Introduction
Parse’s Human Becoming Theory of Nursing is among the most integral nursing theories, providing nurses with guidance on how to provide holistic quality healthcare services from each person’s own perspective as the goal of nursing. The theory combines sociological, psychological, biological, and spiritual factors that affect the quality of human life. It states that an individual is a unitary being continuously interacting with his or her environment. This paper will focus on the actualization of the theory in the case scenario, providing characteristics of a human becoming a nurse, presenting the strengths and weaknesses of the theory, similar to Parse’s Human Becoming Approach, and providing a plan of care using the two theories.
Actualization of the Theory in the Case Scenario Provided
The nurse in the case scenario could actualize the theory in various ways. First, the nurse could provide psychological support to Ben. Loss of loved ones is distressing, and as part of the patient care, the nurse provides psychological support to Ben during these challenging times. Second, the nurse could actualize the theory by respecting individual and family preferences and beliefs. Also, the nurse could listen to Ben’s words and encourage the loss of his wife through the shooting stars symbol. Besides, the nurse could also actualize the approach by being present and authentic. Finally, the nurse could help promote choices and freedom to make decisions.
Characteristics of Human Becoming a Nurse
Based on the Human Becoming Theory, a nurse can be said to be of human becoming if they exhibit different characteristics. First, the nurse should be compassionate and courageous to deal with patients who are terminally ill. They should show love to the patients and their families, giving the families hope that everything will be well. Second, the nurse should be flexible; that is, the nurse should be able to shift roles and services from pro-longed life suffering to end-of-life care. Third, the nurse should respect the patient’s decisions concerning their end-of-life choices. Besides, the nurse should be attentive and caring to provide medically oriented and emotionally based care to the patients, such as taking vital signs, controlling pain, and reporting complications to physicians whenever they arise. Also, the nurse should focus on improving the quality of life for their patients by adhering to their end-of-life decisions and providing medication as prescribed. Finally, the human nurse should be empathetic and understand and share the feelings of the patient and family members.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Theory
The human becoming theory has various strengths and weaknesses. To begin with the strengths, the theory emphasizes the humanistic aspects of nursing. Second, it enhances patient autonomy and the freedom to make choices concerning the type of healthcare services the patient wants and also improves the decision-making process. Besides, the theory focuses on improving the quality of life for patients in the end-of-life stage (Clark, 2016). Additionally, the theory shows transparent relationships between assumptions, practice areas, and principles. Also, the approach offers a vivid difference between nursing and other disciplines. Finally, the model provides nurses with valuable information and guidelines on nursing practices.
Conversely, the human becoming theory also has disadvantages. First, the approach has no room for expansion because the research framework involved is difficult to quantify. Second, this theory is generalized yet cannot be applied in emergency or acute care. Third, this theory is only used by novice nurses alone. Finally, the theory might not be applicable to all patients, especially those who prefer a more directive approach.
Challenges for Healthcare Institutions to Switch to this Nursing Approach
Though the human becoming theory of nursing is widely used, especially when providing hospice care, many organizations are facing various challenges in switching to the approach. First, the organizations face the challenge of training and educating their nurses about the theory and its application in providing care for quality life. Second, organizations face the challenge of time because the theory requires a nurse to spend more time with one patient, which is not applicable in a busy healthcare setting. Third, organizations might also face nurses’ resistance to change. Though change is inevitable in the nursing sector, implementing a new intervention often receives resistance from clinicians insisting on sticking to more traditional approaches. Finally, patient preference is another challenge organizations face using Parse’s theory of human becoming. Not all patients would want this approach to be used on them, especially those who insist on a directive approach.
Parse’s Understanding of Transcendence Guiding the Nurse, as Ann’s Death Becomes A Reality to Ben
According to Clark (2016), the theory centres on three themes: transcendence, meaning, and rhythmicity. Transcendence, in this approach, refers to the existence or experience beyond the ordinary or physical level; that is, the process of moving beyond the present moment and into an unknown future, such as death.
The nurse’s understanding of Parse’s Human Becoming Theory, especially the transcendence theme, could help the nurse to actualize his and guide Ben through the process of accepting Ann’s death in the case scenario provided. The nurse could use this theory to explain to Ben that Ann’s life had not ended and was a transition to a new state of being. The nurse could also use the theory to express the symbolic meaning of the two shooting stars seen in the sky. Besides, the nurse needs to explain to Ben that healthcare professionals care for patients based on their preferences and values. Some would like that during their end of life, they are placed on supporting machines, others would like their pain controlled, and others would prefer psychological support for patients and families; thus, her decision to use pain control medication on Ann. Additionally, the nurse could employ the theme to encourage Ben that his wife had gone to meet their daughter Jessie and their grandchild Abe, Jr. Finally, the nurse could employ the approach to encourage Ben that when his time comes, he will also join the three and start a new state of life.
Additional Theory I Would Apply to the Case Study
Besides using Parse’s human becoming theory for this study, Roger’s Theory of Unitary Human Beings could also be applied to improve the patient’s wellness (Clark, 2016). According to the approach, patients are considered unitary human beings, meaning they cannot be divided into parts, but should be treated as a whole. Roger’s approach views people as integral to the universe. It emphasizes the significance of balance and harmony between patients and their environment. The nurse in the case scenario could use this model to explain the interconnectedness between the couple and their environment, especially when the appearance of two shootings starts to mean the connection of the dead; thus, Ann was being received with their daughter and grandchild. The nurse could also use this theory to encourage Ben that the death of his wife symbolized a new state of life, and when he died, they would still rejoin for eternal life.
Finally, the nurse could use the theory to support Ben in maintaining balance and harmony in his life, irrespective of his wife’s death, by facilitating moments of quiet reflection and encouraging Ben to engage in activities that would bring him peace and harmony.
Plan of Care Including the Two Scenarios
A plan of care incorporating Parse’s Human Becoming Theory and Roger’s Theory of Unitary Human Beings would involve various interventions. First, the nurse must acknowledge and validate Ben’s feelings. This intervention would help emphasize individuals’ unique experiences and perspectives when losing their loved ones. The second intervention would be to facilitate moments of transcendence, which will help Ben share good memories they had with his deceased wife, such as observing the stars. Also, the nurse would plan to promote harmony and balance in Ben’s life to help him maintain a healthy routine caring for his body and health. Also, the nurse would plan to continue providing ongoing support, which would allow the nurse to check Ben’s emotional well-being regularly, provide grief counselling resources, and encourage group support that helps him cope with the demise of his wife. Finally, another plan could be respecting Ben’s preferences and beliefs, which would help Ben acknowledge the significance of their beliefs, such as the shooting starting to symbolise Ann joining Jessie.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Parse’s Human Becoming Theory is a holistic nursing approach emphasising the need for quality life. This theory improves patient care and the nurse-patient relationship. It can be applied when providing hospice care to critically ill patients. Characteristics of a human becoming a nurse include empathy, respect towards the patient’s decisions concerning their end-of-life choices, compassion, caring, and attention. However, the theory has various weaknesses, and many organizations find it challenging to use it in their care provision. Nonetheless, Roger’s Theory of Unitary Human Beings and Parse’s Human Becoming Theory could be used jointly in the case scenario provided to help Ben with the loss of his wife. Overall, nurses are urged to apply theoretical frameworks in assisting patients to improve their well-being.
Reference
Clark, M. J. (2016). Population and community health nursing. Pearson.
write