Utilizing Watson’s Theory of Human Caring and Hills and Watson’s Emancipatory Pedagogy to Educate Hospital-Based Multidisciplinary Healthcare Providers About Hospice

Abstract

Hospice offers holistic human caring that embraces every individual as a unique physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual entity. To holistically address and fulfill end-of-life care needs, wishes, and preferences for terminally ill patients and their families, early healthcare provider referral to hospice is crucial. Utilizing Watson’s (2012a) theory of human caring and Hills and Watson’s (2011) emancipatory pedagogy for nursing as theoretical frameworks, this article proposes an approach to educating multidisciplinary healthcare providers on the importance of and need for early hospice referral to promote quality holistic, meaningful, respectful, dignified, and compassionate end-of-life care.