BSN 1- C

Alviar, Frances Dianne A.

Balaoro, Francisse Jules A.
Gimena, John Kelly B.
Tagimacruz, Nicole Claire

I. Learning Content
a. Topic: Margaret A. Newman’s Health as Expanding Consciousness
b. Reference: Health as Expanding Consciousness by Margaret Newman.
(2011, November 14). In Nursing Theories. Retrieved September 12,
2018, from
http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Newman_Health_As_Expan
ding_Consciousness.html

II. Learning Objectives

After 30 to 45 minutes of learning activities, the Level I students will be able
to:
a. Describe the concepts of the nursing theory of Newman
b. Recognize the principles of Newman's Theory
c. Develop nursing care plan in application of Newman's theory

III. Topic Outline/ Content

I. Introduction
 The theory of health as expanding consciousness stems from Rogers' theory
of unitary human beings.
 The theory of health as expanding consciousness was stimulated by concern
for those for whom health as the absence of disease or disability is not
possible, (Newman, 2010).
 The theory has progressed to include the health of all persons regardless of
the presence or absence of disease, (Newman, 2010).
 The theory asserts that every person in every situation, no matter how
disordered and hopeless it may seem, is part of the universal process of
expanding consciousness – a process of becoming more of oneself, of finding
greater meaning in life, and of reaching new dimensions of connectedness
with other people and the world, (Newman, 2010).
 II. Assumptions
1. Health encompasses conditions heretofore described as illness, or, in medical
terms, pathology
2. These pathological conditions can be considered a manifestation of the total
pattern of the individual
3. The pattern of the individual that eventually manifests itself as pathology is
primary and exists prior to structural or functional changes
4. Removal of the pathology in itself will not change the pattern of the
individual.
5. If becoming ill is the only way an individual's pattern can manifest itself, then
that is health for that person
6. Health is an expansion of consciousness.

III. Description of the theory

 “The theory of health as expanding consciousness (HEC) was stimulated by
concern for those for whom health as the absence of disease or disability is
not possible. Nurses often relate to such people: people facing the
uncertainty, debilitation, loss and eventual death associated with chronic
illness. The theory has progressed to include the health of all persons
regardless of the presence or absence of disease. The theory asserts that
every person in every situation, no matter how disordered and hopeless it
may seem, is part of the universal process of expanding consciousness – a
process of becoming more of oneself, of finding greater meaning in life, and
of reaching new dimensions of connectedness with other people and the
world” (Newman, 2010).
 Humans are open to the whole energy system of the universe and constantly
interacting with the energy. With this process of interaction humans are
evolving their individual pattern of whole.
 According to Newman understanding the pattern is essential. The expanding
consciousness is the pattern recognition.
 The manifestation of disease depends on the pattern of individual so the
pathology of the diseases exists before the symptoms appear so removal of
disease symptoms does not change the individual structure.
 Newman also redefines nursing according to her nursing is the process of
recognizing the individual in relation to environment and it is the process of
understanding of consciousness.
 The nurse helps to understand people to use the power within to develop the
higher level of consciousness.
 Thus it helps to realize the disease process, its recovery and prevention.
 Newman also explains the interrelatedness of time, space and movement.
 Time and space are the temporal pattern of the individual, both have
complementary relationship.
 Humans are constantly changing through time and space and it shows unique
pattern of reality.
 IV. Major Concepts and Definitions
Health – health and illness are simply manifestations of the rhythmic fluctuations
of the life process is the foundation for viewing health and illness as a unitary
process moving through variations in order-disorder. From this standpoint, one can
no longer think of health and illness in the dichotomous way characterized by
medical science; that is, health as absence of disease or health as a continuum
from wellness to illness. Health and the evolving pattern of consciousness are the
same.

Pattern – a person is identified by his/her pattern, which reflects the pattern of the
person within the larger pattern of the environment. The pattern is evolving
through various permutations of order and disorder, including what in everyday
language is called health and disease. Pattern recognition emerges from a process
of uncovering meaning in a person’s life. Meaning is inherent in pattern, and vice
versa.

