Concepts of Nursing Based on Reed’s Self-Transcendence Theory
Self-Transcendence Theory: Pamela G. Reed
Chapter 25
Overview of Self-Transcendence Theory: Three Central Concepts
Self-transcendence: capacity to expand self-boundaries intrapersonally, interpersonally, temporally, and transpersonally
Well-being: feeling whole and healthy, according to one’s own criteria for wholeness and health
Vulnerability: awareness of personal mortality and the likelihood of experiencing difficult life situations
Moderating-mediating factors are personal and contextual variables such as age, gender, life experiences, and social environment that influence the relationships between vulnerability and self-transcendence and between self-transcendence and well-being
Nursing activities that facilitate self-transcendence are points of intervention
Major Concepts of Nursing Based on Reed’s Self-Transcendence Theory
Person: human beings developing over the lifespan in interaction with other persons and within an environment
Environment: composed of family, social networks, physical surroundings, and community resources
Major Concepts of Nursing Based on Reed’s Self-Transcendence Theory
Health: well-being is a sense of feeling whole and healthy, according to one’s own criteria for wholeness and health
Nursing: role of nursing activity is to assist persons through interpersonal processes and therapeutic management of their environment to promote health and well-being
Assumptions of the Self-Transcendence Theory
Focus of the discipline of nursing should be on building and engaging knowledge to promote health processes
Persons are open systems who impose conceptual boundaries upon themselves to define their reality and to provide a sense of wholeness and connectedness within themselves and their environment
Assumptions of the Self-Transcendence Theory
Self-imposed conceptual boundaries fluctuate across the life span and are associated with health and development
Self-transcendence is a developmental imperative that must be expressed for a person to realize a sense of wholeness and connectedness
Propositions of the Self-Transcendence Theory
Self-transcendence is greater in persons facing end-of-own-life issues than in persons not facing these issues
Conceptual boundaries are related to well-being
Increased vulnerability is related to increased self-transcendence
Propositions of the Self-Transcendence Theory
Self-transcendence is positively related to well-being
Personal and contextual factors influence the relationship between vulnerability and self-transcendence
Personal and contextual factors influence the relationship between self-transcendence and well-being
Brief Critique of the Self-Transcendence Theory
Derived using deductive reformulation
Easy to understand with terms used consistently
Number of concepts and relationships is minimal, yet still meaningful and fairly comprehensive
Can be applied to a wide variety of situations
Concepts are broad and abstract but empirical indicators have been identified and scales developed for research and theory development
The Self-Transcendence Theory as a Framework for Nursing Care
Assessment and Planning: nurse assesses indicators of self-transcendence, well-being, vulnerability, and moderating–mediating factors that influence relationships between vulnerability and self-transcendence and between self-transcendence and well-being
The Self-Transcendence Theory as a Framework for Nursing Care
Implementation: actions may focus directly on person’s inner resources for self-transcendence or indirectly on personal and contextual factors that affect relationship between vulnerability and self-transcendence and relationship between self-transcendence and well-being
Evaluation: based on effectiveness of activities to facilitate self-transcendence and well-being
