Heart Failure is often referred to as congestive heart failure (CHF), it is the
inability of the heart to pump sufcient blood to meet the needs of the tissues for oxygen and nutrients that incidence usually increases with age. Nearly 5 million people in the United States have HF, with more than one-half million new cases diagnosed each year (American Heart Association, 2001). The prevalence rate of HF among non-Hispanic whites 20 years of age or older is 2.3% for men and 1.5% for women; for non-Hispanic blacks, the rates are 3.5% and 3.1%, respectively (American Heart Association, 2001). HF is the most common reason for hospitalization of people older than age 65 and the second most common reason for visits to a physicians ofce (Smeltzer, 2014). Heart failure has been classified according to the side of the heart (right ventricular or left ventricular) that is primarily affected. Right sided heart failure results congestion of the peripheral tissues, liver and gastrointestinal (GI) while left sided heart failure results to decreased cardiac output, pulmonary congestion, impaired gas exchange and pulmonary edema (Porth, 2014) that in one way or another may be prevented or any other complications with the use of the independent nursing interventions while utilizing Jean Watsons theory of Human Caring. Being informed by Watsons caring theory allows nurses to return to their deep professional roots and values in caring for patients, it represents the archetype of an ideal nurse. Upholding these caring values in the daily practices of nurses helps transcend the nurse from a state where nursing is perceived as just a job, to that of a gratifying profession. Unfortunately, with the increasing number of nurses here in the Philippines with a low employment rate, and to those who are employed who have an increased workload; nurses tend to have neglected practicing the art of caring to clients making the researcher interested in conducting a case study of a client with Heart Failure utilizing the theory of Jean Watson of Human Caring. 2
ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE
6200 Dumaguete City Philippines GRADUATE SCHOOL Theoretical Background The Theory of Human Caring was developed between 1975 and 1979 that emerged from Dr. Watsons own views of nursing, combined and informed by her doctoral studies in educational-clinical and social psychology.The essence of Watsons theory is authentic caring for the purpose of preserving the dignity and wholeness of humanity. Dr. Watsons theory is a worldview by which nursing could know its traditions in health and healing. Dr. Watson envisions nursing as a human science discipline as well as academic-clinical profession with a societal mission to caring and healing work with others during their most vulnerable moments in lifes journey. Caring, thus, is independent of curing. According to Dr. Watson, knowledge and practice for a caringhealing discipline are primarily derived from the arts and humanities and an engineering human science thatacknowledges a convergence of art and science. It calls nursing to retain a sense of the sacred in caring for the body physical as a human manifestation of a soul interconnected and in harmony with the cosmos and universal consciousness (George, 2008). During these past decades, nursing has increasingly advanced as a distinct caring discipline and theory-guided practice profession. Care is the center of nursing. As most health care systems around the world are undergoing major administrative restructuring, we expose ourselves to the risk of dehumanizing patient care. If we are to consider caring as the core of nursing, nurses will have to make a conscious effort to preserve human caring within their clinical, administrative, educational, and/or research practice. Caring must not be allowed to simply wither away from our heritage. Symptoms and complications of Heart Failure depend upon its classification that may either lead to dependent edema, ascites, anorexia, GI distress and weight loss (Right Heart Failure) or activity intolerance, signs of decreased tissue perfusion, cyanosis, signs of hypoxia, cough with frothy sputum, orthopnea and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (Left Heart Failure). Utilizing the theory of Jean Watson of Human caring allows the researcher to practice the art of caring, to provide compassion to ease patients and families suffering, and to promote their healing and dignity but it can also contribute to expand the nurses own actualization. 3