Critical analysis of the scientific production on Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Care

Abstract

Objectives: to analyze current scientific production on the use of the theoretical-methodological precepts of Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Care/Clinical Caritas Process. Methods: quantitative, exploratory, descriptive study using data from 1979 to 2023 in the Scopus database. Analysis was carried out using VOSviewer software. Results: the 73 studies included establish a network of collaboration among 221 authors from 155 institutions in 18 countries, who discuss the development of ethical behavior in nursing staff, through technical improvement, implementation, and validation of instrumental strategies capable of measuring and evaluating the quality of holistic and empathetic care. The Theory of Human Caring contributes to nursing training and care, and Process Clinical Caritas-Veritas is useful for the different possibilities of practice and education. Conclusions: it is important to strengthen with more empirical data a nursing work model centered on individual human care, supporting the evolution of scientific nursing knowledge.