Newman's Theory of Health

In her theory of health, Newman pointed out that "nurse-client relationships often

begin during periods of disruption, uncertainty, and unpredictability in patients' lives."

(Smith, 2015). This statement implies that in most instances, nurses and patients often meet

when the patient is sick and is experiencing uncertainties about their health and wellbeing.

During these periods of uncertainty, patients tend to be in a state of chaos due to their illness,

making it hard for them to perceive their past or future. Under these circumstances, most

patients often seek medical assistance, and that is where they meet the nurses whose duty at

this point is to help illuminate different action possibilities that can transform the patients'

conditions. Therefore, the nurse-patient relationship starts with the nurse trying to help the

patient recover or adjust to their new health conditions (Cowling, 2019). With time the nurse

syncs with the patient, which facilitates the formation of shared consciousness helping the

patient start patterns of recognition. Newman further adds that the periods of chaos and

uncertainty in a patient's life should be viewed as an opportunity for growth, and nurses

should work hand in hand with the patient until they emerge out of the chaos.

One case where Newman's theory of health was applicable in my practice was with a

patient involved in a gruesome accident who developed transient global amnesia. During the

first few days, the patient was constantly in panic and pain. She could not recall where she

was going or what her name was. However, the lead nurse was well-versed with such cases

and instructed me to just care for her needs and give her all the support she required. After a

few days, she started feeling better and slowly regained her memory. In this case, Newman's

theory of health was applicable in numerous ways. For one, I established a relationship with

the client when she was in a period of disruption, uncertainty, and unpredictability. Secondly,

my supervisor instructed me not to be fixated on helping the client to regain her memory but

instead, I should be present for her at all times to help her recover. Looking back on this case,
it is evident that my supervisor was well conversant with Newman's theory as her instruction

allowed me to sync with the client, which allowed me to illuminate things for her during her

recovery process. With time I had created a good rapport with the client, and once she was

able to regain her memory fully, I contacted her uncle, who was her legal guardian at that

time.
 References

Cowling III, W. R. (2019). Thoughts on the Passing of Margaret Newman. Journal of Holistic

Nursing, 37(1), 4-5.

Smith, M. C. (2015). Nursing theories and nursing practice. FA Davis.