Illuminations

From The Critics

Reviewer: Doris D. Coward, RN, PhD (University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing)
Description: This book summarizes the Human Becoming Theory and presents examples of approaches to nursing practice and research that are based on this unique nursing theory.
Purpose: The purpose is to clarify the process of developing practice and research methodologies from Parse's theory and to illustrate how such methodologies have been developed in several settings.
Audience: The book is targeted for undergraduate students learning about theory and how it guides practice, for graduate students and faculty to learn how knowledge is gained through practice and research, and for professional nurses who seek a model for nursing theory-based practice.
Features: The book editor, creator of the Human Becoming Theory, has gathered experts in her theory to explain how they have used her theory principles in their practice and research. These authors provide a wealth of current and classic references that are pertinent to others less familiar with the literature related to Parse's theory.
Assessment: This is an important book from the standpoint of clarifying, through practical examples, a theory that contains principles that are described in terms (i.e., co-transcending with the possibilities) unfamiliar to many readers. The examples help to explain the meaning of the principles while adding to the reader's understanding of the links among nursing theory, practice, and research. It is an excellent resource for nursing faculty in their role of presenting the Human Becoming Theory to students, for researchers using aqualitative approach to study phenomena, and for practicing nurses wanting to enhance nurse-client relationships that will facilitate health.