enculturating caritas process #1: practice loving kindness

Watson Caring Science Institute
Caritas Coach Education Program
ENCULTURATING CARITAS PROCESS™ #1: PRACTICE LOVING
KINDNESS
Joie Ogrodnick, RN, BS, CEN
Bon Secours Charity Health System, St Anthony Community Hospital
Warwick, New York
[email protected]
Introduction: St Anthony Community Hospital is a member of the Bon Secours Health System. It
is a 73-bed acute care hospital in the Warwick Valley. In 2009, Jean Watson’s Theory of Human
Caring was selected to guide patient care practices (Watson, 2008). The New York part of the Bon
Secours Health System is called the Charity System and is comprised of acute-care hospitals,
long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, and homecare. Since the commitment to Dr.
Watson’s theory, there has been ongoing training at the Charity System over the past three years.
There have been many educational offerings; for example; staff meetings, education days
dedicated to the Caritas Processes™ and various events for self-care (winery tours, foot and tea
spa, self-care days with acupressure, massage, reiki, reflexology, aroma therapy, hand massage,
and guided imagery). The Charity Caritas Guiding Council assists with the individual hospital
teams, local Caritas teams, and newly formed Advisory Council for oversight of the Caritas
Coaches and Caring Advocate graduates. There will be three Caritas Coaches who have completed
the Caritas Coach Education Program with this cohort. Bon Secours has made tremendous
progress in setting a foundation for Caring Science practice (Watson, 2008).
Significance: The practice of loving kindness and equanimity is a core practice in Caring Science
(Watson, 2008). Loving-kindness for self and others is foundational to the integration of Watson’s
Theory of Human Caring into nursing practice (Watson, 2008). St Anthony Community Hospital
has focused on this core concept by providing education to help with enculturation and integration
of Caring Science into the day-to-day care provided at all levels.
Purpose: This project began with a focus on the core concepts and Caritas Process ™ 1: Practice
loving-kindness and equanimity for self and others to ensure that nursing staff on all levels,
leadership, nurse managers, nursing supervisors, staff nurses, care partners, techs, and unit clerks
have the foundational education needed to integrate and articulate caring science into everything
that they do. Participants were asked to define and identify what loving-kindness and equanimity
meant to them personally and professionally. Education at staff meetings and placrads including
Caritas Process ™ 1 that fit on employee ID for quick reference were provided for each nursing
staff member.
Setting and Participants: All St Anthony Community Hospital nursing areas: Medical-Surgical
Units, Intensive Care, Emergency Department, Maternity and Obstetrics, Operating Room, Same
Day Medical and Surgical Center, Radiology Nursing, Case Management, and Infusion Therapy
were included in the project. Nursing staff at all levels, leadership, nurse managers, nursing
supervisors, staff nurses, care partners, techs, and unit clerks were also included in the project.
Project Description/Process: The project was discussed at the Caritas Council and proceeded as
a four-part process with the goal of expanding it to the long term care facilities and sister hospitals.
WCSI CCEP 8 Abstracts
October, 2012
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Watson Caring Science Institute
Caritas Coach Education Program
Part One consisted of a four-question survey designed to obtain baseline staff knowledge about
Caritas Process ™ #1. Part Two included creating a placard defining Caritas Process ™ 1, in a size
to be attached to ID badges for easy access, to remind nurses of the meaning of it. Part Three is
wall stenciling Practice Loving Kindness, stenciled on various areas/walls of the hospital for
patients, staff, families, and others to remind them about the foundation of caring science practice
and what St Antony’s offers. Part Four will be a second questionnaire with the same questions and
an additional question asking each participant to define in their own words what it means to
practice loving–kindness. The results will be compared to further enhance the development of
additional strategies to acculturate caring science into nursing practice at St Anthony’s.
Project Projected Outcomes: The project outcomes will enhance and allow a deeper personal
and foundational level understanding of what Caritas Process ™ 1, and how each individual can
enhance their own self-love, provide a caring and healing environment for the patients, families,
and peers, and to integrate and articulate what it means to Practice Loving-Kindness. It is hoped
that this deeper enculturation will be reflected in staff and patient Gallup satisfaction scores and
will be monitored over the course of a year to see if there is in an increase patient scores related to
staff caring about them.
Project Projected Evaluation: The second questionnaire will be completed after six months to
evaluate the project success. Ongoing education that including all ten of the Caritas Processes™
will be ongoing (Watson, 2008).
Future Direction: This project can be easily replicated and shared with our long-term care
facilities, outpatient facilities, and sister facilities. Expanding and enhancing the education on Dr.
Watson’s Caritas Processes™ will benefit staff as they commit to practicing loving –kindness and
equanimity with themselves, each other, and their patients (Watson, 2008). Ongoing future
educational events and self-care days will continue to expand, inspire, and enhance caring science
in the day-to-day commitment to live and be the theory (Watson, 2008).
Acknowledgements: I wish to thank:
Judy Lindberg Vice President of Patient Care Services at St Anthony Community Hospital for
her support, guidance, and commitment to improving the quality of nursing care with Dr.
Jean Watson’s Caritas Processes™
Jo-Ann Robinson for her support and guidance to keep the Caritas Processes™ growing at Bon
Secours Charity Health System.
Marlienne Goldin, Watson Caring Science Institute Faculty Associate, for her support at the
ICC.
Jan Anderson Watson Caring Science Institute Faculty Associate, for her mentoring, love,
guidance, and support for the entire process.
The Earl Vincent and Julia Stamski Barry Institute for Patient Centered Excellence of the Bon
Secours Charity Health System for funding the Caritas Coach Education Program.
Most importantly, the Nursing staff at St Anthony Community Hospital who live Dr. Watson’s
theories and give loving and compassionate care to our patients and their families.
Reference:
Watson, J. (2008). Nursing: The philosophy and science of caring (Rev. ed.). Boulder,
Colorado: University Press of Colorado.
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WCSI CCEP 8Abstracts
October, 2012