Caring in physical therapy practice:Exploring Locsin's 'Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing'

Area of Science:

• Nursing Theory Application
• Physical Therapy Practice
• Healthcare Quality

Background:

• Compassionate care is central to nursing, conceptualized as "knowing person as caring" through Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing (TCCN).
• Physical therapy emphasizes respecting patient individuality, values, dignity, and humanity, fostering deep patient-family relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extract essential elements of Locsin's TCCN theory for physical therapy practice.
• To assess the utility of TCCN theory in physical therapy via narrative review.
• To examine patient knowing as caring in physical therapy using Carper's ways of knowing.
• To evaluate healthcare quality using Donabedian's structure, process, and outcome model in relation to patient knowing and caring.

Main Methods:

• Discussion paper utilizing a narrative review process.
• Analysis of Locsin's TCCN theory from a physical therapy perspective.
• Application of Carper's fundamental ways of knowing through a fictional vignette.
• Evaluation using Donabedian's structure, process, and outcome framework.

Main Results:

• TCCN theory provides a framework for integrating a caring attitude and technology in physical therapy.
• Patient-centered care in physical therapy involves attentive learning and engagement.
• The study examines the intersection of knowing patients, quality of care, and TCCN principles.

Conclusions:

• TCCN theory-based practice is crucial for enhancing caring attitudes and technology integration in physical therapy.
• Effective physical therapy practice involves patient-centered care, attentive learning, and engagement.
• Applying TCCN principles can improve the quality of caring and healthcare outcomes in physical therapy.