In 1978 Margaret A. Newman expanded his consciousness theory of health (HEC). Although the theory is complex, its dynamic capacity to evolve has become a stronghold in nursing theory practice. The roots of the health theory of Margaret Newman began with her mom, who was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). She realized that even though her mother had this life-changing disease, it did not necessarily mean that she was labeled unhealthy ( Endo & Emiko, 2017) . Newman also observed that ALS certainly confined her mother's life, but it did not define it. Lastly, her mother's quality relationship expanded the time, movement, and space attributed to her mother's overall health and environment. Newman’s mother passed just as she began her nursing journey and still played an integral part in her nursing theory throughout her life.
This theory has been stimulated by distress for those who are unhealthy due to illness or disability. Nurses are frequently concerned: patients with chronic condition instability, deterioration, failure, and imminent death. This theory has advanced in including the health of all people regardless of diseases – claims that each individual is a part of a universal process of expansion of consciousness in any situation, regardless of how disordered and hopeless, and that a process of growing self-centered, finding a better meaning in the life.
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Newman described that a person's underlying pattern can manifest as a disease and that curing the disease would not ultimately change the individual's patterns. While not all patterns manifest disease, if "falling ill is the merely way an individual's configuration can be exhibited, that is the health of the person” ( Mitsugi et al, 2020). Newman's theory was a hit as it explained that a nurse's true responsibility is to assist the patient in recognizing the power within them to modify their patterns and move to an advanced level of health consciousness
The theory applies to the nursing community today as continuing care outside the hospital is increasingly emphasized. While activities in support of health can occur outside of the hospital, there is a need for a great deal of social support and enablement. Home-based care has revealed that healthcare professionals' workload has been reduced and the economic burden for HIV/AIDS patients in rural and local health centers. This theory helps to understand and predict results so that nurses can prepare themselves for patients in advance.
Newman's Theory is a phase in which a person develops more of his/her true self, when his/her life and the lives of others around him/her have a larger significance. And once you become conscious of yourself, you will finally recognize your own conditions and limits. A pattern recognition theory by Newman provides the basis for the relationship between nurse and patient. The intervention task, she suggested, is a trend that the healthcare workers understand, by being in contact with their own pattern, the pattern of the other person. Human beings should not be broken into pieces but are whole beings inextricably.
The theory is testable because many doctoral dissertations have been based on Newman’s theory. It has mostly attracted qualitative research indicating that it has been formulated through a process of inquiry, aided by reciprocity, negotiation, and empowerment. The theory has thus come along way since its early publications. Newman’s theory has also been employed with sudden children’s deaths and also children’s cancer survivors. According to Newman, a theory must not only be derived from practice but also inform practice. Her examples range direct practices amongst case managers, menopausal women, nursing practice with families, and older husbands attending to dementia-stricken wives.
A major example of a study done using the theory is “Using Margaret A. Newman’s theory of health with elderly nursing home residents” (Weingourt, 1998). The study concluded that if relationships are formed between patients and their elderly nursing residents, it is possible to help them figure out problematic patterns and make point choices before higher levels of consciousness are achieved, leading to lesser problematic patterns of behavior. The theory is, therefore, a specific generic tool applicable across nursing practice as its evidence-based. Therefore Newman's theory forms a background for many case studies.
Newman’s HEC provides concepts that are dynamic and able to adapt to the evolution of healthcare systems. Trained HEC nurses can continually reflect on patterns and interactions of individuals, global communities and also adapt to barriers by predicting ways to assure premium health care for all. The strengths of this theory are that it can be used in any situation and Generate caring interpolations. These include administrative, education, and practice. Since the view of the patient is also provided by the theory, individuals, family, community, amongst other aggregates, can apply it. Primary prevention and health promotion are specified in the theory. Once understood, it is, therefore, relatively simple and readily acceptable.
The weaknesses of this theory are that it is non concrete, multi-dimensional, qualitative, and little argument on the environment. In addition, both interpersonal and extra personal stressors requires clear differentiation.
Conclusion
When reflecting on HEC, the extensive use of its philosophy in practice paired with its ability to adapt to evolving healthcare systems continually makes it a timeless nursing theory. Although evaluation of its simplicity and clarity proves complicated, HEC is universally applicable, approachable via participatory praxis, and overall relevant in the nursing discipline's future. Continually discerning critique of theories will remain imperative to current and future nursing theories.
References
Endo, E. (2017). Margaret Newman's theory of health as expanding consciousness and a nursing intervention from a unitary perspective. Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing , 4 (1), 50.
Mitsugi, M., Endo, E., & Ikeda, M. (2020). Recognizing One's Own Care Pattern in Cancer Nursing and Transforming toward A Unitary Nursing Practice Based on Margaret Newman's Theory. Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing , 7 (2), 225.
Weingourt, R., (1998). Using Margaret A. Newman's Theory of Health with Elderly Nursing
Home Residents. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care,34 (3), p. 25-30
doi: 10.1111/j.1744-6163.1998.tb01003.x.