Consciousness – defined as the informational capacity of the system (the human

being); that is, the ability of the system to interact with the environment.
Consciousness includes not only the cognitive and affective awareness normally
associated with consciousness, which includes physiochemical maintenance and
growth processes as well as the immune system. This pattern of information, which
is the consciousness of the system, is part of a larger, undivided pattern of an
expanding universe.

3 Correlates of consciousness:
 Movement
 Time
 Space
 V. Nursing Paradigms
Health
 “Health and illness are synthesized as health - the fusion on one state of
being (disease) with its opposite (non-disease) results in what can be
regarded as health”.
Nursing
 Nursing is “caring in the human health experience”.
 Nursing is seen as a partnership between the nurse and client, with both
grow in the “sense of higher levels of consciousness”
Human
 “The human is unitary, that is cannot be divided into parts, and is
inseparable from the larger unitary field”
 “Persons as individuals, and human beings as a species are identified by their
patterns of consciousness”…
 “The person does not possess consciousness-the person is consciousness”.
 Persons are “centers of consciousness” within an overall pattern of
expanding consciousness”
Environment
 Environment is described as a “universe of open systems”

VI. Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths
 Can be applied in any setting
 “Generates caring interventions”
 Weaknesses
Abstract
 Multi-dimensional
 Qualitative
 Little discussion on environment

VII. Conclusion
Newman's theory can be conceptualized as:
o A grand theory of nursing
o Humans cannot be divided into parts
o Health is central to the theory and is seen “and is seen as a process of
developing awareness of self and the environment”
o “Consciousness is a manifestation of an evolving pattern of person-
environment interaction”

IV. Learning Procedure

a. Pre-Lesson
Our group will be facilitating a warm-up activity regarding the topic.
The class will be divided into 5 groups and each group will be given 1
 quoted statement regarding the theory. They will arrange the quoted
statements that are stated in Margaret Newman’s Health as Expanding
Consciousness. Each group will be given a set of stripped papers
containing the words needed to complete the quote. They will be given 1
minute only for each set of quotes. There will be three quotes that must
be arranged by the participants. One representative will be chosen from
each group to share his/her thoughts about the stated quote.

The following quotes listed below must be arranged by the participants:

1. “Health is an expansion of consciousness”
2. “The person does not possess consciousness – the person is
consciousness.”
3. “Consciousness is a manifestation of an evolving pattern of person-
environment interaction”
4. “Nursing is caring in the human health experience.”

5. “The expanding consciousness is the pattern recognition”

b. Lesson Proper
For the lesson proper, we, the facilitators will provide hand-outs for
each group.
There will be an SGD and a game called Message Relay.

Step 1: The class will be divided into four groups.

Step 2: Hand-outs will be provided by the facilitators.
Step 3: 20 mins SGD
Step 4: Message Relay

c. Post-Lesson
For the post-lesson, we will be having a ten item quiz which is true or false to
ensure that all of the other classmates have learned from our assigned topic.
 Directions: Write T if the statement is true and F if the statement is false.

1. The person does not possess consciousness. Instead, the person is

consciousness.
2. Health is an expansion of consciousness.
3. Health encompasses conditions described as illness, or, in medical terms,
pathology.
4. Pathological conditions can be considered as manifestation of the total pattern of
the patient.
5. Meaning is inherent in pattern.
6. Health and illness are not synthesized by health.
7. The theory of health as expanding consciousness was stimulated by concern for
those whom health as presence of disease or disability is not possible.
8. People cannot be divided into parts.
9. If becoming ill is the only way an individual patient’s pattern is able to manifest
itself, then that is health for that individual patient.
10. Health emerges from a process of uncovering meaning in a person’s life.

Answer Key:
1. T
2. T
3. T
4. T
5. T
6. F
7. F
8. T
9. T
10.F