Eriksson's Caritative Caring Theory

Summary

This session delves into Erikson's Caritative Caring Theory, a cornerstone of caring science in Nordic countries. Erikson, a Finnish nursing pioneer, developed the theory focusing on love and charity in health and suffering. Key concepts include Caritas, caring communion, and ethics, aiming to alleviate suffering through dignified care. The theory has influenced nursing practice, education, and leadership, emphasizing the importance of human dignity and holistic care.

Takeaways

• 📚 Erikson's Caritative Caring Theory focuses on the humanistic approach to caring for individuals in health and suffering.
• ❤️ Caritative caring is rooted in love and charity, aiming to alleviate suffering through a spirit of Caritas.
• 👩‍⚕️ Katie Erikson, born in 1943, is a pioneer of caring science in the Nordic countries and established the department of Caring Science at Åbo Akademi University.
• 🌟 Caring science is an academic discipline that combines abstract theory with clinical reality and teaching.
• 🤝 Caritas is the fundamental concept of caring science, representing unconditional love and charity.
• 🔗 Caring communion is an intimate connection that requires presence, intensity, and respect for deep caring relationships.
• 🙌 The act of caring involves elements of faith, hope, love, tending, playing, and learning, aiming for deep communion.
• 🏥 Caritative caring ethics distinguishes between caring ethics and nursing ethics, focusing on the ethical approach towards patients.
• 🌈 Dignity is a core concept in caritative caring ethics, encompassing both absolute and relative aspects of human dignity.
• 👋 The concept of invitation in caring welcomes patients to a genuine caring communion, offering rest and hospitality.
• 🌱 Reconciliation through suffering is a process of change that acknowledges the human being's struggle and creates wholeness.

Q & A

What is caritative caring according to Erikson?

Caritative caring, as described by Erikson, means that we take care and use characters when caring for the human being in health and suffering. It is a manifestation of love that just exists caring communion, and true caring occurs when the one carrying, in a spirit of Caritas, alleviates the suffering of the patient.

Who is Katie Erikson and what is her contribution to caring science?

Katie Erikson is one of the pioneers of caring science in the Nordic countries. She was born in 1943 in Jakobstad, Finland, and graduated from the Helsinski Swedish School of Nursing. She further developed the caritative theory of caring and established the department of caring science at Åbo Akademi University in 1987. Her work is recognized for her character-based theory and her holistic caring science thinking.

What are the major concepts under Erikson's theory of caritative caring?

The major concepts under Erikson's theory include Caritas, caring communion, the act of caring, caritative caring ethics, dignity, invitation, suffering, suffering related to illness, suffering of the human being, reconciliation, and caring culture.

What is Caritas and why is it important in caring science?

Caritas means love and charity, and it is the fundamental matter of caring science. It is an unconditional love that encourages us, and it is the motive for all caring. It means that caring is an endeavor to mediate faith, hope, and love through attending, playing, and learning.

How does caring communion differ from other forms of connection?

Caring communion is a form of intimate connection that characterizes caring. It requires meeting in time and space, an absolute lasting presence, and is characterized by intensity, vitality, and warm closeness. It cannot be taken for granted and requires conscious effort to be with the other.

What is the significance of the act of caring in Erikson's theory?

The act of caring contains the caring elements of faith, hope, love, tending, playing, and learning. It involves the categories of infinity and eternity and invites deep communion. The act of caring is the art of making something very special out of something less special.

How does Erikson define suffering in the context of caritative caring?

Suffering, in Erikson's theory, is an ontological concept described as a human being's struggle between good and evil in a state of becoming. It implies, in some sense, dying away from something and through reconciliation, the wholeness of body, soul, and spirit is created.

What is the role of dignity in caritative caring ethics?

Dignity constitutes one of the basic concepts of caritative caring ethics. Human dignity is partly absolute and partly relative. Absolute dignity is granted through creation, while relative dignity is influenced and formed through culture and external context.

How does Erikson's theory apply to nursing practice?

Erikson's theory has been influential in nursing practice, leadership, and administration. Her nursing care process model has been systematically used, tested, and developed as a basis for nursing care and documentation. Her ideas have been integrated into nursing education and form the core of the development of substance in education and research.

What is the concept of reconciliation in Erikson's theory?

Reconciliation in Erikson's theory refers to the drama of suffering and implies a change through which a new wholeness of the human being is formed after suffering. It involves living with imperfections and seeing a way forward in the meaning of one's good suffering.

How does caring culture play a role in Erikson's caritative caring theory?

Caring culture, as used by Erikson, characterizes the total caring reality and is based on cultural elements such as traditions, rituals, and basic values. It transmits an inner order of value preferences or ethos and is important for the development of a caring environment.