Margaret Newman's Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness

Barbara Dossey is truly a visionary in the holistic nursing movement and her theory is able to further the development of holistic nursing in its entirety as well as bolster patient outcomes. The context in which the theory was developed was in relation and connection to the products and ideas of Ken Wilbur, in an attempt to fortify the fundamental concept of healing (Dossey & Keegan, 2003). Dossey's four quadrant model in certain respects is a reaction to and influenced by the work of Wilbur, namely that his volumes stress that no particular or sole researcher, philosopher or theorist can describe, establish or clarify the constituents of reality (Dossey & Keegan, 2003). Dossey and Keegan emphasize that the obstacle and objectives in nursing is to bolster one's integral awareness while boosting one's overall strengths and abilities in nursing in general (2003). Ultimately, the theory developed in the context of the belief that healing occurs when the delicate balance and harmony of body and mind and spirit is successfully addressed and how ancient ideas can be effectively integrated in the realm of caring for patient in everyday living (Dosseydossey.com).

She later described the human as an energy field with illness and health being manifestations of the human pattern. Her continued study outlined relationships her theory has based off of her propositions. One of the relationships is the transpersonal caring field, which stays within the unitary field of consciousness. It signifies the unitary spiritual connection between the nurse and the patient. A transpersonal caring relationship goes beyond the ego levels of the patient and the nurse. It creates new possibilities for interaction. The practitioner’s consciousness about the carative factors and intentions opened up connections in the unitary field. This enables more access to the patient’s inner healing. The provider communicates the transpersonal relationship through different ways such as being present in the relationship. Caring-healing modalities are often noninvasive, natural-human energetic field modalities. Transpersonal caring promotes self-patterns and possibilities. Advanced transpersonal caring modalities recognize wholeness, healing, comfort, balance, harmony and well-being (McEwen & Wills, 2014, pg.

Holistic nursing to me is a practice of applying both subjective and objective patient assessment into the plan of care. Not only do we need to look at the physical condition of the patient, but also their social and environmental factors that influence their state of health. When this application process is incorporated into the patient plan of care, we are incorporating all aspects of the patient’s life that help define and create their ideal state of health. In review of several nursing theories discussed by Montgomery-Dossey and Keegan (2012), which incorporate the aspect of holistic nursing practice, I found that Jean Watson’s Theory of Transpersonal Caring was most closely linked to aspects of my current nursing practice.

I have read and utilized some of the following theories from some classic nursing theorists

She related spirituality and science to present a new definition of adaptation and related scientific and philosophical assumptions. Roy’s stance on the philosophy emphasizes that nurses see persons as co-extensive with their physical and social environments. Roy has used the term cosmic unity to describe that persons and the earth have common patterns and mutuality of relations and meaning and that persons through thinking and feeling capacities, rooted in consciousness and meaning, are accountable for deriving , sustaining, and transforming the universe. These ideas were explained in a 1997 publication and included in the 1999 revision of the theorist’s textbook on the model.

The Unitary-Transformative Paradigm explains that the universe is inter-connected. It describes a way of knowing in a transpersonal way, and it is the only paradigm that describes the sub-atomic particles as the “God particles.” In my Christian worldview this is Christ’s consciousness. (Class Notes, 2015) Hence, Christ’s consciousness is the energy force that connects everything together in time and space, String Theory. It cuts deep to the innermost part of man, the soul. As a nurse I will use this paradigm with my patients. I can act as a guide to help people look within themselves and be made aware of a higher level of consciousness. In doing so, people will understand patterns and their true state of health. I will serve a purpose of cultivating the seed of love through faith, which guides us when

* A patient’s world can become brighter or darker, secure or threatening through nurses attitude. Watson accepts Nightingale’s concept of environment and states the healing environment expands the persons awareness and consciousness, thus promoting mind-body-spirit wholeness and healing (1999,p.254.) This reminds us to keep the patient’s room tidy and comfortable, and provide spiritual support necessary for total healing.

