Watson Caritas Measures™

The need for theory guided practice and greater transparency regarding quality outcomes has provided a backdrop for nurse leaders throughout the world to measure the effectiveness of their professional practice environments. As a result, there is a growing need for theoretically sound empirical data that can be used to evaluate performance of key activities against other similar organizations. The Watson Caritas Patient Score® (WCPS) is being used in multi-site clinical research in systems using Dr. Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring and Caring Science as a theoretical foundation for advancing professional practice by measuring clinical indicators of caring in relation to patient outcomes. These foci are considered important dimensions of professional theory-guided practice and play an important role in advancing Caring Science research.

1. Apply the WCPS five-item instrument in a group of acute care institutions using a common “Caring Science” professional practice model
2. Build an accurate and reliable national comparative database on caring and related outcome variables
3. Use the data on caring for ongoing performance improvement and clinical investigations
4. Improve the validity and reliability of the WCPS
5. Build a user-generated reporting tool and evaluate its utility to the end user
6. Appraise the value of the database and
7. Evaluate relationships among patient perceptions of a caring environment and patient safety and satisfaction indicators.