A nursing theory that originated at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center has made a major impact worldwide, especially in Japan. Followers of this theory traveled from Japan to Memphis recently to visit the Dr. Margaret A. Newman Center for Nursing Theory, established at the UT Health Sciences College of Nursing in 2023.
There are only three nursing theory centers in the United States, said Associate Professor Marie Gill, PhD, MSN, MS, RN, who directs the Newman Center. The Newman Center is unique because it’s the only nursing theory center located in a health science center with an active archive supported by a dedicated director and archivist, she said.
Memphis native Margaret Newman, PhD, RN, FAAN, was a world-renowned nurse theorist who earned her nursing degree at UT Health Sciences. It was through caring for her mother during a long illness that she began to develop her theory: Health as Expanding Consciousness.
This theory proposes that all individuals can achieve a state of health that involves the experience of interacting and connecting with the environment. According to the theory, building caring relationships through attentive presence with others is the focus of nursing, which assists individuals in personal growth toward health and greater wholeness even during times of illness.
Nursing theories determine the scope of care and provide a foundation for decision-making, according to the American Nurses Association. For example, Florence Nightingale’s environmental theory identified five factors vital to care: fresh air, pure water, efficient drainage, cleanliness, and light.
A Theory That Resonates
In Japan, nearly 150 people comprise the Newman Theory, Research, Practice Society of Japan. Emiko Endo, PhD, RN, professor emeritus from Musashino University in Tokyo, leads this society and was a student of Dr. Newman. She was also a founding member of the Newman Center Advisory Board and led the group of 10 Japanese nurse scholars on a trip from Japan to U.S. sites associated with Dr. Newman.
Associate Professor Jennifer Langford, MLIS, is the archivist and special collections librarian at the UT Health Sciences Library, where Dr. Newman’s documents are archived. “Dr. Newman’s theory resonates culturally in Japan,” she said. “That is how they practice nursing. It is implemented into their nursing practice.”
Mari Mitsugi, PhD, RN, a member of the Center Advisory Board from Japan, said, “We want to come and learn her policy and her process and see and learn everything that we can.”
During the visit, College of Nursing leaders presented a recognition award to the Newman Theory Research and Practice Society of Japan for contributions in the nursing profession globally through Health as Expanding Consciousness. The visitors were greeted by university leaders, including Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD.
The focus of the Newman Center is to promote the development of nursing theory and to translate this through the generation of new theories or the expansion of existing theories with a particular focus on Newman’s theory.
A recent graduate from the PhD in Nursing Science program who used Dr. Newman’s Theory in her research also took part in the visit, which included presentations by the Japanese scholars. “It is so interesting to see how they have taken Dr. Newman’s theory and integrated it so completely into their nursing practice, not in one area but across the country of Japan,” Kayla Wynja, PhD, RN, said. Dr. Wynja is a clinical research associate in the Global Pediatric Medicine program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Expanding a Nursing Legacy
Dr. Newman earned her nursing degree at UT Health Sciences, a master’s degree in medical-surgical nursing at the University of California at San Francisco, and her PhD in Nursing Science at New York University. Her career as a nurse theorist, researcher, and educator involved serving in various positions, including professor at the University of Minnesota, faculty member at UT Health Sciences, PhD program director at New York University, leading the graduate and research in nursing program at Pennsylvania State University, and a civilian consultant to the U.S. Surgeon General for Nursing Research.
Her published books related to her theory include, “Health as Expanding Consciousness,” “A Developing Discipline,” and “Transforming Presence: The Difference That Nursing Makes.” Dr. Newman was named a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing.
“We were honored to welcome our esteemed colleagues from Japan to celebrate Dr. Margaret Newman’s legacy, strengthening our shared commitment to promote the development and translation of Newman’s Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness across nursing practice and research,” Dr. Gill said.