Nursing Theory Comparison: Peplau's and Parse's Theories in Practice

This essay provides a detailed comparison of two prominent nursing theories: Peplau's theory of interpersonal relations and Parse's theory of human becoming. It delves into the background, philosophical underpinnings, and clinical applications of each theory. Peplau's theory focuses on the relationship between the nurse and the patient, emphasizing communication and a patient-centered approach, while Parse's theory emphasizes the patient's quality of life and individual dignity. The essay explores the four phases of Peplau's theory (orientation, identification, exploitation, and termination) and the three principles of Parse's theory (meaning, rhythmicity, and transcendence). It also compares the theories within the context of nursing practice, highlighting their differences and similarities in guiding nursing practice and enhancing patient care. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of both theories in improving nursing practice and patient outcomes.

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Introduction
The essay will provide a detail insight about the nursing theories and how these
theories have assisted the nurses with better patient health outcome. The theories involved in
this essay are Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relations and Parse’s theory of human
becoming (Sitzman, 2017). Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relations was a middle-range
nursing theory established by Hildegard E. Peplau, who was an American nurse. The theory
comprised of different interpersonal relations, which helped to modernize the intellectual
work and effort of the nurses. The nursing theory of Peplau therefore elaborates the primary
objective of nursing that is to identify the difficulties or problems of the patients and help
them. Different series of phases are used in this theory that will help the nurses to achieve
their goal for best patient care (Jacob, 2018). The second theory highlighted in this essay is
Parse’s theory of human becoming that was established by Rosemarie Rizzo Parse in 1981.
The philosophy was initially published as “Man-living-health” philosophy and the
designation was officially transformed to “The human becoming” theory in 1992. The
philosophy is used as a guide that will help the nurses to enhance their nursing practice by
focusing on the patient’s superiority of life and act as an alternative for the application of
orthodox bio-medical method and bio-psycho-social-spiritual method in the nursing practice
(Green, 2018). Hence, both the nursing theory will assist the nurses to adapt and use the
above mentioned theory for better patient care and health outcome.
Background
Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relations is considered as the primarily published
nursing theory after Nightingale’s theory by Florence Nightingale. Hildegard E. Peplau was
considered as the primary contributor towards mental well-being law improvement due to her
nursing theory that provided way towards the treatment of the patient suffering from

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personality and behavioural disorder (Deane & Fain, 2016). In Peplau’s theory she primarily
emphasized on the association among nurse and client, which was considered as the basis of
good nursing exercise was elaborated in detail that also act as the base of good nursing
exercise. The give and take policy was highlighted in her theory between the nurse and the
client that was an essence of creating a shared knowledge and understanding among the client
and the nurse. Peplau also created a model that consisted of six nursing roles and elaborated
how this role resulted in different phases of Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relations
(Fernandes & Naidu, 2017). The Peplau six nursing role presented in the model comprised of
stranger part, teaching part, resource part, leadership role, counselling role and surrogate role
and all the above mentioned role were crucial for the initiation of the theory. The above
mentioned nursing role resulted in the development of Peplau’s theory of interpersonal
relationships that consisted of four different segments namely orientation segment,
identification segment, exploitation segment and termination segment (Peplau, Travelbee, &
Orlando 2015). The second theory used in this study was Parse’s theory of human becoming
that was generated by Rosemarie Rizzo Parse in 1981 and was originally named as the Man-
Living-Health Theory. Later the name of the theory was changed to remove or discard the
term “man” and compose the theory that focus on the complete humankind and hence was
named as human becoming theory. The theory was initially derived to elaborate every group
or individual’s perception towards the superiority of life that will be the primary objective of
nursing practice (Parse, 2015). Three themes were primarily focused on to develop the theory
that comprised of meaning, rhythmicity and transcendence. The theory have enabled different
healthcare professionals or nurse to elaborate the quality of life based on ideas that include
suffering, hope, courage and grieving. Both the nursing theory are widely used in different
nursing area of practice that help the nurses and the healthcare professionals to enhance their

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skills and practice and also accordingly adopt the skills and capabilities of better nursing
practice (Olney, 2017).
Philosophical underpinnings of the theories
The philosophical underpinnings of Peplau’s theory of interpersonal associations was the
development of the four segments that was crucial for enhancing and identifying the
relationship between the burse and clients. The four phases included in this theory are as
follows (Hochberger & Lingham, 2017):
 Orientation phase- orientation phase was initiated or originated by nurses where the
patient and the nurses become familiar to each other and create a relationship that is
eventually patient centred. In this phase it is crucial that a professional relationship is
created between the patient and the nurse with appropriate interaction and
communication that leads to healthy cline-nurse relationship.
 Identification phase- In this phase the client starts to recognize the problems that
needs to be focused in the relationship. The primary objective of nurse will be to help
the patient in recognizing their individual participation part and encourage self-
responsibility (Fernandes & Nunes de Miranda, 2016).
 Exploitation phase- It is also termed as working segment that comprise of patient and
the nurse work to accomplish the patient’s complete potential and therefore encounter
the objective of building healthy relationship among the patient and nurse. The
transition of the patient from orientation phase to working phase is considered
successful if the patient can approach the nurse without any hesitation and completely
trust the nurse by utilising the abilities and service of nurses (Fernandes & Nunes de
Miranda, 2016).

