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Margaret Newman: Health as Expanding Consciousness
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Margaret Newman
Health as Expanding Consciousness
Learning Circle 3
Biography
Biography
- Born in 1933 Memphis Tennessee
- Cared for mother with ALS which sparked interest in nursing
- Became nurse in 1962
- Taught at multiple universities
- University of Tennessee
- New York University
- Pennsylvania State University
- University of Minnesota
- Retired in 1996
(Sitzman & Eichelberger, 2017)
Education
- 1954 Baylor University
- Behavioral Science and Education
- 1962 University of Memphis
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- 1964 University of California San Francisco
- Master of Science in Nursing
- 1971 New York University
- Doctorate of Nursing and Rehabilitation
(Sitzman & Eichelberger, 2017)
Health as Expanding Consciousness
Theory
Key aspects of the theory:
- Health and illness are not inversely related but rather, Illness occurs within the state of health and the whole person (Pharris, 2011).
- Health and illness are viewed as hand and hand processes with each individual having their own unique patterns (Younas et al., 2017).
- Individuals are aware of their own patterns of health and through changes in those patterns, expand their consciousness (Sitzman & Eichelberger, 2017).
Theory Application to Nursing
- Using Newman’s theory nurses can help patients identify their strengths, enabling the patient to see their full capability to achieve optimal health on their own (Younas et al., 2017).
- The theory opens a persons potential to self discovery, finding new ways to proceed through life regardless of the presence of clinically defined illness, which can transform every aspect of an individual (Younas et al., 2017).
- Nurses should be fully present and aware of patterns that exist in client’s lives in order to create a safe environment in which clients learn to adapt and cope. It is important for a nurse to not only recognize, but to honor their client’s history, uniqueness, desires, and goals, as well as their individual journeys. It is Ms. Newman’s belief that people can rise above perceived limitations and evolve in such a way that they improve their circumstances and also gain a greater understanding of their very existence. (Bateman & Merryfeather, 2014)
Concepts
Health
Concepts
Pattern
Consciousness
(Pharris, 2011)
Health
Health: Not the opposite of illness but rather includes patterns of disease, evolving unitary pattern of the whole.
(Pharris, 2011)
Consciousness
Consciousness: Informational capacity of the whole, which is revealed in evolving pattern.
(Pharris, 2011)
Pattern
Pattern: Identifies the human-environmental process; characterized by meaning.
(Pharrel, 2011)
Subconcepts
Subconcepts
- Wholism
- Being aware of the interaction of many parts that form the whole system.
- Nurse-Patient Collaboration
- Nurses help patients to recognize and positively address their own patterns.
(Sitzman & Eichelberger, 2017)
Historical Influences
- Margaret cared for her mother after she was diagnosed with ALS. She eventually grew to gain her perspective regarding disease, specifically that it can limit but it can not define a person (Pharris, 2011).
- Margaret participated in missionary work prior to becoming a nurse. During that time she noted that she was unable to do so effectively without attending to both the spiritual and physical needs of the people with which she was working, and this led to her pursuit of a career in nursing (Bateman & Merryfeather, 2014).
- She witnessed a friend regulate her own overactive thyroid gland and avoid surgical intervention through reconfiguring her life. Her observation of this personally historical event, helped influence her views on disease and subsequently, her theory (Bateman & Merryfeather, 2014).
Historical Influences
Theoretical Influences
Theoretical Influences
- Martha E. Rogers
- Theory of Unitary Human Beings (Sitzman & Eichelberger, 2017)
- Dorothy Johnson
- Itzhak Bentov
- Elaboration of Life as the Expansion of Consciousness
- David Bohm
- Theory of Implicate Order
- Ilya Prigogine
- Theory of Dissipative Structures
- Arthur Young
- Theory of the Evolution of Consciousness
- Merian Litchfield
- Nurse scholar from New Zealand that worked with Margaret Newman and who influenced the way she viewed the relationship between the nurse and the patient.
(Pharris, 2011)
Generalizability
Generalizability
This theory is applicable to multiple settings within the field of healthcare, such as mental health, neurological diseases, chronic diseases and pain. It is not, however, limited to clinical settings and has been used by many researchers in nursing education. It may be worth noting however, that most of the studies that use Ms. Newman’s theory are from the past. There have been limited studies conducted in recent years and this may indicate a need for further research.
(Younas & Parveen, 2017)
Research
- The CINAHL search produced 62 peer reviewed articles related to Margaret Newman's Theory.
- 53 articles were created before 2014
- 9 Articles were published between 2014-now
- 1 article in 2018
- 3 articles in 2017
- 3 articles in 2016
- 0 articles in 2015
- 2 articles in 2014
Research
Application
Application
Three journal articles that apply Margaret Newman's Health as Expanding Consciousness Theory:
1. Newman’s Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness: A Personal Evolution by Gina Bateman (Bateman & Merryfeather, 2014)
2. Newman’s Health as Expanded
Consciousness in Baccalaureate Education (Sethares & Gramling, 2014)
3. The Complexity of Living with Hepatitis C: A Newman Perspective (MacNeil, 2012)
Article 1
Article 1
In the article entitled Newman’s Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness: A Personal Evolution by Gina Bateman, RN and Lyn Merryfeather, RN; PhD, the author speaks about her use of Margaret Newman’s theory in her personal life, as well as in her work as a provider of care in a residential substance abuse facility. She writes that because this theory was not incorporated into the design of the treatment program, the clients that she worked with were basically set up for failure because they were not taught to manage their lives differently after leaving the program, so she subsequently quit to pursue and area that was more aligned with Ms. Newman’s theory. She was also able to identify negative factors in her personal life and with her heightened sense of self awareness, was able to change those parts of her life that she felt were holding her back. (Bateman & Merryfeather, 2014)
Article 2
Newman’s Health as Expanded
Consciousness in Baccalaureate Education by Sethares and Gramling, examines the application of the theory to nursing education. The article discusses the experience of a small cohort of nursing students in their first clinical rotation, who were instructed to base their assessments on Newman's theory. After the completion of the clinical assignment, students reported feeling a deeper connection with patients that may not be achieved through traditional medically focused assessment and care, as evidenced by patient to student nurse communication of feelings and plans beyond their illnesses and limitations.
(Sethares & Gramling, 2014)
Article 3
Newman's theory has been used in multiple studies of individuals living with chronic illnesses, and in one article entitled The Complexity of Living with Hepatitis C: A Newman Perspective, nine participants diagnosed with hepatitis C were identified, along with patterns and themes such as struggling to overcome, transcending the illness itself, as well as the patients' desire to give back. Since at the time that this article was written there was no cure for hepatitis C, these patients were not only dealing with the physical effects of chronic illness but also struggling with feelings of uncertainty and hopelessness. By utilizing Newman's theory, the participants were able to expand their consciousness and understanding of living life with hepatitis C and were, therefore, able to make transformative changes and find meaning in their lives.
(MacNeil, 2012)