Theory Critique of Kristen Swanson’s Theory of Caring

Abstract

Theory is considered essential for integral assessment, adopting its foundations and concepts is of great utility. The theory provides different templates to help nurses provide care that respects patients and improves outcomes. Through understanding the intersection of nursing, patients, health, and the environment, theories aim to simplify the complicated, ever-evolving relationship that nurses have with their profession. Nursing theory helps distinguish nursing as a separate discipline from medicine and related sciences, and assists nurses in understanding their patients and their needs. The behaviors of healthcare providers affect how patients participate in and experience care situations. In the nursing discipline, the theoretical structures of caring have been established as the core concept of guidance in all nurses’ work. The aim of this paper is to develop a critique of Kristen Swanson’s theory of caring—a theory structured around five caring principles (maintaining belief, knowing, being with, doing for, and enabling) by applying it to nursing practice. When applied to nursing practice, each of these five stages stimulates the caregiver’s attitude, which in turn improves the overall patient’s well-being. Implications to nursing practice are mentioned [1] [2].