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 Termination phase- This phase is also termed as resolution phase, which occurs once
the association among the nurse and the patient is achieved and both the patient and
the nurse can summarize and terminate their relationship. This association between
the nurse and the patient can be either short-term or long-term depending on the
necessities of the patient. The association among the nurse and patient terminate once
the patient had established self-reliance that will motivate them to handle their
individual issue (Henry & Smith, 2017).
The philosophical underpinnings of Parse’s theory of human becoming comprises of three
primary principle that includes transcendence, rhythmicity and meaning. This model makes
assumptions regarding becoming and man associated with three major assumptions on human
becoming that includes the following (Akbar & Locsin, 2017):
 Meaning- Human becoming is openly considering personal meaning under situation
revolving inter subjective procedure considering the priorities of living value thus
revealing that environment and man co-exist.
 Rhythmicity- This assumption highlights that the human being is transiting into co-
creating rhythmical arrangement of connecting in common development associated
with universe. In this assumption the environment and man co-create in different
rhythmical pattern (Tapp, Lavoie & Vonarx, 2016).
 Transcendence- This assumptions elaborates the process of human becoming in co-
transcending multidimensional way associated with developing possibilities (Tapp,
Lavoie & Vonarx, 2016).
The above mentioned three themes or assumptions are pervaded by four different postulates
namely illimitability, paradox, mystery and freedom (Mitchell, 2018).

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Clinical Application of the theory in nursing practice
1. Peplau’s theory and nursing process
Peplau had defined nurturing procedure as the thoughtful logical activity, which monitors
through the expert nursing exercise that will emphasize on giving appropriate attention to the
patient in a systematic way. The application of the four different phases in nursing practice is
explained in following manner (Reed & Shearer, 2017):
 Orientation- The patient and the nurse meet each other as outsiders where the
gathering is commenced by the patient themselves as a “self-felt need”. The nurse and
the patient work collectively in order to identify and clarify the need of the patient.
 Identification- The patient contribute in the goal setting and selectively reacts to the
needs of the patient.
 Exploitation- The patient dynamically seek knowledge from the experts who can help
them in their need and understand their situation.
 Resolution- This is the final phase that is achieved after all the above mentioned
phases are complete and the nurse-patient association is terminated.
In the nursing procedure, the orientation segment is parallel with identification phase that
include both the nurse and the patient who are stranger to each other, initiation of meeting
where the patient need is expressed to the nurse (Thompson, 2018). The patient and the nurse
work and interact together where the nurse clarifies and collect all the relevant information
regarding their patient’s needs and based on their assessment the nurse identifies the
diagnosis procedure and accordingly decide the nursing goal and outcome. The nursing
intervention is planned and evaluation is done according to the mutual participation of the
patient and the nurse (Allam, Al Orapy & Megrin, 2017).
2. Parse’s theory and nursing paradigms

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The philosophy was established as the human discipline nursing theory that was
organized using the three different pattern that also highlight man as a mixture of
psychosomatic, biological, mystical and sociological elements (Bozdogan & Oz, 2016). The
original Man-living-health theory was removed and the novel theory was created using
complete mankind. The four nursing paradigm was established and adapt during parse theory
that included (Baumann, 2016):
 Person
 Environment
 Health
 Nursing
There are three different symbol present in human becoming theory that includes (Duarte &
Struby, 2018):
 Black and White- Contradictory contradiction important to ontology of human
becoming and green is optimism
 Centre joined- Co-produced common human world procedure at the nurse-person
procedure and ontological level
 Green and black swirls interlinking
Comparison of both the theory within nursing practice
The process or methodologies involved in both nursing theory, Peplau's theory of
interpersonal relations and Parse's theory of human becoming are different from each other
but sometimes are also similar in respect of nursing practice. Nursing is defined as the
evolving, unique and over changing procedure that utilises the above mentioned theory as
guide for adapting best nursing practice (Silen & Johansson, 2016). Peplau's theory of
interpersonal relations was the first theory that had concentrated on exploring the relationship

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and communication among the nurse and the patient where effective relationship is the base
for developing enhanced nursing practice whereas the human becoming theory had focused
on enhancing the superiority of life and each individual’s quality of life describe their
individual focus and dignity in their life (Henry & Smith, 2017). Both the theories are
identified and used by the nurses that will assist them or guide them towards better nursing
practice and also enhance their nursing skills by adapting the skilled and qualified method of
nursing that will enhance the communication as well as the quality of life of the patient
(Tappen, 2015). In both the theory the nurse gets an opportunity to explore their capabilities
and also enhance their way of evaluating a patient as the theory acts as a guide for them that
provide them a foundation which is followed by individual or respective nurses (Utley,
2017).
Conclusion
The essay concludes by providing a detail insight of the two nursing theory that acts
as a base for enhancing nursing practice and evaluation or assessment of the patient. The two
theory highlighted in this essay were Peplau's theory of interpersonal relations and Parse's
theory of human becoming. Peplau's theory of interpersonal relations focused on the
interpersonal relationship of the patient and the nurse and highlighted on the concept of
establishing efficient patient-nurse relationship that will permit the foster to easily recognize
the need of the patient and accordingly assess or evaluate the patient. Parse's theory of human
becoming had concentrated on the concept of better quality of life that will allow the nurse
and the patient to obtain better nursing care and practice that will ultimately result in
enhanced patient care. Both the theories had individual assumption made by the researcher
and every assumption was linked to the foundation of the theory. The essay had also focused
on the background of the theory that stated the initiation process of both theory, the
philosophical underpinnings of the theories, the clinical application of each theory in daily

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nursing practice and the detail comparison of both Parse's theory of human becoming and
Peplau's theory of interpersonal relations within nursing practice, Hence, it can be concluded
that both the nursing theories are used and adapted in the recent or modern nursing practice.

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