About WCSI
Watson Caring Science Institute (WCSI)
We're here for Nurses.
Watson Caring Science Institute is an international non-profit 501C(3) organization that advances the unitary philosophies, theories and practices of 'Caring Science’, developed by Jean Watson, Ph.D., RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, LL (AAN). Caring Science is a transdisciplinary approach that incorporates the art and science of nursing and includes concepts from the fields of philosophy, ethics, ecology and mind-body-spirit medicine.
Watson's Caring Science improves patient care, and reduces staff burn out (research available upon request). There are many hospitals throughout the world who are now basing their professional practice model on Watson’s Caring Science Theory. Jean and her team of Caring Science Scholars offer unique consultations with national hospital systems, nursing schools and other care-giving facilities to help embed this values based, best practice theory. Excellent quality organizations such as Stanford Health Care (top 3% of hospitals nationally) are awarded our coveted designation: 'WCSI Affiliate System'.
First and foremost, Caring Science incorporates the ethic of caring which expands the medical technical model of science. This theory was developed by a nurse, for nurses and all caring professionals; and while our first responsibility is to uphold and uplift the discipline and profession of nursing, it goes beyond nursing. Nurses and human caring are critically important to the health and healing for humanity and the planet. We do this because as our Founder Jean Watson reminds us “nursing is the paradigm exemplar of human caring, the most mature healing profession in the world.”
Mission
To restore the profound nature of caring-healing within a unitary Caring Science framework; in stewardship to the current health care system worldwide, to retain and nurture its most precious resource, caring professional nurses and transdisciplinary care team members.
To deepen and expand Watson’s Caring Science, the philosophies, theories, ethics and practices of Human Caring, originated by Founder/Director Jean Watson.
Goals & Objectives
- Transform the dominant model of medical science to a model of Watson’s Caring Science by reintroducing the ethic, philosophy and diverse practices of caring and Love (Caritas), necessary for healing.
- Deepen the authentic Caring-Healing relationships between caregiver and patient/family, to restore Love and compassion as the ethical, values foundation of healthcare.
- Translate the model of Caring-Healing/Caritas into fully integrated transdisciplinary programs and services to help transform healthcare one nurse / one caregiver / one educator / one leader / one system at a time.
- Ensure caring and healing for the public, improve nurse and care provider retention in healthcare settings, enhance patient care outcomes, promote safe practices, and decrease costs to the system.
Through deep reflective practice, our Caring Science Faculty offer unique professional development programs such as the Caritas Coach Education Program® and the Caritas Leadership Program™️. We work globally to translate the theory into concrete human-to-human practices that help to re-pattern the culture of healthcare (and increasingly other values-led organizations) whereby leaders and managers ‘live out’ the theory in their professional and personal lives.
“I have great respect for the work of the Institute (WCSI)."
Pamela F. Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
President, International Council of Nurses
We are the light in institutional darkness, and in this model we get to return to the light of our humanity.
Overview
Dr. Watson and WCSI faculty focus on deeply personal, heart-centered, theory-guided, Caritas Practices to transformative Caring–Healing professional Human Care models and modalities, attending to an energetic system-wide healing environment as Caritas field.
Caring Science expands and deepens the conventional model of medical science, offering a unitary world view of connectedness of all – thus Caring Science programs draw upon shared human spirit for creative new solutions, allowing for expanded views of humanity, of healing, of health.
The 10 Caritas Processes® of Watson’s theory, provides language of phenomenon of human caring which contributes to healing, wholeness and human evolution, making new connections between human-to-human caring-love-healing and even peace in our world.
Programs
Dr. Watson and WCSI faculty:
- offer expertise with unique packages for keynotes, speaking, consultations, and workshops from WCSI faculty
- offer a unique six month program Caritas Coach Educational Program a deep dive to caring for self so to care for other for staff
- provide intensive training programs designed to engage in deep study and personal mastery of leadership in our Caritas Leadership Program™
- sponsor and coordinate Watson Caring Science Global Associates with diverse countries
- offer selected clinical-educational-curriculum and research studies to meet diverse individual and system learning needs.
- Dr. Watson conducts intense seminars for Watson Caring Science Postdoctoral & Senior Scholars based upon Caring Science as Sacred Science and emancipatory forms of inquiry.
