Detailed Analysis of Parse’s Human Becoming Theory

The human becoming theory focuses on patients’ quality of life and views them as a person rather than different aspects of a whole. This nursing theory is different from others as they mainly focus on a biomedical approach while it consists of a bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach. Read the article below to gain detailed insights into the theory.

Background of the Human Becoming Theory

Rosemary Rizzo Parse developed this theory to allow nurses to focus on their patient’s quality of life from an individual perspective to achieve nursing goals. This theory was first established in 1981, when it was known as the man-living health theory and then later renamed to the human becoming theory in 1992. Parse developed this theory as a human science theory in nursing with underpinnings from pioneer theorists such as Heidegger, Sartre, and Merleau-Ponty and Martha Rogers.

The human becoming theory combines spiritual, biological, sociological and psychological factors, idealising that people are a whole unit that interacts with the environment. In this regard, the theory is centred around transcendence, meaning and rhythmicity.

Nonetheless, the theory idealizes that a person and the environment are inseparable, and nursing is a process that utilises abstract knowledge to meet patients’ needs. In this regard, nurses can use this theory to create healthier relationships with patients as they view patients as whole entities interacting with the environment rather than fixing the patient’s problems.

Meaning

The theme of meaning in the human becoming theory involves the selection of personal meaning in situations. In this case, a person interprets reality based on their experiences in their respective environments. Specifically, humans and the environment cooperate in providing meaning to events.

Rhythmicity

This concept explains that a person and their environment co-create rhythmical patterns relating to the environment. Specifically, rhythmicity includes imagining, valuing and languaging, which can help provide environmental meaning. 

Transcendence

This concept highlights that the human becoming theory involves reaching beyond a person’s limits to transform themselves into better beings. 

The following factors permeate the three themes.

•  Illimitability describes the invisible knowing which extends to infinity. It is also known as all-at-once remembering and prospecting with the moment.
•  The paradox is an intricate theme that is expressed as a part-time preference. In this case, a paradox is not the opposite of another that needs to be reconciled but should be lived as a rhythm.
•  Freedom is the idea of liberation, where people can choose their being in situations. In this case, they are free to choose what they give meaning to the different aspects of the environment.
•  The mystery is an unexplainable phenomenon beyond human knowledge and cannot be completely known. 

Human Becoming Theory Concepts

The theory of becoming provides guidelines to nursing practice as it focuses on the quality of life an individual is living. Ideally, this theory provides an alternative to the conventional biomedical approach, which can help to improve health outcomes.

The human becoming model defines a person, referred to as man, as an open being with multiple sums of a part. On the other hand, the environment is a person’s experiences that are inseparable from them.

Additionally, the environment is complementary and evolves as a person grows. In this case, health is an open process of becoming and synthesising different individual values to provide appropriate healthcare.

Nursing is a human science that is an abstract body of knowledge to provide people with required healthcare needs. Through this model, nurses can see the patient’s perspective, making it easier to guide them towards their health goals.

The theory makes the following assumptions about a person.

•  A person is coexistent while constituting rhythmic patterns with the universe.
•  A person is a unitary being who is continuously constituting patterns of relating.
•  A person is a transcending multi-dimensional being with unlimited possibilities.
•  A person is an open being who is free to choose meaning in a situation, and there’s responsibility for the decisions made.

Nonetheless, the human becoming theory makes the following assumptions about becoming.

• Becoming is a rhythmic co-constituting with a human universe process.
• Becoming is unitary with human living health and humans emerging.
• Becoming is a human’s pattern of relating value priorities.
• Becoming is an intersubjective process that includes translating possibilities. 

Strengths and Limitations of the Human Becoming Theory

The model includes the following strengths.

• It is a totality model which includes all the aspects of a human being that can guide quality nursing care.
• The theory can be used to provide useful insights into administration and education.
• Human becoming Theory provides research methodology and a framework that can guide the inquiry of other theories.

However, the theory is limited to the following.

• This model is a closed circle, which makes the research less quantifiable. In this case, it is difficult for researchers to compare the results provided by this theory with other research studies because there is no control group or standardised questions.
•  The human becoming theory does not utilise the nursing process, as it considers every individual as a unique being living unique experiences. As a result, it does not utilise the nursing process, which can make it inapplicable in acute care, especially among new nurses.

FAQs

What are some of the applications of the human becoming theory?

• The theory can be applied in nursing practice to strengthen nurse-person relations and improve health patterns.
• It can be applied in research to enhance understanding of human lived experiences, quality of life health, and nursing practices.
• It can also be used to build new nursing knowledge about universal lived experiences that may contribute positively to health outcomes and quality of life.

What is the purpose of the human becoming theory?

This theory provides an opportunity for nurses, patients and the community to go beyond their limitations and achieve profound human experiences while participating in multiple-dimensional healing.

What are the main elements of the human becoming nursing theory?

• Person
• Health
• Environment
• Nursing. 

Is the theory of human becoming a grand theory or a middle-level theory?

The Parse theory of human becoming is a grand theory focusing on life and human dignity.