Free Courses & Resources
Watson Caring Science Institute proudly supports and endorses these free global online programs and encourages you to register and learn more.
Caring Science, Mindful Practice
This free online course provides tools for caring professionals to enhance professional caring practices in everyday work environments. Learners will be introduced to Watson’s Caring Science. Exploration and learning related to key concepts will be supported through the introduction of mindfulness practice, reflective narrative, and contemplative art.
Asynchronous discussion, moderated by a team of educators knowledgeable in Caring Science, will provide a forum for ongoing interaction and discovery among participants during each 4-week class session. Certificates of completion will be earned by participants who complete all of the course learning modules.
2025 Dates
- Oct 6th - Nov 5th, 2025
2026 Dates
- Feb: TBD
- Oct: TBD
NOTE: Registration closes 10 days after start of the program. Please register ASAP.
CANVAS: If you are experiencing issues with registration with CANVAS, please contact help@canvas.net.
COURSE: If you have questions or comments regarding the course, please contact Dr. Kathleen Sitzman at kathy.sitzman@gmail.com.
This nursing continuing professional development activity was approved by the American Holistic Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
Approval for contact hours through the American Holistic Nurses Association is based on an assessment of the educational merit of this program and does not constitute endorsement of the use of any specific modality in the care of clients.
AHNA Approval Number 1812 for 20 Contact Hours. Expires January 9, 2026.
Register Here
Watson's Caring in the Digital World
Offered: March & November
Learners will be introduced to Watson’s Caring Theory and how it can be implemented in digital communications with students, colleagues, and others. Exploration and learning related to key concepts will be supported through the introduction of mindfulness practices, reflective narrative, and contemplative art.
Digital communication is commonplace in everyday life, however few people pause to deeply consider the profound impact this continuous flow of interaction has on ourselves and everyone around us. The content in this course is based on many years of research and is meant to help you become more fully aware of how to care for yourself and others in situations where communication occurs in non-face-to-face situations.
2025 Dates:
- Nov 3rd- Dec 2nd, 2025
2026 Dates:
- Mar: TBD
- Nov: TBD
NOTE: Registration closes 10 days after start of the program. Please register ASAP.
CANVAS: If you are experiencing issues with registration with CANVAS, please contact help@canvas.net.
COURSE: If you have questions or comments regarding the course, please contact Dr. Kathleen Sitzman at kathy.sitzman@gmail.com.
This nursing continuing professional development activity was approved by the American Holistic Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
Approval for contact hours through the American Holistic Nurses Association is based on an assessment of the educational merit of this program and does not constitute endorsement of the use of any specific modality in the care of clients.
AHNA Approval Number 1823 for 12 Contact Hours. Expires January 27, 2026.
Register Here
Offered: Open Enrollment
Dr. Mary Rockwood Lane, author, artist, Associate Professor at the University of Florida and Watson Caring Science Faculty Member is offering a free, online course called Healing With the Arts, modeled after her award-winning book of the same name.
This 6-week online course is delivered on the University of Florida Coursera platform.
Art as healing is a powerful tool for personal transformation. We are in the midst of changing times, and we are the change. We are the creative force that heals, not only ourselves and each other.
More Info & Registration
Books and Articles
Soulskin
by Marilyn Krysl
Download Here
Midwife and other Poems on Caring
by Marilyn Krysl
“The poetry in this book provides a new language and a new voice for nursing's quest to seek alternative ways of being. Krysl helps us to push away the rock of apathy, of disinterest, of lassitude, and experience and feel the warm rays of light and energy that shine forth from the human spirit of caring embedded in nursing's most seemingly mundane acts.”
—Dr. Jean Watson
Download Here
Caring Science as a Mature Solution to Global
Healthcare Challenges
by Jean Watson, Chris Griffin, & Sara Horton-Deutsch
ABSTRACT
Aim: Healthcare systems face a growing challenge: as technology advances, patients increasingly feel like data points in systems that prioritise efficiency over empathy. This paper addresses the global healthcare crisis of disconnection, arguing that fundamental change requires putting human experience at the centre through Caring Science principles in nursing.
Background: The pandemic clearly revealed this disconnect. While showcasing scientific advances, it exposed gaps in compassionate care and fair access globally. Nurses struggled to maintain human connection while dealing with resource shortages and isolation protocols, proving that advanced medical treatments alone cannot address the physical, emotional, spiritual, and social factors that influence health.
Source of Evidence: This work draws on peer- reviewed studies, contemporary research, and theories of human caring to demonstrate the global responsibility and urgent need for integrating caring practices into healthcare systems. Collectively, this evidence underscores both the necessity of intervention and the effectiveness of Caring Science as a strategy for transforming organizational practices while highlighting a pressing truth: healthcare systems worldwide must move beyond efficiency alone and intentionally weave caring practices into their structures.
Conclusion: This analysis examines Caring Science through three key areas: Relational, Organisational, and Global. Using Watson's Theory of Human Caring and current research, the paper shows how caring relationships can improve through thoughtful use of innovation. Recent healthcare improvements demonstrate promising results when technology integration enhances both nurse empowerment and patient outcomes within frameworks that prioritise human connection.
Implications for Nursing: Future directions position Caring Science as a mature, evidence- informed framework for addressing healthcare's complex challenges. The paper calls for ‘sacred activism’—a commitment to protecting caring's essential dimensions while embracing beneficial innovation, positioning nursing to lead healthcare transformation through both the art and science of nursing that honours human dignity.
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VISIONS: Unitary Nursing-Caring Science and Natural Laws of Nature
Jean Watson, RN, PhD, AHN-BC, FAAN, LL (AAN);
Demitri Watson Ervedosa, BA-SLHS
Download Here