To address needs that go beyond our normal roles, using Caring Science concepts allows for new ways to emerge to truly create a healing environment.

1. The Making of A Care
Ambassador
THE CARITAS ENCOUNTER
Charlene Johnson, RN BSN, Caritas Coach

2. Significance……
…………without an awakening and awareness
of
our very Being, our Presence, our Intentionality, and
consciousness AS the field of environment,
we can actually be destructive to self and others.

3. Halldorsdottir Model: Biocidic to Biogenic
Caritas Nursing
Type 1: Biocidic—life destroying (toxic, leading to
anger, despair, and decreased well being)
Type 2: Biostatic—life restraining (cold, or patient
treated as a nuisance
Type 3: Biopassive—life neutral (apathetic or
detached)
Type 4: Bioactive—life sustaining( classic nurse-patient
relationship as kind, concerned, and
benevolent)
Type 5: Biogenic—life giving (life receiving)
(Watson Nursing, 2005: pg 85)

4. What is a “Care
Ambassador”?
A Care Ambassador is a caregiver who has
accepted the assignment to be a heart-centered
support to their patients, coworkers and family.
They do this by making themselves available in
whatever way is needed - whether it be an
encouraging word, a listening ear, a simple
prayer, a hug, or just simply being there.

5. “The Making of a Care Ambassador”.
In a 3-hour workshop titled “The Making of a Care
Ambassador” we invite the participants to
experience forgiveness, gratitude, surrender and
compassionate human service through self-reflective
and experiential exercises which, in turn,
gives the attendee a higher Caritas
Consciousness.

6. THE CARITAS ENCOUNTER……….Personal
practice exercises that can contribute to our evolving
higher consciousness
4 COMPONENTS:
• Gratitude
• Forgiveness
• Surrender
• Compassionate Human Service

7. What it looks like………
• Introduction/purpose
• Centering Moment
• The “Caritas Encounter”—the practice of
gratitude, forgiveness, surrender, and
compassionate human service .
• Break
• Jean Watson Video: Caritas Nursing:
Taking time/making time
• Caritas Processes 1-5
• Caritas Processes 6-10
• Closing—empowerment moment—Care
ambassador Certificate/Pinning!

8.  10 Caritas Processes 
An authentic teaching learning experience
1. Embrace…Altruistic Values and Practice Loving
Kindness with Self and Others
2. Inspire…Faith and Hope and Honor Others
3. Trust…Self and Others by Nurturing Individual Beliefs,
Personal Growth and Practices
4. Nurture…Helping, Trusting, Caring Relationships
5. Forgive…and Accept Positive and Negative Feelings
– Authentically Listen to Another’s Story
6. Deepen…Scientific Problem-Solving Methods for
Caring Decision Making
7. Balance…Teaching and Learning to Address the
Individual Needs, Readiness and Learning Styles
8. Co-Create…a Healing Environment for the Physical
and Spiritual Self which Respects Human Dignity
9. Minister…to Basic Physical, Emotional and Spiritual
Human Needs
10. Open…to Mystery and Allow Miracles to Enter

9. The truly life-giving or biogenic presence
restores well-being and human dignity;
it is a transforming, personal presence
that deeply changes one. For the
recipient there is experienced an in-rush
of compassion…like a river, and
there is a transference of positive
energy, strengthening, inspiring…This
life giving presence is greatly edifying
for the soul of the other”
Halldorsdottir 1991:46

10. Results
• “Care Ambassadors” embrace their
role in South Sacramento
• More front-line staff become fluent in
the “language” of Caritas
• Staff support patients, families and
each other with Caritas deeds and
words and frequently discuss Caritas
and its benefits

11. I AM THE HEALING ENVIRONMENT
AS I ARRIVE, I IMPACT
WHEN I SMILE, I INVITE
AS I TOUCH, I IMPART
WHEN I CONNECT, I CHANGE
AS I LOVE, I HEAL
WHEN I BELIEVE, MIRACLES
HAPPEN
AS I PRAY, I EXPECT
WHEN I TRUST, I RECEIVE
AS I LEAD, THEY FOLLOW
WHEN I CARE, I CO-CREATE
AS I EMBRACE, THE HEART OPENS
WHEN I HAVE FAITH, I INSPIRE
AS I FORGIVE, I DEEPEN
WHEN I MINISTER, I SERVE
AS I AWAKEN, I AM TRANSFORMED
C.Johnson 1-27-12