Betty Neuman's Theory Of The Nursing Theory In Nursing

For centuries the development of nursing knowledge has been influenced by numerous theorists and their respective theories. These theories have influenced, and continue to influence, nursing education, practice and research. (Johnson & Webber, 2005)

According to Alligood and Tomey the Neuman Systems Model is classified as a nursing conceptual model. “Nursing conceptual

Nursing theories have been a fundamental tool used to explain, guide and improve the practice of nursing. Theorists have contributed enormously to the growth of nursing as a profession. The four grand theorists I chose are Virginia Henderson, Peplau, Myra Levine and Jean Watson. These theorists have contributed tremendously in the field of nursing through their theories, and research. One thing the theorists have in common is that they are patient centered. They are all concerned on ways we can improve our responsibility to the patients, their families and the environment. They have different ideas but they are all aiming towards achieving the same goal, which is patient satisfaction and safety. Their differences are in their areas of

Betty Neuman is a renowned nursing theorist who developed the Neuman System Model. This model emphasizes stress and the impact it can have on patients and nursing care. Key concepts of this theory include preventions, stressors, and lines of defense. Neuman also addresses the metaparadigms of nursing, health, human being, and environment in relation to her model. The Neuman System Model is recognized by nurses across the globe, and a Neuman System Practice Center has been established to help develop her theory (Gigliotti, 2012, p. 298). This theory can be utilized in any nursing care and is inspiration for other nursing theorists.

Betty Neuman was a born in 1924 in Lowell, Ohio. Her rural background helped her develop a care for people in need, which has been a dominant trait in her career. She received her baccalaureate degree at People’s Hospital School of Nursing, her master’s degree in Mental Health and Public Consultation from UCLA, and her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Pacific Western University. Betty Neuman had numerous forms of leadership while working in the hospital; she eventually became head nurse until she decided to be a nursing professor. Neuman designed a nursing concepts model for the students at UCLA to expand their knowledge of the different client variables that are beyond the medical model. Her model was first published in the early 1970’s

Nursing theorist, Hildegard Peplau knew that in order to care for patients, the nurse must establish a strong relationship with the patient. This is an essential element in being able to provide adequate planning, diagnosing, and successfully treating patients. Personally, my desire to learn more about Peplau’s theory is because it is a very significant quality to have as a nurse. Nursing is a very interpersonal career, and by forming trusting relationships with patients early in one’s nursing practice, I can provide the best care possible to meet psychosocial needs as well as treat the present illness. The benefits that creating interpersonal relationships can have on the patients’ health condition and their planned outcomes, is also a very interesting area of focus. Many nursing students today did not understand the importance of Peplau’s theory. They choose a career in nursing because of the finical stability and wide range of options that the career offers. Overall, one cannot forget that nursing is patient centered care.

The metaparadigm of nursing consists of four parts comprised by Jacqueline Fawcett, in 1984, in her seminal work (Alligood, 2014). The metaparadigm she developed served to provide direction and guidance for the nursing framework already in use and became an organization tool for theories already in use (Alligood, 2014). The four parts being person, health, environment, and nursing. The four components of the metaparadigm concept of nursing is important to nursing theory because they are the key areas of focus of patient care, and the metaparadigm is designed to differentiate nursing from other specialties (Alligood, 2014). It is this use of theories that makes nursing a profession and guides professional nursing practice, research, and education (Alligood, 2014).

“The Neuman Systems Model is based on the patient's relationship to stress, reaction to it, and reconstitution factors that are dynamic. The Neuman Systems Model is universal in nature, which allows it to be adapted to a variety of situations.”  (Petiprin, 2016, para.7) The Neuman Systems model is best implemented when accompanied by the nursing process. The nursing includes, assessment of the patient, diagnosis of the patient, planning and setting goals for the patient, implementing the set goals, and evaluation to determine if the goals were met.

Each nurse has a personal philosophy of nursing whether he or she is cognizant of it or not. Caring for the whole person is what called me to the nursing profession. The Neuman Systems Model most influences my nursing philosophy as it focuses on unique individualistic care that includes psychological, sociological, and developmental human needs. This holistic care model is particularly relevant to the geriatric population; the population I most desire to serve. By utilizing the Neuman Systems Model and how it pertains to the elderly, I am able to develop my nursing philosophy.

As a nursing student in the BSN program at West Coast University, I have discovered my skills and knowledge to prepare myself on how to be an efficient nurse as well as a nurse that truly cares for the best quality of care given to a patient. I have found some good qualities and insight in the paradigms to a philosophy of caring as a nurse. In this paper I will discuss the four paradigms of nursing which includes: Health, Nursing, Client/Person, and Environment. As a nurse, one must understand the importance of these paradigms and the philosophy of caring. Developing a nursing philosophy with each paradigm can result into a better quality of care, having an authentic relationship with the patient, and inviting growth and

Fundamentals of Nursing defines nursing theory as that which “ differentiates nursing from other disciplines and activities by serving the purpose of describing, explaining, predicting, and controlling desired outcomes of nursing practices.” (Taylor, Lillis, LeMone, & Lynn, 2011,G-14). The focus of this paper will be the Neuman Systems Model and its impact on the world of nursing. Neuman believed that health was living energy that is evaluated by the amount of agreement between five variables (physiological, psychological, spiritual, sociocultural, and developmental) and the dynamics of basic systems. Wellness, assessed by how much energy was spent on getting, keeping,

Nursing theories serve as thinking guides for nurses to follow in order to reach optimal outcomes for patients. Theories are applied in conjunction with experience one has gained and critical thinking in everyday nursing practice, research, and education. The Neuman Systems Model, which was created by Betty Neuman, is one example of a theory that has been in practice for decades and continues to be modified to reflect new research. When applying the NSM, the nurse focuses on identifying and preventing stressors which are factors that lead to fluctuations in the body that affect daily living.

Summarizing the key points of the Neuman Systems Model’s definition of concept of the nursing paradigm, it is important to highlight the complexity of the model. Neuman’s concepts definition is best fit in the totality paradigm - the person is viewed as a sum of physiological, psychological, sociocultural, developmental and spiritual variables in the constant interaction with the environment in order to maintain balance. The person’s health or illness is defined by the societal norms; therefore, the nurse has the leading role in determining the interventions and the course of the nursing care. The act of nursing in the Neuman’s model mainly focuses on the health promotion, disease prevention and treatments.

Through her accomplishments during a time period where women were granted very few, to her high intellect as a result of extensive research and schooling, Betty Neuman serves as one of the many influential figures in nursing today. Neuman’s Systems Model gives detailed instruction on various ways to identify and prevent stressors and maintaining wellness. It is also broad in that it provides a path that approaches a variety of health concerns national and international alike. Neuman’s system if continually implemented would help to curb many problems and effects that result from the stress experienced by patients and give nurses a great outlet and reference to assist their patients in coping with this

The theorist Betty Neuman explains how the whole system affects the patient’s health and shows how the nurses are responsible for the social, mental, spiritual, physical and emotional state of the patient and not only the physical aspect. With the theory nursing students, nurses and other professionals are able to provide effective systematic nursing care to their patient using the system model. Furthermore, her ideas give the importance on how to give the right care through a stressful situations and gives knowledge and development to the science of nursing. She also to coping with unexpected situations through three prevention levels which are the primary prevention, secondary prevention, and the tertiary prevention. Generally, I choose this model because I see how it depicts the nurse as an active participant with the patient and as a concerned with all the variables affecting the patients response to stressors. The Betty Neuman theory reflects health