who take care of their own health are more likely to be effective in patient and family care.

Accepted Answer

Nurses who maintain their own health are better equipped physically and mentally to provide high-quality care to patients and families, as they can manage stress and avoid burnout.

Question 16

Nurses can be thought of as instruments of healing.

Accepted Answer

Nurses play a crucial role in patient care, providing medical support, emotional comfort, and promoting recovery, thus acting as instruments of healing.

Question 17

Some technologies such a telehealth encounters may present barriers to active listening.

Accepted Answer

Telehealth encounters can present barriers to active listening due to factors like technical issues, lack of non-verbal cues, and distractions in the environment.

Question 18

While relationship-centered care promotes enhanced mental and physical well-being in patients, it has little effect on nurses.

Accepted Answer

Relationship-centered care also positively impacts nurses by improving job satisfaction, reducing burnout, and fostering a supportive work environment.

Question 19

Reflective journaling is critical for students, but not necessary for working nurses.

Accepted Answer

Reflective journaling is beneficial for both students and working nurses as it helps in continuous learning, self-awareness, and professional development.

Question 20

Practicing techniques related to caring presence may promote mindfulness in practice.

Accepted Answer

Practicing techniques related to caring presence can enhance mindfulness by fostering awareness, attention, and a non-judgmental attitude, which are key components of mindfulness.

Quiz 25: The Art of Caring in Technology-Laden Environments