HEC

1. Margaret Newman’s Theory of
Health as Expanding
Consciousness (HEC)
MAUREIN JOEI YHASMINNE M. ABALO
MSN - I

2. OVERVIEW
“Health is the expansion of
consciousness.”
- Newman, 1983

3. Background of the Theorist
Born on October 10, 1933.
Bachelor’s degree - University of Tennessee in 1962
Master’s degree - University of California in 1964
Doctorate - New York University in 1971
She has worked in - University of Tennessee, New
York University, Pennsylvania State University,
University of Minnesota, University of Minnesota

4. THEORY DEVELOPMENT
She was influenced by following theorists:
Martha Rogers
Martha Roger’s theory of Unitary Human Beings was the
main basis of the development of her theory, Health as
Expanding Consciousness
Itzhak Bentov – The concept of evolution of consciousness
Arthur Young – The Theory of Process
David Bohm – The Theory of Implicate

5. Six (6) Assumption’s Newman’s Theory
1. Health encompasses conditions heretofore described as illness, or,
in medical terms pathology.
2. These pathological conditions can be considered a manifestation of
the total pattern of the individual patient.
3. The pattern of the individual patient that eventually manifests itself
as pathology is primary, and exists prior to structural or functional
changes.
4. Removal of the pathology in itself will not change the pattern of the
individual patient.
5. If becoming ill is the only way an individual patient’s pattern can
manifest itself, then that is health for that individual patient.
6. Health is an expansion of the consciousness.

6. DESCRIPTION OF THE THEORY
“The theory of health as expanding consciousness (HEC) was
stimulated by concern for those for whom health as the
absence of disease or disability is not possible. Nurses often
relate to such people: people facing the uncertainty,
debilitation, loss and eventual death associated with chronic
illness. The theory has progressed to include the health of all
persons regardless of the presence or absence of disease.
The theory asserts that every person in every situation, no
matter how disordered and hopeless it may seem, is part of
the universal process of expanding consciousness – a process
of becoming more of oneself, of finding greater meaning in life,
and of reaching new dimensions of connectedness with other
people and the world” (Newman, 2010).

7. DESCRIPTION OF THE THEORY
Humans are open to the whole energy system
of the universe and constantly interacting with
the energy. With this process of interaction
humans are evolving their individual pattern of
whole.
According to Newman understanding the
pattern is essential. The expanding
consciousness is the pattern recognition.

8. DESCRIPTION OF THE THEORY
The manifestation of disease depends on the pattern
of individual so the pathology of the diseases exists
before the symptoms appear so removal of disease
symptoms does not change the individual structure.
Newman also redefines nursing according to her
nursing is the process of recognizing the individual in
relation to environment and it is the process of
understanding of consciousness.
The nurse helps to understand people to use the
power within to develop the higher level of
consciousness.

9. DESCRIPTION OF THE THEORY
Thus it helps to realize the disease process, its
recovery and prevention.
Newman also explains the interrelatedness of
time, space and movement.
Time and space are the temporal pattern of the
individual, both have complementary
relationship.
Humans are constantly changing through time
and space and it shows unique pattern of reality.

10. NURSING PARADIGMS
HEALTH
“Health and illness are synthesized as health - the fusion
on one state of being (disease) with its opposite (non-
disease) results in what can be regarded as health”.
NURSING
Nursing is “caring in the human health experience”.
Nursing is seen as a partnership between the nurse and
client, with both grow in the “sense of higher levels of
consciousness”

11. NURSING PARADIGMS
HUMAN
“The human is unitary, that is cannot be divided into parts,
and is inseparable from the larger unitary field”
“Persons as individuals, and human beings as a species are
identified by their patterns of consciousness”…
“The person does not possess consciousness-the person is
consciousness”.
Persons are “centers of consciousness” within an overall
pattern of expanding consciousness”
ENVIRONMENT
Environment is described as a “universe of open systems”

12. NURSING PARADIGMS
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS
Can be applied in any setting
“Generates caring interventions”
WEAKNESSES
Abstract
Multi-dimensional
Qualitative
Little discussion on environment

13. CRITIQUE
CLARITY
 Semantic clarity is evident in the definitions, descriptions, and
dimensions of the concepts of the theory.
SIMPLICITY
 The deeper meaning of the theory of health as expending
consciousness is complex.
 The theory as a whole must be understood, nut just the isolated
concepts.
GENERALITY
 The theory has been applied in several different cultures
 It is applicable across the spectrum of nursing care situations.

