Nursing has a vast history, and throughout time nursing has adapted and grown to meet the needs of its people. There are some nurses whom are well known and even in history books. These nurses noticed something missing and attempted to fill that gap. Nursing theories came about to help close the gap. Because no two people are exactly alike the theories offer ways a nurse can identify and attempt to meet the needs of his or her patients. Jean Watson is one of those nurses who formed a theory to help fill in a missing piece and close the gap to help nurses assist patients with adapting to, and accepting changes in their health statuses. .
Born in West Virginia theorist Jean Watson has had a very distinguished career, as a nurse educator and researcher in the area of "human caring and loss" (Nursing Theories, 2012, p.1). Beginning her education with a BSN from University of Colorado in 1964, she then acquired her MS from there in 1966 and her PhD in 1973. She has traveled and studied extensively around the world and in the mid 1970's began putting pen to paper. She educated future nursing students at the University of Colorado. That is where she unintentionally formed her theory, the Theory of Human Caring, in order to be able to help her nursing students learn. She did not intend to become a theorist, but she has educated many nurses personally and now through her writings and her theory that the nurse is the main component of the patient's environment (Alligood, 2010). The theory shows that eh nurse should know his or her own perspectives and be open to the patient's perspectives, thus building the caring nurse-patient relationship. The nurse can either help or interfere with the patient's healing process. In 1988, after creating a guide for nurses "published her theory in nursing human science and human care." (Nursing Theories, 2012, p.1) Watson will now help nurses much further than she ever imagined, her theory is taught in many colleges.