Page 160 - Nursing: The Philosophy and Science of Caring

Fr om carative Fa c t o r 8 t o C ar it as ProC e s s 8
of, appreciation for, and tolerance of behaviors—even idiosyncratic
behaviors—that contribute to a person’s sense of well-being and
safety.
With regard to attending to safety issues, the Caritas Nurse makes
sure to address the person by his or her preferred name and to make
direct eye contact when appropriate. The Caritas Nurse uses a techni-
cal occasion as a caring occasion, allowing a caring moment to emerge
from the presenting situation. For example, in instances where medi-
cation administration is using bar codes to ensure safety rather than
“work around” the bar code system, the nurse can use the occasion to
correctly identify the person, to connect with the patient at the human
level. Thus, the Caritas Nurse can use the moment as an occasion to
touch the other while swiping the bar code, turning a routine require-
ment into a caring occasion and a potential caring moment. Likewise,
when administering medications, the Caritas Nurse pauses and “cen-
ters”/empties out so she or he can focus and more clearly concentrate
on administering the correct medication to the correct patient with
the correct dosage and the correct route at the designated time.
Accidents remain a leading cause of death among persons in all
age groups. Maintaining safety is especially crucial for those who are
very ill, confused, anxious, overly excited, or experiencing apprehen-
sion over a loss of control in their environment. Conditions such as
weakness, sensory deprivation, sensory overload, incapacitation, dis-
orientation, someone heavily medicated, organic brain damage, senil-
ity, and so on, make patients highly vulnerable. These conditions and
more require the nurse to take extra care to ensure that the person’s
environment is supportive, corrective, and protective. Patients whose
physical and mental conditions are compromised usually need help
from the nurse to modify their usual responses to facilitate self-control
over their functions, and the nurse can help provide measures to
address the patients’ lack of control, to meet their needs more authen-
tically and safely. Safety considerations in the environment are critical
needs largely confined to the professional nurse’s domain of assess-
ment and intervention. This Carative Factor acknowledges the nurse’s
special and unique role in providing for a safe, supportive, protective,
and/or corrective environment for patients at all levels and all ages.

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