Therapeutic Philosophy
Dr Pamela Reed’s Theory of Self-Transcendence
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Person: Human beings who develop over the lifespan through interactions with other people and within an environment of changing complexity that could positively and negatively contribute to health and wellbeing.
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Environment: The environment is composed of family members, social networks, physical surroundings, and community resources. All of which, can be influenced by nursing (provider) through fostering therapeutic interactions among people, objects, and activities.
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Nursing: The role of the nurse/provider is to assist people through interpersonal and therapeutic management of the environment to promote and encourage health and well-being.
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Two Major Assumptions:
1. Human beings are integral to their environment
2. Self-transcendence of a natural and desirable developmental stage
Self-Transcendence: Self-transcendence can be defined as the expansion of self-conceptual boundaries that are multidimensional of inward, outward, and temporary (past and future). People are open systems whose only obstacle between themselves and self-transcendence is the boundary that is self-imposed. Expanding these self-imposed boundaries through the use of the nursing process/provider support creates a greater connectedness and wholeness with the environment.