Celebrating our Long-Standing Caritas Colleague Jan Anderson

February 2020

This year we will be highlighting a Caritas Colleague and share their contribution and commitment to Caring Science. This month we are celebrating: Jan Anderson, EdD, MSN, RN, AHN-BC, Caritas Coach®, Director, Caritas Coach Education Program®

I truly believe that caritas coaching is a way to move Caring Science forward in the world.

My name is Jan Anderson, EdD, MSN, RN, AHN-BC, Caritas Coach®, Director, Caritas Coach Education Program®. I feel like I’m the luckiest person to be part of a community that is dedicated to learning and teaching and researching Caring Science. Early in my career as nursing faculty, I attended a conference where I heard Jean speak, I knew her ideas and philosophy about nursing curriculum were significant and sorely needed in healthcare and education. I found her book, Toward a Caring Curriculum: A New Pedagogy for Nursing (Bevis & Watson 1989) and have never looked back. (Link to 2011 Springer/Watson publication: Creating a Caring Science Curriculum: An Emancipatory Pedagogy for Nursing, Hills & Watson).

Areas of Expertise

I have been fortunate to use my expertise in nursing education to guide caring curriculum development as director and faculty of a nursing program and in the Caritas Coach Education Program® (CCEP). At Santa Barbara City College, staff, faculty, learning laboratory staff and students worked together to fully integrate Caring Science into all aspects of the curriculum. We learned together that focusing on tasks and skills was only one part of what was needed to care for people. Caring Science gave us the framework and language to offer kindness, compassion and care that touched and thoughtfully cared for the human spirit as well as the human body. We also learned to take better care of ourselves, each other and our patients and families, creating a culture and environment of trust, learning and support.

Currently, I am a Watson Caring Science Institute Faculty Associate and the Director of CCEP. I am blessed to be able to share my passion for Caring Science with so many loving and dedicated people who share the same vision for expanding Caring Science around the world. It is a joy to be part of this opportunity to transform and enlighten those who are also on this caritas path with us. Teaching and learning about Caring Science and the Caritas Communities that I have been fortunate to be part of have helped me to find my soul work, to find meaning and purpose in my life.

Contribution to the Legacy of Caring Science

My work as WCSI Faculty and Director of CCEP is one way I contribute to sustaining Caring Science in the future. We have graduated over 400 Caritas Coaches® who work around the world. Our CCEP graduates are implementing Caring Science in real and practical ways in healthcare, education, business, churches, communities, non-profits, and almost anywhere you can imagine. They illuminate the path to transpersonal ways of being that remind us that whatever it is we do, it is our heart and soul that brings back the humanity in our lives and work.

Always With Love,
Jan

Location:

Santa Barbara, CA

Recent publications:

Brewer, B., Anderson, J. & Watson, J. (2020). Evaluating Changes in Caring Behaviors of Caritas Coaches Pre and Post the Caritas Coach Education Program. JONA, vol 50 (2), pp. 85-89.

Horton-Deutsch, S. & Anderson, J. (2018). Caritas Coaching: A Journey Toward Transpersonal Caring for Informed Moral Action in Healthcare. Sigma Theta Tau International.

Rosa, B., Horton-Deutsch, S. & Watson, J. (2019). A Handbook for Caring Science: Expanding the Paradigm. Springer Publishing Co. (Chapter 40: Caritas Coaching: The Future of Health and Well-Being).


Jan, thank you for all you do for WCSI!