Eriksson’s Caritative Caring Theory and respect and reverence for human

holiness and dignity.

“Caritative caring means that we take “caritas”  According to the theory, suffering that
into use when caring for the human being in occurs as a result of a lack of caritative
health and suffering …. Caritative caring is a care is a violation of human dignity.
manifestation of the love that ‘just exists’…Caring
communion, true caring, occurs when the one
caring in a spirit of caritas alleviates the suffering Major Concepts:
of the patient”
-Eriksson, 1992 I. Caritas - Caritas means love and charity.
WHO IS Katie Erikson? In caritas, eros and agapé are united, and
caritas is by nature unconditional love.
 A Caritas, which is the fundamental motive
Finland- of caring science, also constitutes the
Swedish motive for all caring. It means that caring
nurse is an endeavor to mediate faith, hope,
born on and love through tending, playing, and
learning

II. Caring communion - Caring communion

November 18, 1943, in constitutes the context of the meaning of
Jakobstad, Finland. caring and is the structure that
 In 1965 she attended determines caring reality. Caring gets its
nursing school to become a distinctive character through caring
practicing nurse. She then communion (Eriksson, 1990). It is a form
later became a nursing of intimate connection that characterizes
instructor at Helsinki caring. Caring communion requires
Swedish Medical Institute. meeting in time and space, an absolute,
 She currently works as a lasting presence (Eriksson, 1992c).
professor of health sciences Caring communion is characterized by
at Abo Akademi University intensity and vitality, and by warmth,
in Vaasa, where she built a closeness, rest, respect, honesty, and
master's degree program in tolerance. It cannot be taken for granted
health sciences, and a four- but pre-supposes a conscious effort to be
year postgraduate studies with the other. Caring communion is
program leading to a seen as the source of strength and
doctoral degree in health meaning in caring.
sciences.
 She is also responsible for III. The act of caring - The act of caring
research and development contains the caring elements (faith, hope,
of the Caring Sciences love, tending, playing, and learning),
Department (Tomey and involves the categories of infinity and
Alligood 2006) eternity, and invites to deep communion.
The act of caring is the art of making
The Caritative Caring Theory: Why we should something very special out of something
care less special.
 A model of nursing which distinguishes
IV. Caritative Caring Ethics - Comprises the
between caring ethics, the practical
ethics of caring, the core of which is
relationship between the patient and the
determined by the caritas motive. She
nurse, and nursing ethics.
makes a distinction between caring
 Nursing ethics are ethical principles that
ethics and nursing ethics. She also
guide a nurse’s decision-making abilities.
defines the foundations of ethics in care
 Caritative caring consist of love and
and its essential substance. Caring ethics
charity, which is also known as caritas,
deals with the basic relation between the
patient and the nurse—the way in which
 the nurse meets the patient in an ethical VIII. Suffering related to illness, to care,
sense. It is about the approach we have and to life - These are three different
toward the patient. Nursing ethics deals forms of suffering. Suffering related to
with the ethical principles and rules that illness is experienced in connection with
guide my work or my decisions. Caring illness and treatment. When the patient
ethics is the core of nursing ethics. The is exposed to suffering caused by care or
foundations of caritative ethics can be absence of caring, the patient
found not only in history, but also in the experiences suffering related to care,
dividing line between theological and which is always a violation of the
human ethics in general. Eriksson has patient’s dignity. Not to be taken
been influenced by Nygren’s (1966) seriously, not to be welcome, being
human ethics and Lévinas’ (1988) “face blamed, and being subjected to the
ethics,” among others. Ethical caring is exercise of power are various forms of
what we actually make explicit through suffering related to care. In the situation
our approach and the things we do for of being a patient, the entire life of a
the patient in practice. An approach that human being may be experienced as
is based on ethics in care means that we, suffering related to life
without prejudice, see the human being
with respect, and that we confirm his or IX. The suffering human being - The
her absolute dignity. It also means that suffering human being is the concept that
we are willing to sacrifice something of Eriksson uses to describe the patient.
ourselves. The ethical categories that The patient refers to the concept of
emerge as basic in caritative caring patiens in Latin, which means “suffering.”
ethics are human dignity, the caring The patient is a suffering human being,
communion, invitation, responsibility, or a human being who suffers and
good and evil, and virtue and obligation. patiently endures

V. Dignity - Dignity constitutes one of the X. Reconciliation - Reconciliation refers to

basic concepts of caritative caring ethics. the drama of suffering. A human being
Human dignity is partly absolute dignity, who suffers, wants to be confirmed in his
partly relative dignity. Absolute dignity is or her suffering and be given time and
granted the human being through space to suffer and reach reconciliation.
creation, while relative dignity is Reconciliation implies a change through
influenced and formed through culture which a new wholeness is formed of the
and external contexts. life the human being has lost in suffering.
In reconciliation, the importance of
VI. Invitation - Invitation refers to the act sacrifice emerges (Eriksson, 1994a).
that occurs when the carer welcomes the Having achieved reconciliation implies
patient to the caring communion. The living with an imperfection with regard
concept of invitation finds room for a to oneself and others but seeing a way
place where the human being is allowed forward and a meaning in one’s
to rest, a place that breathes genuine suffering. Reconciliation is a prerequisite
hospitality, and where the patient’s of caritas.
appeal for charity meets with a response
XI. Caring culture - Caring culture is the
VII. Suffering - Suffering is an ontological concept that Eriksson uses instead of
concept described as a human being’s environment. It characterizes the total
struggle between good and evil in a state caring reality and is based on cultural
of becoming. Suffering implies in some elements such as traditions, rituals, and
sense dying away from something, and basic values. Caring culture transmits an
through reconciliation, the wholeness of inner order of value preferences or
body, soul, and spirit is re-created, when ethos, and the different constructions of
the human being’s holiness and dignity culture have their basis in the changes of
appear. Suffering is a unique, isolated value that ethos undergoes. If
total experience and is not synonymous communion arises based on the ethos,
with pain the culture becomes inviting. Respect for
the human being, his or her dignity and
 holiness, forms the goal of communion
and participation in a caring culture. The
origin of the concept of culture is to be
found in such dimensions as reverence,
tending, cultivating, and caring; these
dimensions are central to the basic
motive of preserving and developing a
caring culture.
Nursing Paradigm in the mind of Eriksson
 Person – A suffering human being or a
human being who suffers and patiently
endures
 Health – 3 forms of health and each
contains suffering: Related to Illness,
Related to Care, and Related to Life.
 Environment – Caring Culture concept
 Characterizes the total caring
reality based on cultural elements.
 Transmission of value preferences
(ethos).
 Preserving respect, dignity and
holiness of the human being.
 Nursing - Distinction between caring and
nursing ethics.
 Caring Ethics – The core of nursing
ethics; deals with patient-nurse
relationship.
 Nursing Ethics – Deals with ethical
principle and rules that guide
nursing decisions.
Strength and Weaknesses of Theory
Strength:
 Holism
 Acknowledges willingness of person,
caregiver or patient.
 Nurse willingness to act without
prejudice.
 Altruistic
Weakness:
 Abstract
 Spiritually based
 Lack of international use in nursing
education
 Nurse willingness to self-sacrifice