Page 469 - alligood 8th edition_Neat

450 UNIT IV Nursing Theories

When natural movement is altered, space and time are
also altered. When movement is restricted (physical or Logical Form
social), it is necessary for an individual to move beyond Newman used both inductive and deductive logic in
self, thereby making movement an important choice early theory development. Inductive logic is based on
point in the process of evolving human consciousness observing particular instances and then relating those
(Newman, 1994). She assumed that the awareness cor- instances to form a whole. Newman’s theory develop-
responded to the “inward, self-generated reformation ment derived from her earlier research on time per-
that Young [spoke] of as the turning point of the ception and gait tempo. Time and movement, with
process” (Newman, 1994, p. 46). When a person pro- space and consciousness, were subsequently used as
gresses to the state of timelessness, there is increasing central components in her early conceptual frame-
freedom from time. Finally, the last stage is absolute work. These concepts helped explain “the phenomena
consciousness, which Newman asserted is equated of the life process and therefore of health” (Newman,
with love (Newman, 1994). 1979, p. 59). Newman (1997a) describes the evolution
of the theory as it moved from linear explication and
Emphasis on the Experiential Process testing of concepts of time, space, and movement to
of Nurse-Client an elaboration of interacting patterns as manifesta-
With the realization that the early research testing of tions of expanding consciousness. Evolution of the
propositional statements stemmed from a mechanis- theory of health as expanding consciousness as a process
tic view of movement-space-time consciousness and of evolving in conjunction with research progressed
failed to honor the basic assumptions of her theory, through several stages (Newman, 1997a, 1997b).
Newman shifted focus to authentic involvement of These stages included testing the relationships of the
the nurse researcher as a participant with the client in concepts of movement, space, and time; identifying
the unfolding pattern of expanding consciousness sequential person-environmental patterns; and rec-
(Newman, 2008). The unitary, transformative para- ognizing the centrality of nurse-client relationships
digm demanded that the research honor and reveal or dialogue in the clients’ evolving insight and
the mutuality of interaction between nurse and client, accompanying potential for action. The process
the uniqueness and wholeness of pattern in each actually became cyclical as the original concepts of
client situation, and movement of the life process movement-space-time emerged as dimensions in the
toward higher consciousness. Newman (2008) states, unitary evolving process of consciousness (Newman,
“The nature of nursing practice is the caring, pattern- 1997a).
recognizing relationship between nurse and client—a
relationship that is a transforming presence” (p. 52). Acceptance by the Nursing Community
The protocol for this research was first started
in 1994, and variations of this guide continue to be Practice
implemented in current praxis research. Litchfield Newman believes that research within the theory of
(1999) explicated this process as “practice wisdom” in health as expanding conscious is praxis, which she
her work with families of hospitalized children, and defines as a “mutual process between nurse and client
Endo (1998) analyzed the phases of the process in her with the intent to help” (Newman, 2008, p. 21). Fur-
work with women with ovarian cancer. The data ther, this process focuses “on transformation from
of this praxis research reveal evidence of expanding one point to another and incorporates the guidance of
consciousness in the quality and connectedness of the an a priori theory” (Newman, 2008, p. 21). Research
client’s relationships and support the importance of and practice with the theory are interwoven.
the nurse’s creative presence in participants’ insight In Newman’s view, the responsibility of profes-
(M. Newman, personal communication, 2004, 2008). sional nurses is to establish a primary relationship
Variations of the praxis research have been utilized in with the client for the purpose of identifying mean-
numerous populations and settings (Newman, 2008; ingful patterns and facilitating the client’s action po-
Picard & Jones, 2007). tential and decision-making ability (Newman, 2008).