nursing theory

1. Human Becoming Theory(man living health theory)
Rosemarie Rizzo Parse
INTRODUCTION
The Parse theory of human becoming guides nurses in their practice to focus on
quality of life as it is described and lived
The human becoming theory of nursing presents an alternative to both the
conventional bio-medical approach and the bio-psycho-social-spiritual (but still
normative) approach of most other theories of nursing.
The human becoming theory posits quality of life from each person's own perspective
as the goal of nursing practice
Rosemarie Rizzo Parse first published the theory in 1981 as the "Man-living-health"
theory
The name was officially changed to "the human becoming theory" in 1992 to remove
the term "man," after the change in the dictionary definition of the word from its
former meaning of "humankind."
ABOUT THE THEORIST
Dr. Parse is a graduate of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
MSN and Ph.D. from University of Pittsburgh
Published her theory of nursing, Man-Living-Health in 1981
Name changed to Theory of Human Becoming in 1992
Editor and Founder, Nursing Science Quarterly
Published eight books and hundreds of articles about Human Becoming Theory
Professor of Loyola University, Chicago
President of discovery international,inc,an organization to promote excellence in
nursing science.
She is also founder of the Institute of Humanbecoming.
Dr. Parse is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing
THEORY DEVELOPMENT
The theory is structured around three abiding themes: meaning, rhythmicity, and
transcendence.
PRINCIPLES
1.The first theme, MEANING, is expressed in the first principle of the theory, which
states that "Structuring meaning multidimensionally is cocreating reality through the
languaging of valuing and imaging." This principle means that people coparticipate in
creating what is real for them through self-expression in living their values in a
chosen way. The first principle contains three concepts-valuing,imaging and
languaging.

2. imaging is the creatingofreality,and one’s reality reflects who one is as a unitary
person.
Valuing is the process of choosing and embracing what is important.
Languaging is about the ways persons are with the world and in relationships about
how to be with others.
2.The second theme, RHYTHMICITY, is expressed in the second principle of the
theory, which states that "Cocreating rhythmical patterns of relating is living the
paradoxical unity of revealing-concealing and enabling-limiting while connecting-
separating." This principle means that the unity of life encompasses apparent
opposites in rhythmic patterns of relating. It means that in living moment-to-moment
one shows and does not show self as opportunities and limitations emerge in moving
with and apart from others.
Revealing-concealing concerns the ways persons disclose and do not disclose
meanings,thoughts,feelings,values,concerns and hope.
Connecting-separating concerns the ways persons can be with others while at the
same time being separate from them or how persons can be together without being in
the same location.
The third theme, TRANSCENDENCE, is expressed in the third principle of the
theory, which states that "Cotranscending with the possibles is powering unique ways
of originating in the process of transforming." This principle means that moving
beyond the "now" moment is forging a unique personal path for oneself in the midst
of ambiguity and continuous change.
Poweringis the pushing-resisting process that propels people in life
Originating is about human uniqueness and the ways persons create their own
becoming as they choose from all possibles that could be.
Transforming is about integrating unfamiliar ideas or activities into ones’s life.
ASSUMPTIONS
About man
* The human is coexisting while coconstituting rhythmical patterns with the
universe.
* The human is open, freely choosing meaning in situation, bearing responsibility
for decisions.
* The human is unitary, continuously coconstituting patterns of relating.
* The human is transcending multidimensionally with the possibles
About Becoming
* Becoming is unitary human-living-health.
* Becoming is a rhythmically coconstituting human-universe process.
* Becoming is the human’s patterns of relating value priorities.
* Becoming is an intersubjective process of transcending with the possibles.
* Becoming is unitary human’s emerging
Three Major Assumptions of Human Becoming

3. Meaning
Human Becoming is freely choosing personal meaning in situations in the
intersubjective process of living value priorities
Man’s reality is given meaning through lived experiences
Man and environment cocreat
Rhythmicity
Human Becoming is cocreating rhythmical patterns of relating in mutual
process with the universe.
Man and environment cocreate ( imaging, valuing, languaging) in rhythmical
patterns
Transcendence
Human Becoming is cotranscendingmultidimensionally with emerging
.possible.
Refers to reaching out and beyond the limits that a person sets
One constantly transforms
SUMMARY OF THE THEORY
Human Becoming Theory includes Totality Paradigm
 man is a combination of biological, psychological, sociological and
spiritual factors
Simultaneity Paradigm
 Man is a unitary being in continuous, mutual interaction with environment
NURSING PARADIGMS AND PARSE'S THEORY
PERSON
 Open being who is more than and different from the sum of the parts
ENVIRONMENT
 Everything in the person and his experiences
 Inseparable, complimentary to and evolving with
HEALTH
 Open process of being and becoming. Involves synthesis of values
NURSING
 A human science and art that uses an abstract body of knowledge to serve
people
STRENGTH AND WEAKNESSES

4. Strengths
* Differentiates nursing from other disciplines
* Practice - Provides guidelines of care and useful administration
* Useful in Education
* Provides research methodologies
* Provides framework to guide inquiry of other theories (grief, hope, laughter, etc.)
Weaknesses
* Research considered to be in a “closed circle”
* Rarely quantifiable results - Difficult to compare to other research studies, no control
group, standardized questions, etc.
* Does not utilized the nursing process/diagnoses
* Negates the idea that each person engages in a unique lived experience
* Not accessible to the novice nurse
* Not applicable to acute, emergent care
APPLICATION OF THE THEORY
Nursing Practice
* A transformative approach to all levels of nursing
* Differs from the traditional nursing process, particularly in that it does not seek to “fix”
problems
* Ability to see patients perspective allows nurse to “be with” patient and guide them
toward desired health outcomes
* Nurse-person relationship cocreates changing health patterns
Research
* Enhances understanding of human lived experience, health, quality of life and quality of
nursing practice
* Expands the theory of human becoming