Caring Science: A Theoretical Framework for Palliative Care in the Emergency Department

Watson’s caring science is used as a theoretical and experiential framework to deeply examine the current provision of palliative care in the emergency department. This provides a mode of analysis to expose the ingrained and taken-for-granted assumptions that are historically perpetuated within emergency department care. Moreover, a first step towards discovering transformative ways in which to reimagine current practices will be provided. In so doing, the nurse–patient relationship during palliation within the emergency department may be better positioned to embody caring practices, and thus enhance the health and well-being for patients and families, while simultaneously optimizing health outcomes.