Conectar
Healthcare systems face a growing challenge: as technology advances, patients increasingly feel like data points in systems that prioritise efficiency over empathy. This paper addresses the global healthcare crisis of disconnection, arguing that fundamental change requires putting human experience at the centre through Caring Science principles in nursing.
COVID-19 clearly revealed this disconnect. While showcasing scientific advances, it exposed gaps in compassionate care and fair access globally. Nurses struggled to maintain human connection while dealing with resource shortages and isolation protocols, proving that advanced medical treatments alone cannot address the physical, emotional, spiritual, and social factors that influence health.
This work draws on peer-reviewed studies, contemporary research, and theories of human caring to demonstrate the global responsibility and urgent need for integrating caring practices into healthcare systems. Collectively, this evidence underscores both the necessity of intervention and the effectiveness of Caring Science as a strategy for transforming organisational practices while highlighting a pressing truth: healthcare systems worldwide must move beyond efficiency alone and intentionally weave caring practices into their structures.
This analysis examines Caring Science through three key areas: Relational, Organisational, and Global. Using Watson's Theory of Human Caring and current research, the paper shows how caring relationships can improve through thoughtful use of innovation. Recent healthcare improvements demonstrate promising results when technology integration enhances both nurse empowerment and patient outcomes within frameworks that prioritise human connection.
Future directions position Caring Science as a mature, evidence-informed framework for addressing healthcare's complex challenges. The paper calls for ‘sacred activism’—a commitment to protecting caring's essential dimensions while embracing beneficial innovation, positioning nursing to lead healthcare transformation through both the art and science of nursing that honours human dignity.
To develop a conceptual model integrating Robinson's Theory of Trust and Watson's Caritas Processes to guide trust-building approaches and caring practices that support adolescents and young adults with HIV during the healthcare transition from paediatric to adult care.
This is a discursive, theory synthesis paper that integrates theoretical frameworks and conceptually relevant literature to inform model development. The paper emphasises the importance of trust and caring science in the context of long-term engagement in care.
An inductive theory-building approach was used to identify key themes related to trust, stigma and the patient-provider relationship. Using Pound and Campbell's guidelines for theory synthesis, we developed a conceptual model reflecting the intersection of trust theory and caring science. The synthesis was further grounded in Robinson's concept of theoretical coalescence, supporting the development of a relational framework to guide future research and practice.
A structured literature review was conducted across PubMed, CINAHL, EBSCOhost and Google Scholar. Peer-reviewed articles published between 1987 and 2022 were included to capture the historical and contemporary perspectives on paediatric HIV care and healthcare transition. A snowballing method was also used to identify additional conceptually relevant sources.
The Trust-Link Relational Transition Model highlights trust as a protective factor during transition for adolescents and young adults with HIV and its close links to medication adherence, care engagement and viral suppression. Fostering trust through caring science practices, such as Watson's 10 Caritas Processes, enhances patient-provider relationships, promotes reciprocal trust and empowers patients while addressing stigma, fear of new providers and loss of familiar teams, while promoting autonomy.
The Trust-Link Model, integrating trust theory and caring science, provides a framework for improving healthcare transition. By emphasising trust-building and caring interventions, this model aims to promote autonomy, support adherence and improve health outcomes for youth with HIV transitioning to adult care.
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