BETTY M.

NEUMAN Patient Problems

Systems Model
 1982-She developed and improved the concepts
BIOGRAPHY and published her book, The Neuman’s System
Model: Application to Nursing Education and
 Born on 1924 in Lowell, Ohio Practice

 During World War II, she had her first job as an  Who and what influenced the Systems Model:
aircraft instrument technician 1. De Chardin- Philosophy of wholeness of
life
 Pioneer of nursing involvement in mental health
2. Marxist Cornus- Oneness of man and
 Education: nature

o 1947 – RN Diploma, Peoples Hospital School of 3. Gestalt- Interaction between man and
the environment
Nursing
4. Von Bertalannfy’s, Emery’s, and
o 1957 – Bachelor Degree in Public Health and Lazaru’s views on systems
Psychology
5. Selye’s concept of stress and Caplan’s
o 1966 – Master’s Degree in Mental, Public level of prevention
Health Consultation, University of California, Los
Angeles (UCLA)
SYSTEMS MODEL
o 1967 – 1973: UCLA faculty,

o 1985 – Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology,  A unique, open-system-based perspective that

Western Pacific University provides a unifying focus for approaching a wide
range of concerns
 Nursing experience
 Based on the person’s relationship to stress, the
1. Hospital Nurse response to it, and the reconstitution factors that are
progressive in nature
2. School Nurse
3. Industrial Nurse
MAJOR CONCEPTS
4. Clinical Instructor
1. Person
5. Family Therapist
 an open system that is a basic structure
of energy resources which interacts with
Origins of Neuman’s Sytems Model forces or stressors. These resources are:

 1970-Neuman designed a nursing conceptual a. Physiological- the structure and

model to expand understanding of client variables. functions of the body
b. Psychological- mental processes and
relationships
*Joan Reihl-Sisca and Sr. Callista Roy incorporated this
in their 1971 book, Conceptual Models For c. Sociocultural- system functions that
Nursing Practice relate to social and cultural expectations and
activities
 1972-She published a draft of her model with a d. Developmental- related to development
title, Model for Teaching Total Person Approach to over lifespan
 e. Spiritual- influence of spiritual beliefs amount of sleep, nutritional status, stressors
2. Environment

 all factors, both inside and outside the

7. Normal Line of Defense
client system that affect and are
affected by the system. Three relevant
 client’s usual wellness level. Changes
over time in response to coping to the
environments:
environment which includes
a) Internal environment- exists within the intelligence, attitutes and problem solving
client systems abilities.
b) External environment- exists outside 8. Line of Resistance
the client
-protection factors activated when stressors have
c) Created environment- unconsciously penetrated the normal line of defense
developed and is used to support protective
coping
SUBCONCEPTS OF SYTEMS MODEL
3. Health o Stressors

 condition or degree of system stability

and is viewed as a continuum from wellness
to illness
4. Nursing
 nursing interventions aimed at helping
to retain, restore, or maintain degree of stability
among client system and environmental stressors
5. Open System
 a system in which there is a continuous
flow of input and process, output, and
feedback.
 Any phenomenon that might penetrate
both the flexible and normal lines of
defense, resulting in either a positive or negative
outcome
a.Intrapersonal Stressors – occur within the
client system boundary, example is infection,
thoughts and feelings
b.Interpersonal stressors – occur outside the
client system boundary (e.g. role expectations)
c. Extrapersonal stressors – also occur outside
the client system boundaries but are reater distance
from the system (e.g. finance concerns)

6. Basic Structure and Energy Sources

2. Stability
 basic structure or central core is made
up of basic survival factors common to species.
 state of balance or harmony requiring
o Normal temperature range energy exchanges as the client adequately
copes with stressors to retain, attain, or maintain
o Genetic features an optimal level of health
o Response pattern- functioning of body
systems homeostatically 3. Degree of Reaction
o Organ strengths and weaknesses
 the amount of system instability
7. Flexible Line of Defense resulting from stressor invasion of the normal
line of defense
 outer boundary that surrounds and
protects the normal line of defense from
4. Entropy
invasion of stressor, dependent on
  a process of energy depletion and
disorganization moving the system toward
illness or possible death

5. Negentropy

 a process of energy conservation that

increases organization and complexity, moving
the system toward a higher degree of wellness

6. Input/Output

 the matter, energy, and information

exchanged between the client and
environment that is entering or leaving
the system at any time

7. Reconstitution

 the return and maintenance of system

stability by means of primary, secondary,
and tertiary interventions

8. Prevention

 primary nursing intervention which

focuses on keeping stressors from having effect
on the body
a.Primary Prevention: focuses on the normal and
flexible line of defense. Occurs before the system
react to stressors. Includes health promotion and
maintenance of wellness (immunization, health
education, exercises)
b.Secondary Prevention: focuses on internal line
of resistance. Occurs after the system reacts to a
stressors provided with existing symptoms. The
intent is to regain system stability through
appropriate treatments, if unsuccessful, death will
occur
c. Tertiary Prevention: occurs after the system
has been treated through secondary prevention.
Purpose is to maintain wellness through
supporting existing strengths and continuing to
preserve energy.