Marian C. Turkel, PhD RN NEA-BC FAAN
Associate Professor
Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Florida Atlantic University
WCSI Faculty Associate
Watson Caring Science Post Doctoral Scholar
WCSI Caritas Coach®
HearthMath Certified Trainer
My journey into caring science began in 1989 when I read an advertisement in the local Fort Lauderdale newspaper about a new MSN program in Nursing Administration grounded in caring being offered at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). I met Dr. Watson for the first time when she came to FAU in 1990. I was in awe of her energy, brilliance, scholarship, and passion for caring science. She did a candle lighting ceremony for students and faculty with her candle that traveled all over the world. During one of my moves, I cried when I lost the candle she had lit for me. I did find it, and continue to do that same ritual with colleagues, nurses in practice, and nursing students. I remained in contact with Dr. Watson over the years though the International Association for Human Caring (IAHC) Conferences and while doing consultations with Magnet hospitals and hospitals on the Magnet journey that were using her theory. In 2007, I joined the faculty of the Watson Caring Science Institute (WCSI) teaching in the Caritas Coach Education Program®, mentoring nurse scholars doing caring science doctorates, publishing with Dr. Watson and assisting Dr. Watson with planning of international conferences. When I was Director of Professional Practice/ Magnet and Research at Einstein Hospital in Philadelphia we were designated as a WCSI Affiliate Hospital in 2011. I was inducted as Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 2012, joined the Nursing Theory Guided Practice Expert Panel and served in a leadership role on the expert panel for three years.
I am currently doing a post doctorate with Dr. Watson with the focus being on advancing the epistemology and ontology of nursing science and unitary caring science. I am one of the Associate Editors for Unitary Caring Science: Expanding the Paradigm (September 2018). In addition to chapters in the Unitary Caring Science textbook, three recent (2018) publications I have authored with other colleagues related to this substantive area of caring science inquiry include Caring science versus science of caring, Thoughts about advancement of the discipline: Dark clouds and bright lights, and Thoughts about nursing curricula: Dark clouds and bright lights which have been published in Nursing Science Quarterly. The second initiative of my post doctorate work is a research study The relationship between the practice environment (patient experience/patient quality outcomes and nurse satisfaction) in healthcare organizations and a professional practice framework informed by nursing theory /nursing science. The research involves a quantitative survey looking at outcomes of nursing theory and qualitative interviews with nurse leaders looking at the process and experience of integrating nursing theory into the practice setting. The third initiative of my post doctorate work includes the submission of two book proposals. Alphabetic Guide to Unitary Caring Science and collaborating with my husband Brooks a Fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives 2018 on a book Leading from the heart: For leaders who care, framed within caring science. I remain honored and humbled to be a part of the WCSI and look forward to being on the “caritas Journey” with all of you.