Connecting to Shared Humanity and Love
UIW Hosts 2025 Sr. Charles Marie Frank Endowed Lecture
On Wednesday, Oct. 22, the UIW Ila Faye Miller School of Nursing and Health Professions (SNHP) hosted its annual Sr. Charles Marie Frank Endowed Lecture. This annual event is hosted in honor of Sr. Charles Marie Frank, CCVI, who earned one of the first Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees in the late 1930s. SNHP was founded in 1931, making it the first accredited school west of the Mississippi River to offer a baccalaureate degree in Nursing, and the first in the region to offer degrees to women. The yearly event simultaneously honors Sr. Charles while contributing to SNHP’s mission “to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, through the educational preparation of health professionals” (uiw.edu).
This year’s honored guest speaker was Jean Watson, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, LL (AAN), a distinguished professor and dean emerita from the University of Colorado Denver, and she held the nation’s first endowed Chair in Caring Science for 16 years. Founder of the original Center for Human Caring Colorado, she is also a Fellow and designated “Living Legend” by the American Academy of Nursing, alongside being the Founder and Director of her non-profit foundation, Watson Caring Science Institute. Watson also holds the title of Distinguished Professor of Nursing at the University of Colorado, which is the highest honor accorded to faculty for scholarly work.
“This lecture holds a very special place in our community by representing a commitment to nursing excellence, lifelong learning and the pursuit of knowledge that advances the art and the science of nursing and healthcare for our students and faculty,” opened SNHP Dean Dr. Danuta Wojnar. “This lecture is more than just an event; it is a moment to pause, to engage deeply with ideals that shape the profession and to be inspired by a true pioneer.”
Dr. Watson delivered a presentation titled “Unitary Caring Science: A Full Circle of Knowledge” in which she explored her theory of Caring Science and Human Caring Theory, which offers a meaningful philosophical foundation to nursing science, extending beyond conventional Western science (watsoncaringscience.org). It was an evening that invited hundreds of experienced and aspiring nursing and healthcare professionals to consider how to administer effective care by acknowledging patients as a whole body, mind, spirit, soul, heart, etc. Additionally, Dr. Watson encouraged attendees to be aware of how seemingly simple interactions can contribute to their quality of care.
“Everything we're doing for ourselves is affecting others, and what we're doing to others is affecting us,” noted Dr. Watson. “We can acknowledge that small acts of caring have a great impact in ways that you will never know. These micro practices, these small moments that you have, with your colleague, friends, patients, family, they're all important.”
Watson walked the audience through her work, identifying the three principles of caring
- Ethic of belonging
- Ethics of face – consciousness of belonging contained in the faces of others
- Ethics of hands
Through these humanistic attributes we all share, Dr. Watson explained how we can connect to one another, demonstrating how our shared humanity can be one of our greatest tools.
Additionally, Dr. Watson elaborated on her 10 Caritas Processes that serve as “universal truths or cannons in which we live and work.” She shared how these caritas often provide approaches for healthcare professionals to incorporate into their own practices as they build connections and heal patients in need.
“When you are practicing caring theory and caring moments, you are actually practicing a theory,” noted Dr. Watson. “Caritas and caring science generally are grounded in the love of humanity. It's a different cosmology. It's a unitary worldview. It's one in which we're all connected. We're all connected with this infinite field of universal love, energy and life, and we acknowledge that nature is a source of healing. These universal tasks of humanity, such as human health, wellness and healing experiences, are for all of us.”
By the end of her presentation, she was met with a standing ovation and thunderous applause from audience members. Students and faculty took time after the presentation to thank Dr. Watson for her time, her contributions to the nursing field and to ask her questions.