Consciousness is your awakened state of mind in which you are cognizant of and are able to distinguish between realities while also being preemptive to one’s thoughts, emotions, and feelings through the establishment of the fundamental aspect of student-object relationships in which one is not only aware and mindful of his surroundings, but oneself as well at any given moment as the present renders sentiments of familiarity, presumably rectifying preconceived notions that consciousness is merely an illusion and is rather more so a universal force and a collective body of existence and self-realization.

I have chosen to compare the postmodern perspective on health and the biomedical model. The biomedical model view of the body is mechanistic. This point was argued by Engels, who said that the body was a machine and the breakdown of this machine was disease. he also beleived that the the doctor was the only one who could fix the machine. this point leads to many biomedical views. Firstly, it shows the way that doctors view the body as a set of individual parts, diagnose and treat them as such. This non-holistic view of the body is often criticised because it fails to cnsider the person as a whole and entire building. Secondly it shows the importance of the doctor in the

She is the first nursing theorist to support the idea of soul and to accentuate the spiritual dimension of human existence. Watson describes nursing as an art and a human science with the major focus being the process of a human care for individuals, families and groups. According to her beliefs, body, mind and soul are distinquished from each other. Nevertheless, Watson also states that harmony is required among the three to be the highest form of health and that it is the nursing goal to help people to reach this equanimity. This goal can be accomplished through transpersonal relationship.

When looking at the postmodern worldview, many people believe that science is unable to explain the meaning to life. The post-modernistic theory explains that the world consists of an energy that can be manipulated and controlled. As a result of this many scientists and health care workers are looking for a more holistic way of treating patients. In this way the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of the patient are met. This leads to the patient being in complete harmony with their environment (Shelly & Miller, 2006). As a result patients will not be thought of as just a disease but a whole person.

Parse’s theory of human becoming is one of the influential theory in nursing. It basically helps to guides nurses as they care for the sick to concentrate on the quality of life their patients lived as they go through that difficult time. Parse’s theory of human becoming consisted of three structures, which are, meaning, rhythmicity, and transcendence. Parse’s theory of human becoming described meaning as the experiences and reality that one lived (Nursing theory, 2011). On the other hand, Parse’s theory of human becoming described rhythmicity as “Human Becoming is co-creating rhythmical patterns of relating in mutual process with the universe” (Nursing theory, 2011). While Parse’s theory of human becoming described transcendence as going beyond certain limits that one possesses. This paper will discuss Parse 's theory of Human Becoming as well as another theory contribution to the advancement of knowledge in support or multidisciplinary science or teams.

In brief, a person is a multifaceted unit, infinitely reacting and re-patterning its behavior to adapt to its environment. Health is an inward and outward expression of the conscious and unconscious patterns we exert. Our patterns determine where we fall on the spectrum. My vision for myself as a nurse is aiding in pattern reorganization.

Jean Watson's theory of nursing is based on the ideas of a number of philosophers and psychologists, including Carl Rogers, most specifically on his "phenomenological psychology and philosophy" (Tourville and Ingalls, 2003, p. 21). Her theory evolved over at least two decades of diverse experiences. Watson's theory is referred to as Transpersonal Caring because it emphasizes unity in the world (Tourville and Ingalls, 2003). Watson proposed that caring is a natural act for humans and it becomes a moral principle at the point when a patient and a nurse share a caring experience (Watson 2007). According to Watson, the goal of nursing is to help the patient achieve harmony of mind, body and spirit (Watson, 2007).

This theory explains, describes, guides, and supports nursing practice. It gives language to the unspoken beliefs and perspectives of the nursing profession. This allows the nursing professionals to better envision, realize, and articulate their unique role in healthcare (Green & Robichaux, 2009). Human caring is the basis of therapeutic relationships between human beings (Wade & Kasper, 2006)