Creating Authentic Caring Relationships with Children Who are Technology-Dependent

In our current featured article the authors explore ways to create authentic caring relationships based on Watson’s Caring Science.  The article is titled “Caring for Children Who Are Technology-Dependent and Their Families The Application of Watson’s Caring Science to Guide Nursing Practice” authored by Sydney Breneol, BScN; Lisa Goldberg, PhD and Jean Watson, PhD. This article is accredited for Continuing Education, and you can download this article at no charge while it is featured on the ANS website. We would be delighted to hear from you in response to the ideas in this article!

Here is a message from the lead author, Sydney Breneol, about this work:

Sydney Breneol

This article was developed during my nursing theories and philosophy course in my first year of doctoral studies. We were encouraged to philosophically explore a topic that had meaning to us. At a young age, I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. Throughout my hospitalization, I developed strong relationships with many of the nurses who cared for me and was personally impacted by the positive effect nurses could have on their patients’ outcomes. These nurses displayed compassion and care and were integral to my recovery. These experiences have largely influenced my career as a registered nurse and doctoral student. My doctoral work focuses on improving health care for children with medical complexity and their families. This article focuses on those children requiring medical technology to sustain or optimize life. These children often experience frequent admissions to hospital. It is critical that nurses work to develop and foster a caring relationship with children who are technology-dependent and their families. This critical review examined the experiences and unmet care needs of children who are technology-dependent and their families. Findings from this review of the literature were analyzed using Watson’s Caring Science to explore how nurses can create an authentic caring relationship and environment for these children and their families within the hospital setting.