1. Theory
of
Human
Becoming

2. Rosemarie
Rizzo
Parse

3. •
The Parse theory of human
becoming guides nurses in
their practice to focus on
quality of life as it is
described and lived
(Karen & Melnechenko,
1995).
• The human becoming theory of nursing
presents an alternative to both the
conventional bio-medical approach and
the bio-psycho-social-spiritual (but still
normative) approach of most other
theories of nursing.(ICPS)

4. •The human becoming theory posits
quality of life from each person's
own perspective as the goal of
nursing practice.(ICPS)
• Rosemarie Rizzo Parse first
published the theory in 1981
as the "Man-living-health" theory (ICPS)
•The name was officially changed to "the
human becoming theory" in 1992 to
remove the term "man," after the change in
the dictionary definition of the word from
its former meaning of "humankind."

5. ABOUT THE THEORIST
•Educated at Duquesne University,
Pittsburgh
•MSN and Ph.D. from University
of Pittsburgh
•Published her theory of nursing,
Man Living-Health in 1981
•Name changed to Theory of
Human Becoming in 1992
•Editor and Founder, Nursing Science
Quarterly
•Has published eight books and hundreds of
articles about Human Becoming
Theory
•Professor and Niehoff Chair
at Loyola University, Chicago

6. “Man-Living-Health”
- unique theory of
nursing presented
by Parse (1981)
- synthesized
principles
and concepts from
Rogers, and concepts
and tenets from existential
phenomenology

7. Purpose:
- posit an idea of nursing
rooted in the human
sciences as an
alternative to ideas
grounded in the
natural sciences.
Natural Sciences
- nursing as having to do with the
quantification of man and illness
rather than the qualification of
man’s total experience with
health.

8. World-views of Nursing
Totality
Paradigm
Posited as a total
Man summative being
whose nature is a
combination of biopsycho-socialspiritual aspects.
Simultaniety
Paradigm
•More than and different from the
sum of the parts
•An open being free to choose in
mutual rhythmical interchange with
the environment
•Gives meaning to situations and is
responsible for choices in moving
beyond what is
•Experiencing the what was, is,
and will be all at once

9. Environment
External and
internal stimuli
surrounding man
Applied Science
Nursing
- drawing
Basic Science
- with its own
knowledge
from all
distinct
other sciences
1992
body of
knowledge
- Parse changed the name of her theory of
Man- Living Health to the theory of
Human Becoming

10. Basis for Assumptions
Roger’s three major principle:
•helicy
•complimentarity
(now called integrality)
•resonancy
Roger’s four major concepts:
•energy field
•openness
•pattern
•organization

11. Tenets and concepts of
exixtential-phenomenological
thought:
•intentionality
•human subjectivity
•coconstitution
•coexistence
•situated freedom

12. ASSUMPTIONS
Parse’s (1981)
original nine
Parse’s latest
revision
assumptions
(1998)
1. Man is
1. The human is
coexisting
coexisting
while
while
coconstitu-ting
coconstitu-ting
rhythmical
rhythmical
patterns with
patterns with
the
the universe.
environment.
Basis
•Pattern and
organization
•Coconstitution
•Coexistence

13. 2. Man is an open
being, freely
choosing meaning
in situation,
bearing
responsibility for
decisions.
•Energy field
2. The human is
open, freely
•Openness
choosing meaning •Situated freedom
in situation,
bearing
responsibility for
decisions.
3. Man is a living
3. The human is
unity
unitary
continuously
continuously
coconstitu-ting
coconstitu-ting
patterns of
patterns of
relating.
relating.
•Energy field
•Pattern and
organization
•Coconstitution

14. 4. Man is
transcending
multidimensionalit
y with the
possibles.
4. The human is
transcending
multidimensionalit
y with the
possibles.
•Openness
5. Health is an
open process of
becoming,
experienced by
man.
5. Becoming is
unitary humanliving-health
•Openness
•Four dimensionality
•Situated freedom
•Coconstitution
•Situated freedom

15. 6. Health is a
6. Becoming is a
rhythmically
rhythmically
coconstituting
coconstituting
process of the
process of
man-
the human-
environment
•Pattern and
organization
universe
interrelationship.
7. Health is man’s
pattern of
relating value
priorities.
•Four dimensionality
•Coconstitution
process.
7. Becoming is the •Openness
human’s
•Pattern and
pattern of
organization
relating value
•Situated
priorities.
freedom

16. 8. Health is an
intersubjective
process of
transcending with
the possibles.
8. Becoming is an
intersubjective
process of
transcending with
the possibles.
•Openness
9. Health is
unitary man’s
negentropic
unfolding
9. Becoming is
unitary
human’s
emerging.
•Energy field
•Coexistence
•Situated freedom
•Four dimensionality
•Coexistence

17. The original nine assumptions are further synthesized into
three assumptions on human becoming (1992)
•Human becoming is freely choosing personal
meaning in situations in the intersubjective
process of relating value priorities.
•Human becoming cocreating rhythmical
patterns of relating in open interchange with
the universe.
•Human becoming is cotranscending
multidimensionally with the unfolding
possibilities.

18. Parse (1987) cites the following distinctives of her
theory:
•The belief that humans are more and
different then the sum of their parts.
•Human beings evolve mutually with the
environment
•Human beings cocreate personal health by
choosing meaning in situations
•Human beings convey meanings that
are personal values,
which reflect their dreams
and hope.

