Authored 77 published articles
The Conservation
Model
Myra Estrin Levine
Milestones
• 1920- Myra Estrine Levine was
born in Chicago
• The eldest among the three
children ( has 1sister & 1
brother )
• 1969/1973/1989- Publication on "
An Introduction to Clinical
Nursing" made a significant
contribution to the "why's" of
nursing actions.
• 1992- awarded as Honorary
Doctorate fro Loyola University
• 1996 - She died at the age of 75.
Educational Achievement
• 1944- Diploma in nursing:-Cook
county SON, Chicago
• 1949 - Bachelor of Science in
Nursing-University of Chicago
• 1962 - Masters of Science in
Nursing -Wayne state University,
Detroit
Achievements
• Clinical experience in OT
technique and oncology nursing
• Civilian nurse at the Gardiner
General Hospital
• Director of Nursing at Drexel
Home in Chicago
• Clinical instructor at Bryan
Memorial Hospital in Lincoln,
Nebraska
• Administrative supervisor at
university of Chicago
• Chairperson of clinical nursing at
Cook Country SON
• Visiting professor at Tel Aviv
University in Israel
•
Three Major Concepts of the
Theory:
1. Wholeness
-emphasizes a sound, organic,
progressive, mutuality between
diversified functions and parts within an
entirety, the boundaries of which are
open and fluent.
-based her use of wholeness on
Erickson’s description, “an open
system”
-“exploring the parts of the whole to
understand the whole”
*Integrity- oneness of individuals
- people respond in an
integrated, singular
fashion to theenvironment
2. Adaptation
-process of change whereby the
individual retains his integrity within the
realities of his internal and external
environment.
-outcome: conservation
Characteristics:
• Historicity
• Specificity
• Redundancy
A. Environment
-where we are constantly and actively
involved
3 Levels of the External Environment:
1. Perceptual
-aspects of the world that individuals are
able to intercept and interpret with their
sense organs
2. Operational
-things that affect individuals physically
although they cannot directly perceive
them, such as microorganisms.
3. Conceptual
-cultural patterns, characterised by a
spiritual existence and mediated by the
symbols of language, thought and
history.
B. Organismic response
-capacity of the individual to adapt to his
or her environmental condition
-Nurses can show respect by calling
patients by name, respecting their
wishes, valuing personal possessions,
providing privacy during procedures,
supporting their defences, and teaching
them.

4 Levels of Integration • Conservation of Social Integrity

• Fight or Flight
-individual perceives he or she is
threatened, whether or not a threat
actually exists
-life gains meaning through social
communities and health is socially
determined.

• Inflammatory response
Metaparadigms
-protects self from insult in a hostile
environment • NURSING
-way of healing -human interaction
-uses available energy to remove or -professional nursing should be
keep out unwanted irritants or reserved for those few who can
pathogens complete a graduate program

• Response to stress • HEALTH

-predictable, nonspecifically induced
organismic changes
• Perceptual Awareness
-occurs only as the individual uses this
response to seek and maintain safety.
C. Trophicognosis
-an alternative to nursing diagnosis
-scientific method to reach a nursing
care judgement
3. Conservation
-the way complex systems are able to
continue to function even when severely
challenged
-primary focus is to keep the wholeness
of an individual
-socially determined by the ability to
function in a reasonably normal manner
-not just an absence of pathological
conditions
-return to self
• ENVIRONMENT
-context in which we live our lives
• PERSON
-holistic being
-has freedom of choice and movement
-has sense of identity and self worth

Conservation Principles
• Conservation Energy
-Individual requires a balance of energy
and a constant renewal of energy to
maintain life activities

• Conservation of Structural Integrity

-Healing is a process of restoring
structural and functional integrity in
defence of wholeness

• Conservation of Personal Integrity

-Self worth and a sense of identity are
important.