Theory of Human Becoming

The nursing model of human becoming theory allows the nurse to become synchronized with the patient’s desires, rhythm and visions about his own recovery. The human becoming theory is contradictory or rather an alternative to the conventional bio medical approach of treatment which focusses on ‘treating the problem’. The concept of environment plays a crucial role for the patient is a part of environment. The human becoming theory takes into consideration – a patient centered care from an existential perspective. The attending nurse must think ‘alike’ with the patient, aligning with cognitive processes of the patient and bring a shared decision into practice. This transformative theory helps in co-creating treatment environments that is individualized for the patient and together, the patient and nurse can synchronize rhythms together and transcend the therapeutic experience.

Running head: THEORY OF HUMAN BECOMING
THEORY OF HUMAN BECOMING
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The nursing model of human becoming theory allows the nurse to become
synchronized with the patient’s desires, rhythm and visions about his own recovery. The
human becoming theory is contradictory or rather an alternative to the conventional bio
medical approach of treatment which focusses on ‘treating the problem’. The concept of
environment plays a crucial role for the patient is a part of environment (Phelan et al., 2015).
The human becoming theory (Monsen, Ket al., 2017) takes into consideration – a patient
centered care from an existential perspective. The attending nurse must think ‘alike’ with the
patient, aligning with cognitive processes of the patient and bring a shared decision (Gjerberg
et al., 2015) into practice. This transformative theory helps in co-creating treatment
environments that is individualized for the patient and together, the patient and nurse can
synchronize rhythms together and transcend the therapeutic experience. Based on the case,
the nurse would feel the void left in Ben with the death of his wife Anne and their daughter
who has died earlier. Based on the experience, of such a tensed and sad situation – the nurse
must be able comprehend the cycle of continuous infinite growth through different difficult
spheres of life and to transcendent with the every going rhythmic flow of life, death and
universe is the true act of ‘human becoming’. Moreover, Ben’s reflection of his own
impressions about the softness, kindness and enthusiasm for life that his wife was gifted with
would definitely stir the nurse from within, making her more insightful towards the
understanding of life. This is how Ben’s reflective words and Anne’s death would make the
attending nurse actualize Parse’s theory of human becoming.
There are certain characteristics – both innate and skillfully developed, which are
required distinctively to practice as a human becoming nurse. Empathy – the foremost quality
(which allows the nurse to feel everything her patient is feeling) is the first vital step in
thinking ‘one and alike’ with the critical patient. A sincere ‘union’ of mental states with the
patient through compassion, kindness, reflection and sincere understanding as if the patient,

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environment, the nurse is ‘one and all’ is another salient characteristic of a human becoming
nurse. Situational analysis, decision making and giving personal unselfish contribution to the
recovery of the patient are critically essential traits of a human becoming nurse.
Autonomy(Wade, 2019)., integrity and totality(Alghamdi, 2016) are the three important
nursing principles practiced together with profound and complete sincerity is cardinal in the
transcending the patient treatment process and realizing the assumptions of ‘human’,
‘becoming’ and ‘human becoming’. The strengths of humans becoming nursing is that is
very distinct from other bio- medical approaches, it provides various ways of research
methodologies and it creates a practice framework for other approaches. This nursing theory
allows the ‘treatment process’ to be looked, analyzed and altered from a different perspective.
The ‘amount’, ‘quality’ and ‘style’ of treatment can be shifted to a rhythmic, experiential and
rhythmic mechanism of human-universe process. The disadvantages of this nursing theory is
that it cannot be utilized in nursing diagnoses, the results of findings cannot be quantified or
compared to other bio medical or nursing efficacy researches. Only nursing with specific
behavioral traits can engage in this human becoming approach. Although human becoming
nursing is applicable to chronic, terminal, degenerative cases but it cannot be used
therapeutically in an emergency medical care. Overall, it can be practiced in conjunction with
existent other nursing theories for better treatment outcome.
There would be challenges if human becoming nursing has to be incorporated
systemized practically in every healthcare setup. The main challenge would be the
‘knowledge gap’ (Mohamad & Akram, 2018) between doctors and nurses, as is the present
scenario. To take up human becoming approach, the nursing education has to be diversified.
Secondly, the autonomic reach of nursing community is very limited in every community and
nation and ‘human becoming nursing’ asks for lot of nurse-empowered approach (Van et al.,
2015) Nursing, unfortunately is regarded as second level care and not a collateral of medical

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treatment, hence, empowerment gap would be a big challenge if the ‘approach’ in discussion
has to be bought into a serious global practice. Acute and emergency situation, discussed
above, is a dynamic scenario where socio-philosophical nursing approach would not be fit for
patient care. The other challenges would be raised patient care expense, infrastructural
expense(Aanestad et al., 2017) because the environment might be modified to better the
patient’s transcendental experience(Jong et al., 2017.) . Lastly, to deliver such an expert level
psychosocial service to the patients – the nurse services would cost more and hospitals
management might not be able to pay it. The last challenge is to impart such an exquisite and
difficult behavioral and psychological training to each and every nurse in each and every
hospital. Lastly, to standardize and validate such a critically abstract approach would be a
huge barrier and so would be the assessment of its effectiveness.
Parsey’s theory of transcendence involves a continuous process of learning and
realization in a human- universe rhythm of existence. The development comprises of a
continual social, spiritual, psychological consciousness widening as one passes through
stages of age in a span of life to death. Anne’s death which left Ben completely desolated
because his daughter has died earlier and now with the loss of his wife, he had nobody else to
live for. This experience of the nurse who was present between Ben and Anne’s at that
agonizing hour when Anne left Ben from an earthly plane and the way Ben described the
personified stars up above in the sky – must be self-transcending for the attending nurse. She
must carry in this great experience with her and grow on a consciousness plane further in
order to treat future end of life issues in a more autonomic and patient centered way. Along
with this case’s experience, she must learn to endure more and learn to handle future cases in
a more ‘human’ way than just a ‘nurse’s’ way.
The grand nursing theory can be applied other than ‘human becoming theory’ because
it provides a broad range of conceptual frameworks to accommodate various nursing

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interventions. Grand nursing theory includes general, non-specific and abstract interventions
and can be used in variety of health institutions (Smith & Parker, 2015). The plan of care that
incorporates both the nursing theories should be actually beneficial to an end of life care
patient. A pharmacological intervention with pain management is mandatory to counter any
sorts of pain induced sufferings at the end of life. The idea of a patient centered care in this
scenario is to improve and sustain the quality of life while making the patient feel ‘better’
psychologically in these last moments. A psychological counseling, empathy, rapport
building and kindness above all, is the principle of choice because that is how the attending
nurse can help the patient feel better. Compassion, positive thinking and transcendental
approaches along with medication, sleep and relaxation can always make the patient ‘accept’
his life’s stage and reality in a more enduring and positive way which is the desired final
outcome of ‘human becoming nursing. A nursing counseling, sanitary and hygiene
management along with promotion of recreation activities, music therapy, behavioral
reinforcement and guided visual imagery (Costa & Barnhofer 2016) are certain way of
cutting the ‘sufferings’ from its source. Acceptance and self-actualization should be promoted
in the patient as an abstract intervention to help the patient cope with the pathological
situation better. Letting the patient eat, do things as per his or her wishes at the end of life is
an important illustration of the fact that a ‘human approach’ can replace a ‘biomedical
approach’ under special circumstances when death is near and possible. The approach and
interventions must shift from typical nursing care to a more abstract philosophical care to
help brighten the last feeling of ‘life’.

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