14. CRITIQUE
EMPIRICAL PRECISION
Quantitative methods are inadequate in capturing
the dynamic, changing nature of this theory.
DERIVABLE CONSEQUENCES
Newman's theory provides an evolving guide for all
health-related disciplines.

15. CONCLUSION
Newman's theory can be conceptualized as,
A grand theory of nursing
Humans can not be divided into parts
Health is central to the theory and is seen “and is
seen as a process of developing awareness of self
and the environment”
“Consciousness is a manifestation of an evolving
pattern of person-environment interaction”

16. Publications and References:
https://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Newman_Health_As_Expanding_Consciousness.html
 PUBLICATIONS&REFERENCES
 Newman, M. A. (1972). Nursing's theoretical evolution. Nursing Outlook, 20(5), 449-453.
 Newman, M.A. (1979). Theory development in nursing. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.
 Newman, M. A. (1982). Time as an index of expanding consciousness with age. Nursing Research, 31(5), 290-293.
 Newman, M. A. (1984). Nursing diagnosis: Looking at the whole. American Journal of Nursing, 84(12), 1496-1499.
 Newman, M.A. (1986). Health as Expanding Consciousness. St. Louis: Mosby.
 Newman, M. A. (1987). Aging as increasing complexity. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 13(9), 16-18.
 Newman, M.A. (1990). Newman's theory of health as praxis. Nursing Science Quarterly, 3(1), 37-41
 Newman, M. A. (1990). Toward an integrative model of professional practice. Journal of Professional Nursing, 6(3),
167-173.
 Newman, M. A., Lamb, G. S.,&Michaels, C. (1991). Nurse case management: The coming together of theory and
practice. Nursing&Health Care, 12(8), 404-408.
 Newman, M. A., Sime, A. M.,&Corcoran-Perry, S. A. (1991). The focus of the discipline of nursing. Advances in
Nursing Science, 14(1), 1-6.
 Newman, M. A. (1992). Prevailing paradigms in nursing. Nursing Outlook, 40(1), 10-14.
 Newman, M. A. (1994). Health expanding consciousness (2nd ed.). New York: National League for Nursing.
 Newman, M.A. (1994). Theory for nursing practice. Nursing Science Quarterly, 7(4), 153-157.

17. References:
 Newman, M. A. (1995). A developing discipline: Selected works of Margaret Newman.New York:
National League for Nursing.
 Newman, M. A. (1997). Experiencing the whole. Advances in Nursing Science, 20(1), 34-39.
 Newman, M. A. (1997). Evolution of the theory of health as expanding consciousness.Nursing Science
Quarterly, 10(1), 22-25.
 Newman, M. A. (1999). The rhythm of relating in a paradigm of wholeness. Image:Journal of Nursing
Scholarship, 31(3), 227-230.
 Newman, M. A. (2002). Caring in the human health experience. International Journal for Human Caring.
6(2), 8-12.
 Newman, M. A. (2002). The pattern that connects. Advances in Nursing Science, 24(3), 1-7.
 Newman, M. A. (2003). A world of no boundaries. Advances in Nursing Science, 26(4), 240-245.
 Newman, M. A. (2008). It's about time. Nursing Science Quarterly, 21(3). 225-227.
 Newman, M. A. (2008). Transforming Presence/ The Difference That Nursing Makes. Philadelphia: F. A.
Davis.
 Newman, M. (2010). Health as expanding consciousness. Retrieved on November 13, 2010, from health
as expanding consciousness: http://www.healthasexpandingconsciousness.org/home/