Theories and Research

Travis Balty, Amanda Brown, Chuck Mix, Jocelyn Morey

Southwest Baptist University

• Explore nursing Theory/Theorist

• Understand purpose of chosen research article

• Understand clinical applications of nursing theory

• Develop ways to include theory into own practice

Citation:

Hayes, M., & Jones, D. (2007). Health as expanding

consciousness: pattern recognition and

incarcerated mothers, a transforming experience.

Journal Of Forensic Nursing, 3(2), 61-66.

Working Link:

http://eagle.sbuniv.edu:2152/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid

=02c427f6-6031-4c87-98db-

cb235bafed88%40sessionmgr11&vid=4&hid=115

• In-depth look into Margaret Newman’s theory, Health as

Expanding Consciousness (HEC)

• The application of theory to incarcerated Mother’s

awaiting release

• Application of Reflection when movement-time-space are

restricted to promote organization of life patterns, new

directions and move them to new place in life (Hayes &

Jones, 2007).

• Use of HEC to provide a framework to guide practice

(Hayes & Jones, 2007)

• This would allow for new insights about the life patterns

of incarcerated individuals

• HEC is grounded in three basic assumptions:

1. Health

2. Expanding Consciousness

3. Movement-space-time

• Health is Unitary pattern of the whole, including disease

(Hayes & Jones, 2007).

• Health comes from the Old English word “Hale”, meaning

“wholeness”(Nordqvist, 2009).

• Health includes

mental, emotional, psychosocial, relationships, and

physical

• Expanding consciousness is seen as the evolving pattern

of person-environment interaction (Hayes & Jones,

2007).

• Prison provided a stable/unchanging environment to

foster the partnership between nurse/client and provide a

ground for honesty and forthrightness

• Movement-Space-Time are embedded patterns of

evolving consciousness (Hayes & Jones, 2007)

• When movement-space-time are restricted it provides

time for recognition of life patterns, choices, and

reorganization to new life choices

• Health as Expanding Consciousness

• It was written by Margaret Newman.

• The first published version appeared in 1979. (Alligood,

457)

• Her view points came from:

• Theorist Martha Rogers

• Caring for her mother who had ALS

• A theory is:

• Statements that describe , explain, or predict relationships among

concepts. (Alligood, 520)

• Her theory:

• Describes a relationship between time, space, and movement.

• Explains that having a disease doesn’t make you unhealthy

• Person

• Whole, or “unitary”, no parts

• Identified by patterns of consciousness

• Health

• Health and illness are one in the same

• Environment

• A “universe of open systems”

Nursing Theories, 2011

• Newman developed pattern identification

• Sharing patterns with a person is nursing practice.

• Nurses are viewed as therapeutic partners.

• They join with the patient in search for patterns.

• Reveals/recognizes patterns in peoples

lives.

• Help people find meaning in their life

• Everyone is part of a universal process

• Develop relationships/connect with others and the world

• Health is an expansion of consciousness (Nursing

Theories, 2011)

• “Pattern recognition provided a way to approach

understanding” (Hayes & Jones, 2007)

• It allowed nurses to be therapeutic

• Writers gained insight from the incarcerated mothers.

• The mothers also gained insight into their situation.

• It helped lead the mothers to better choices.

• Dynamics of theory give researchers a guideline

• Helps inmates to develop different relationships

• Helps writers understand the criminal experience

• Provides a great opportunity for changed lives

• Optimal time is at start of incarceration.

• “HEC promotes the integration of nursing knowledge

across theory, research, and practice that fosters the

evolving of new knowledge to advance the science, and

the application of the knowledge by nurses to improve

the lives of people globally” (Jones, 2006).

• HEC has been used in multiple qualitative research

articles to address patterns and decisions by patients

and their outcome on the patients expanding

consciousness.

• HEC provides many parallels in the areas of

purpose, timing, process, and health outcomes

(Brown, 2011).

• Families with a child with special needs

(Falkenstern, Gueldner, & Newman, 2009)

• Incarcerated mothers (Hayes & Jones, 2007)

• Understanding spousal caregivers experiences

(MacLeod, 2011)

• Hmong American women living with diabetes

(Yang, Xiong, Vang, & Dexheimer, 2009)

• Life patterns of women transitioning through menopause

(Musker, 2008)

• In children, HEC can be started at an early age.

By including children in health care discussions, they can start

to understand their health as a whole.

Early awareness allows children to expand their consciousness

of person-environment interaction.

Movement-space-time patterns are imbedded earlier and

assists in recognition of life patterns later in life.

• Newly diagnosed diabetic patients

Assist patient in understanding health as a whole including illness

Expanding consciousness through recognition of new patterns

such as checking blood sugars daily and monitoring diet

Use exercise and dietary changes to establish more health

conscious choices.

• New patients

Initial complete physical exams with labs to determine health

pattern.

Review questionnaires, lab results, and physical exam to expand

consciousness and determine evolving patterns.

New diagnoses and illness can be use as opportunity to re-

evaluate life patterns.

Alligood, M. R. (2010) Nursing Theory: Utilization and Application (4th ed.). Maryland Heights, Missouri: Mosby Elsevier.

Falkenstern, S., Gueldner, S., & Newman, M. (2009). Health as expanding consciousness with families with a child with special healthcare needs. Nursing Science Quarterly, 22(3), 267-279. doi:10.1177/0894318409337015

Hayes, M., & Jones, D. (2007). Health as expanding consciousness: pattern recognition and incarcerated mothers, a transforming experience. Journal Of Forensic Nursing, 3(2), 61-66.

Jones, Dorothy A. (2006). Newman’s health as expanding consciousness. Nursing Science Quarterly, 19(4), 330-332.

Nordqvist, C. (2009, May 21). What is health? What does good health mean?. In Medical News Today. Retrieved October 25, 2012, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150999.php

MacLeod, C. E. (2011). Understanding Experiences of Spousal Caregivers with Health as Expanding Consciousness. Nursing Science Quarterly, 24(3), 245-255. doi:10.1177/0894318411409420

Musker, K. (2008). Life patterns of women transitioning through menopause: a Newman research study. Nursing Science Quarterly, 21(4), 330-342.

Nursing Theories. 2011. Health as expanding consciousness. Retrieved October 24 from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Newman_Health_As_Expanding_Consciousness.html

Yang, A., Xiong, D., Vang, E., & Pharris, M. (2009). Hmong American women living with diabetes. Journal Of Nursing Scholarship, 41(2), 139-148. doi:10.1111/j.1547-5069.2009.01265.x