KEY CONCEPTS

BY:  Leona Paula Macalintal  and Venice Joy T. Malonzo

            Anne Boykin and Savina Shoenhofer’s theory on caring as the major focus of nursing further conceptualizes other key concepts related to their theory and that is on the concept of PERSONHOOD. According to their theory,
            Persons are caring by virtue of their humanness. It reiterates that our caring values are inborn to us, humans.

Personhood is living life grounded in caring. We uphold the values on caring which we have experienced from the beginning and these in turn, mold us to practice that same experience towards the ones we care for. We believe that since we were cared for, we need to let others also experience the feeling of being cared and nurtured.

Personhood is enhanced through participating in nurturing relationships with caring others. Our personhood is further developed when we are given opportunities to nurture that relationship and value of caring by serving others and caring for them like a family member. Nursing, for instance, is one of the profession in which we can truly exemplify that value.

            Persons living their caring moment to moment. It means that our caring character is a GIFT that will carry until death. People might forget the names, faces but the way how they were taken care, how they were treated during state of hopelessness, how their lives were touch will always be cherished.
            Persons are whole or complete in the moment. It means that physical, spiritual and emotional aspects will join together as one and the level of holistic as well
            Nursing is both discipline and a profession. It focuses on nurturing. Living in caring and growing in caring in the nursing situation.
It means the way of acquiring knowledge and putting it into practice.

The basic premise of this theory is that all humans are caring persons, that to be human is to be called to live one’s innate caring nature.

Caring is the intentional and authentic presence of the nurse with another who is recognized as a person living, caring and growing in caring.

The idea of caring is an essential feature and expression of being human and is central in this theory.

The nurse endeavors to come to know the other as a caring person and seeks to understand how that person might be sustained, supported, and strengthened in their unique process of living caring and growing caring

NURSING SITUATION

Nursing takes place in the nursing situation. The idea of the nursing situation is conceptualized as the shared, lived experience in which caring between the nurse and the nursed enhances personhood and is the locus of all that is known and done in nursing.

Nursing situation is a construct in the mind of the nurse and is present whenever the intent of the nurse is to nurse. The practice of nursing, and thus the practical knowledge of nursing, is situated in the relational locus of person-with-person caring in the nursing situation. The nursing situation involves the expression of values, intentions, and actions of two or more persons choosing to live a nursing relationship

PERSONHOOD

Personhood is understood to mean living grounded in caring

Is the universal human call.

This implies that the fullness of being human is expressed in living caring uniquely day to day and enhanced through participation in caring relationship.

Is a process of living caring and growing in caring and implies being authentic, demonstrating congruence between beliefs and behaviours, and living out the meaning of one’s life.

NURSING RESPONSE

Is a specific expression of caring nurturance in order to sustain and enhance the person himself. The nurse responds through a caring attitude and the person being cared for recognizes that caring attitude and appreciates and acknowledges it.---