- Expand our offer to Spanish and Portuguese countries via our WCSI LIA program and membership.
- Caritas Coach Education Program® (CCEP) is a unique, six-month program offered by the Watson Caring Science Institute led by Lorraine Gdanetz, PHD, RN, PCCN, WCSI CCEP® Faculty Director, Caritas Coach®.
- Scientific equiry, research and evidence using our Caritas Measures showing a full circle of knowledge and value added
Every year WCSI in partnership with national caring science clinical educational systems, coordinate the Caritas Community Conference (CCC). The ICC is sponsored by clinical-academic organizations in various locations throughout the USA, implementing Caring Science in their settings, as exemplars of this transformative work. Other Caritas consortia are now offered regionally in different parts of the country and other parts of the world.
Value of Caring Science Implementation
Listen to WCSI Affiliates discuss the metrics and evidence on the value of implementation of Caring Science into practice settings.
Dale E. Beatty, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Stanford Health Care speaks with Jacqueline Attlesey-Pries, MS, RN, CENP Vice President of Operations, Chief Nursing Officer, Boulder Community Health with Jean Watson, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, LL (AAN), Grissel Hernandez, PhD, MPH, RN, HNB-BC, Stanford Health Care, and Sarah E. Wise, BSN, RN, Boulder Community Health.
WCSI 2.0
Focusing on education, praxis (informed moral practice), research, legacy and leadership, Watson Caring Science Institute aims to deepen the development and understanding of Caring Science and Caritas Practices, to dramatically transform patient/family experiences of caring and healing in schools, hospitals, the wider community and our planet.WCSI 2.0 means we are upgrading our Institute by consciously focusing on four distinctive parts which make up the whole: Education, Praxis, Research, Legacy & Leadership.
Education:
WSCI 2.0 continues its dedication to help the current health care system retain its most precious resource – competent, caring professional nurses. Our ambition is to prepare a new generation of health professionals in a broader model of Caring Science. We do this by continuing to develop leaders through the unique 6 month Caritas Coach Education Program® (CCEP) and Caritas Leadership Program™. We also offer a free online Massive Open Online Course, (MOOC) which combines the 10 Caritas Processes® with Mindful Practices of Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese Buddhist Monk and Peace Activist). These are enhanced with online sessions with Dr. Watson. The MOOC course and WCSI education mission also extends to global caring science education for the public. Academic support is offered to colleges, university faculty, and students for caring science curriculum/pedagogies and authentic evaluation models. WSCI 2.0's overall educational aim is toward an evolving consciousness for moral community of caring/healing and health for all.
Praxis:
Praxis, meaning informed moral practice. Our work is informed by the values, philosophy, theory and ethic of human caring/healing. Praxis is distinguished from theory. WCSI 2.0 is dedicated to advancing professional theory-guided practice models of caring science. WCSI 2.0 with its international leaders, is dedicated to new clinical caring science praxis, criteria, and new standards to sustain human dignity, loving kindness, trusting relations, and a healing environment. The work is validated by new clinical Caritas outcomes. WCSI 2.0 National Caring Science Affiliates and partners are nationally recognized and designated as visionary exemplars of these futuristic transformative models of caring/healing health care for staff and patients/family/community.
Research:
WCSI 2.0 recognizes that without research, nursing as a discipline is in danger of becoming obsolete and voiceless. We are on a mission to continue the research which captures and incorporates professional criteria of caring/healing (Caritas) with national outcomes. New credentials are being developed based upon caring science programs. Research based upon caring science is leading to higher human caring/compassion standards for patient care and wider implications for our world and humanity. New ventures such as working in partnership with Press Ganey and gathering empirical data will support the theory and science of Human Caring, to restore the profound nature of caring-healing, affirming the ethic and ethos of Love and Compassion back into healthcare.
Legacy & Leadership:
WCSI 2.0 is amalgamating the work of Dr. Jean Watson to sustain the robustness of the Institute and Watson's Caring Science for the future. Legacy and leadership work consists of creating a 'holding space' to gather, develop and support the global community of caring science and foci in Caritas Praxis, Research, and Education strands in a coherent manner. This will enable Watson's Caring Science philosophy, values, theory and practices to develop and grow, ensuring Watson Caring Science Institute will continue to carry out its original mission, programs, and purpose now, and into the future.