19. PRINCIPLES
Three main themes:
Meaning
- refers to the linguistic and imagined content of
something and the interpretation that one
gives to something.
Rhythmicity
- refers to the fast paced, paradoxical
patterning of the human- universe
mutual process.
Transcedence
- described as reaching beyond with
possibles-the hopes and dreams seen
in multidimensional experience

20. Principle I
Structuring meaning multidimensionally is
cocreating reality through the languaging
valuing and imaging.
Principle II
Cocreating rhythmical patterns of relating is
living the paradoxical unity of revealingconcealing, and enabling-limiting, while
connecting-separating.
Principle III
Cotranscending with the possibles is
powering unique ways of originating
in the process of transforming.

21. Principle 1:
Structuring meaning
multidimensionally is
cocreating reality through
the languaging of valuing
and imaging.
Imaging
Valuing
Languaging
Principle 2:
Cocreating rhythmical patterns of
relating is living the paradoxical unity
of revealing- concealing and enablinglimiting while connecting-separating.
Revealing-concealing
Enabling-limiting
Connecting-separating
Concepts in the squares: Powering emerges with revealing- concealing of
imaging.
Concepts in the oval:
Originating emerges with the enabling-limiting of
valuing.
Concepts in the triangle: Transforming emerges with the languaging of
connecting-separating
Principle 3:
Cotranscending with the
possibles is powering
unique ways of originating
in the process of
transforming.
Powering
Originating
Transforming

22. NURSING PARADIGMS
NURSING
PARADIGMS
MAN
- open being who is more than
MAN
and different from the sum
of the parts
ENVIRONMENT
- everything in the
person and his
experiences
- inseparable,
complimentary
to and evolving with

23. HEALTH
- a synthesis of values, a way of living
- man’s lived experience as it
unfolds negentropically.
NURSING
- basic science, the
practice of which
is a performing art.
- loving, true
presence
with the other
to promote health
and the quality of life.

24. In an editorial in Nursing Science Quarterly, Parse (1989) proposes a “set of
fundamentals essential for fully practicing the art of nursing.
These include the following:
•Know and use nursing frameworks and
theories
•Be available to others
•Value the other as a human presence
•Respect differences in view
•Own what you believe and
be accountable for your action
•Move on to the new and untested
•Connect with others
•Take pride in self
•Like what you do
•Recognize the moments
of joy in the struggles of living
•Appreciate mystery and be open
to new discoveries
•Be competent in your chosen area
•Rest and begin anew

25. PRACTICE APPLICATION
Mrs. M, a terminally ill cancer client:
Emergent Patterns
of Health for Mrs. M
Mrs. M – Nurse
Activities
1. Mrs. M says she does not
want to discuss her situation
with her family, yet she
makes plans to broach the
subject with them.
Be truly present with Mrs. M
as she imagines familiar and
unfamiliar ways of engaging
with and withdrawing from
family during the coming
days and week .
2. Mrs. M says that this is
the worst time of her life yet
she says that she has never
enjoyed the natural world so
much as now
Be with Mrs. M while she
imagines aspects of nature
that have special meaning
for her.

26. CRITIQUE

27. CLARITY
The relationships are clear and flow
with logical precision from the
assumptions, to the principles, to the
theoretical structures, to the practice
dimensions, and to the research
methodology. Concepts and
relationships become more clear
to the reader as one’s familiarity
with the terminology increases.

28. SIMPLICITY
The theory is a complex theory. Parse
differentiated the totality and
simultaneity paradigms in nursing. She
then synthesizes tenets, principles and
concepts to create her nine
assumptions. The principles of the
theory of human becoming are
derived from the assumptions,
with each principles relating three
concepts to each other.

29. GENERAL/GRAND
Parse’s theory of human
becoming focuses on the lived
experiences of unitary human
beings and therefore is
applicable to all individuals,
families and communities at
all times and in all contexts.

30. IMPERICAL PRECISION
This theory is based on the work of nurse
scientist, Martha Rogers (1970), and
existential phenomenology. In
synthesizing Roger’s principles of helicy,
complimentarity (now called integrality),
and resonancy and her four concepts
of openness, energy field, pattern
and organization, and
four-dimensionality with the
tenets of
existential-phenomenological
thought.

31. DERIVABLE CONSEQUENCE
Critical thinking used by the nurse in
true presence with the person is
thinking that guides, illuminates,
synchronizes rhythms, and mobilizes
transcendence together-with the
person. It is never judgement or
direction that nurse gives to or
requires of the person.

32. STRENGTHS
and WEAKNESSESS

33. STRENGTHS
• logical flow from construction of her assumptions to
the deductive derivation of principles, theoretical
structures, practice dimensions, and research process
• focuses on all individuals, not only those defined by
societal norms as being ill.
• assumption about humans freely choosing
personal meaning in the process of
relating value priorities.
• differentiates nursing from other
disciplines
• practice - provides guidelines of
care and useful administration
• useful in Education
• provides research methodologies
• provides framework to guide inquiry
of other theories (grief, hope, laughter, etc.)

34. WEAKNESS
• lack of articulation with the body of knowledge and
psychomotor skills that most nurses and society
generally attribute to the practice of professional
nursing.
• research considered to be in a “closed circle”
• rarely quantifiable results - Difficult to compare to
other research studies, no control group,
standardized questions, etc.
• does not utilize the nursing
process/diagnoses
• degates the idea that each
person engages in a unique lived
experience
• not accessible to the novice nurse
• not applicable to acute,
emergent care

35. - END -

36. Prepared by:
Maria Neze E. Dalimocon

37. Submitted to:
Mrs. Mary Day E. Florano