The Theories of Margaret

Newman

: The health of a
human being is a unitary phenomena and it is
developed with the interaction of human
beings with environment.
The life is a process of
evolution of consciousness. our body receives
information from the outer world and capable
of expanding the consciousness, it is the
mirror of the whole world.

:A

person passes through 4 stages of

consciousness and ultimately discover the
self limitation, at this point there is a
transformation . This helps to move beyond
oneself with higher level of consciousness.
: Health
and Illness both are manifestation of
underlying pattern of an individual.

Margaret Newman believed human beings as unitary, health and

disease is inseparable from each other and they are the part of
the same entity.
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.

Newman believed as theory comes from practice so theory

must depicts practice both are interrelated. Her theory has
been applied in different areas in nursing, examples:
developing a plan of care for diabetic adolescents in
school setting. Improving higher levels of consciousness
among elderly nursing home residents. Patterns
recognition among patients with cancer.
Neil studied Transcendence and transformation in the life
patterns of woman living with rheumatoid arthritis. This
study also revels that theory of health as expanding
consciousness generates caring intervention in many
circumstances.
Yamashita, Jensen, and Tall described the development of
therapeutic touch in application of Newmans theory.

Holistic Nursing: It is the understanding of the

relationship among all the components like
biologic, psychological, social and spiritual
dimensions of an individual and also it involves
understanding as an integrated whole interacting
with internal and external environments. There is
the difference between cure and healing. Healing
is a gradual understanding of self and its relation
to others, it may be spontaneous also.
Therapeutic touch: It is believed that human body
has energy and produces an aura manipulating
that energy can help in healing but it does not
have any scientific base.

Health as expanding consciousness is not only focus in treating the disease

but it also helps to understanding the patient pattern of interacting with
environment and how to move forward. It helps to recognize the life
pattern of the individual as well as the community. Recently I took care
of a patient with overdose of drug, I tried to relate the theory in my care.
The patient is 33 yrs old woman has taken 30 tablets of cardizym with
her impulsive behavior. She came with low HR, low blood pressure but
she was apprehensive with all these. I tried to concentrate my care
towards her in a way that the patient feels respected and can open to
me. I asked her what was bothering her the most now? She started
crying said her biggest concerned was her 2 children who were with her
parents at this time. She gradually unfold her whole situation of being
single mom, her husband did not help her any way and at this time she
was at the point of divorce. All these stresses she was unable to handle
by herself. Besides taking care of her symptoms I tried to pull other
recourses like social work consult and other group therapy, child care
and some financial support to help her to deal with the present
situation. During her rest of stay in the hospital I felt she was more
active in participating her whole care. She felt contented as it appeared. I
think nurse can make a lot of differences by taking few more time to
spend with the patient for qualitative care.