Theories play an important role in the nursing practice, as they provide principles that can be used by nurses while at the same time they can be used to generate further nursing knowledge. Currently, many nursing theories are applied by nurses in their daily practice. Parse's theory of Human Becoming is one of the common theories in nursing. However, unlike many nursing theories, Parse's theory challenges the conventional nursing practices as well as modern beliefs. According to Parse, human beings are unitary entities who can change mutually and simultaneously with the environment ( Lee & Pilkington, 2000) . The theory also assumes that human beings live simultaneously in all spheres of time that include past, present and the future. Therefore, as in the case study, Parse's theory can be applied in the hospice nursing to improve the quality of life of a dying person.
How the Nurse can Actualize Parse's Theory in the Case
The nurse can actualize Parse's theory in different ways to ensure quality care for Ann who is nearing her death. According to Parse, hospice nurse should truly be present with the patient without giving her hope of changing her situation ( Lee & Pilkington, 2000) . In honoring the true presence of Ann, the nurse should perceive the patient as a unique human being who can choose the meaning in her situation. At the same time, the nurse should illuminate the meaning of her situations. The nurse can achieve this by requesting Ben to share their past interesting stories with Ann.
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Besides, to help Ann illuminate the meaning of her condition, Ben should share with the patient the death of Jessie and Abe, which can help Ann accept her dying situation. Assisting the patient to illuminate the meaning should be based on the Parse argument that human beings can live simultaneously in all the sphere of time ( Lee & Pilkington, 2000) . The nurse should remind Ann of her interesting past such as horse riding to make her appreciate life. Also, Ben should continue to share the story of Jessie and Abe to make Ann believe that she will not die alone and that she would join her family members. Therefore, the nurse can actualize Parse’s theory to improve Ann’s quality of life. The nurse can apply the theory by making Ann honor the reality of her experience.
Characteristics of Human Becoming Nurse
Effective interpersonal skill is one of the major characteristics that human becoming nurse should possess. A human becoming nurse should be able to engage with the patient to practice true presence effectively. True presence does not just mean physical presence but the ability to engage in constructive interaction with the patient and to be attentive. A human becoming nurse should be able to engage in a genuine conversation with the patients to make them appreciate life and accept their conditions or situations. Another major characteristic of the human becoming nurse is active listening. The nurse should not just hear the patient but he or she should listen without interrupting ( Smith & Parker, 2015) . Active listening helps the human becoming nurse to understand the patient's situation and respond accordingly. Besides, a human becoming nurse should be patient. Patience ensures that the nurse is graciously present with the patient for hours.
Parse’s theory has both strengths and weaknesses. One of the major strength of the theory is that it helps in differentiating nursing from other health of medical practices. Some of the theories do not differentiate nursing from other medical practices as in the case of Parse’s theory. The second major strength of the theory is that it provides a clear guideline that can be used by nurses to offer quality care services to patients ( Lee & Pilkington, 2000) . In addition, the theory can be utilized in various learning institutions, especially when teaching nursing care. However, one of the weaknesses of the theory is that it does not incorporate the nursing process while at the same time it ignores that every patient has unique lived experience. Another weakness of the theory is that its assumptions are not based on quantifiable results, which is an indication that it cannot easily be compared with other scientific studies.
Challenges Associated with Switching to Human Becoming Nursing Approach
Healthcare institutions are likely to face a number of challenges when they switch to human becoming nursing approach. One of the major challenges is the ability to sustain the commitment to learn and practice the values, principles, and beliefs of the Parse's theory. Many nurses are trained and are used to the conventional nursing approach and they may not easily shift to the becoming human approach ( Smith & Parker, 2015) . It is also possible for nurses to perceive human becoming nursing approach as a threat to the traditional nursing practices. Another major challenge is resources. The implementation of the human becoming nursing approach requires retraining and additional resources, which may not be available to many health institutions.
Thirdly, it is not easy to apply the concept of true presence in all patient cases, especially in the situation when the patient cannot talk or share his or her story. Nurses need to hear the patient’s situation and story, but this may not be possible when the patient is alone and cannot talk. Besides, changing to human becoming nursing approach requires a change in nurses’ personal values and beliefs that may not be attained in the short-term ( Lee & Pilkington, 2000) . Therefore, changing into the human becoming approach is linked to many challenges.
Applying Transcendence
Parse explained in the theory that human beings can co-transcendence multidimensional with the emerging possibilities. People area can reach out beyond limits and transform based on the emerging circumstances. Therefore, the nurse should apply the theme of transcendence as Ann’s death becomes a reality for Ben. People are likely to seek divine interventions when they encounter circumstances beyond their control ( Smith & Parker, 2015) . As a result, the nurses should encourage Ben to subject his circumstance to God who is in control. Besides, the nurse should promote self-transcendence in Ben to help him overcome emotional challenges that are associated with Ann's death.
Additional Theory
The additional theory that applies to the case is the shared theory. The shared theory provides a framework that can be applied by nurses to offer quality care to patients with terminal illness. The theory mainly focuses on the concepts such as nursing competence, nursing self-competence, nursing interventions, quality of life, and hospice self-care behaviors ( Dobrina Tenze & Palese, 2014) . Therefore, the shared theory can be applied in this case to offer quality care to Ann in her dying moment.
To apply the two theories in the case, first, the nurse will have to understand the patient’s situation and circumstances, which is essential to achieving true presence. However, in the case where the patient will not be in a condition to talk, one of the family members or relatives will be called to explain the patient’s past experience and stories. The patient’s past experience will help in illuminating the meaning and making the patient accepts her condition. The nurse will have to spend most of the time with the patient to achieve true presence and to offer quality care. Also, based on the shared theory, the nursing interventions will be designed to address the patient's self-care deficits ( Dobrina, Tenze & Palese, 2014) . Besides, the nurses will be required to have high self-competence to provide better quality care to the patient.
Conclusion
Nurses can apply nursing theories to provide quality healthcare services to patients. Parse’s theory is one of the nursing theories that can be used in hospice nursing to improve the quality of care, even though it challenges the conventional nursing practices. The theory can be used to ensure that patients enjoy their last moments on earth. However, healthcare institutions may not easily apply the human becoming nursing approach because it is associated with some challenges.
References
Dobrina, R., Tenze, M., & Palese, A. (2014). An overview of hospice and palliative care nursing models and theories. International journal of palliative nursing , 20 (2), 75-81.
Lee, O. J., & Pilkington, F. B. (2000). Practice with persons living their dying: A human becoming perspective. Nursing Science Quarterly , 12 (4), 324-328.
Smith, M. C., & Parker, M. E. (2015). Nursing theories and nursing practice . FA Davis.
