Nurse Educators Examine the Applicability of Health as Expanding Consciousness Theory: A Qualitative Review Study

Abstract

Background: Health as expanding consciousness (HEC) is a grand theory by Margaret Newman, and it
is one of those key tools to be used in order to understand a patient as a whole. The theory is based on
identifying the pattern of an individual. The HEC focuses on all aspects of the individual as a social, cultural,
physical, emotional, and spiritual. It works for understanding the disease as well as other factors pertaining
to the pattern of the individual.
Objective: The present review study is aimed to provide inside comprehension on the applicability and
feasibility of HEC from nurse educator perspectives based on review of qualitative studies.
Results: This study shows how successfully the theory was applied to coronary heart disease patients,
women with multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis, and pain during perioperative period. Thus, the theory
is effective in all scenarios and provides the nurse ways to understand patients from varied backgrounds. The
authors of reviewed studies used the hermeneutic-dialectic approaches as a tool for the research study. The
nurses played an important role by help the patients to recognize their pattern and move to a higher level of
consciousness. The nurse-patient relationship built on mutual trust and respect, which helped both nurses
and clients to interact effectively in order to identify their pattern.
Conclusion: Newman’s theory can be applied in every nursing setting in both short and long-term interaction
with the patient.