Margaret Newman: Health as Expanding Consciousness

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)

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)

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)

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)