Kristen Swanson’s Nursing Theory focuses on five caring practices namely “knowing being

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Kristen Swanson’s Nursing Theory focuses on five caring practices, namely “knowing, being with, doing for, enabling and maintaining belief”. While Katie Eriksson’s Nursing Theory teaches about caring through the Christian tradition of taking “caritas” (love and charity) and regards for human holiness as necessary elements of nursing care. An example of Swanson’s theory would be providing adaptive methods to a patient who had a miscarriage. Her theory suggests offering emotional healing process for the patient and family, to provide closure to the problem and acceptance of the event. Eriksson’s theory on the other hand could be applied to the care of an elderly patient who had undergone mastectomy from stage 3 breast cancer. Under this theory – love, charity and respect would play a role in the nursing care process to alleviate the emotional suffering and thereby achieve a “deeper wholeness and holiness” in the patient. These two theories although different in their approaches are similar in several ways. Both clearly considers the human being as the center of everything involving empathy, as a key to a more successful and trusting relationship. They both encourage the nurse to not only deliver quality care to patients but also to promote dignity and respect for the patient. Eriksson also adds that “suffering that occurs as a lack of caritas is a violation of human dignity”. The two theories seek to provide healing not just physically but also emotionally. Swanson’s theory involves having the patient address their social issues to attain a state of well-being; is similar to Eriksson’s goal in the caring process to “lighten suffering and serve health”. Both theories include the two main cornerstones of the nursing practice which are patient safety and quality of care. As such, both theories can be applied by nurses in their practice and used to develop standards for nursing care to decrease the number of errors that occur during practice. The two theories can also be used as a basis for education and research. This would further ensure better quality health care and a safer environment, resulting in patients’ overall satisfaction of the nursing service.