APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF MAN
Organismic Behavior: Based on two beliefs
NCM 103 LEC- Fundamentals of nursing practice
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Atomistic Approach
 Views man as an organism composed of different
organ systems, each system composed of organs
and each organ composed of tissue cells.
Holistic Approach
 Views man as a whole organism with interrelated
and interdependent parts functioning to produce
behavior unacceptable or acceptable to him or
society.
IMPORTANCE: Atomistic and Holistic approaches
are useful in the planning of care of the individual
during illness or in its prevention.
MAN AS A BIOLOGICAL BEING
 Man is a living organism who from birth is destined
to die. As he lives, he has to contend continually
with the forces in his environment, be it friendly or
hostile. The environment influenced man’s behavior
as an individual.
 In life, cellular behavior is the simplest functional
unit. The cell is the basic unit or building blocks of
structure of all forms of plant and animal life. The
human body composed of trillions of cells. Each of
these cells carries out precise and specialized
functions that interweave harmoniously with the
activities and functions of other cells in the body.
 The subordinate system is important in carrying out
daily life activities that are vital to survival. Man’s
feeling of well-being each day depends on the
condition on various organ system.
As man enlarges his interaction with his
environment, his behavioral responses become
more complex and variable.
 Superordinate system provides man with
necessary framework of relationship
which links him to the family, the
community and the society. Together with
the other members of his family, he copes
with elements in his environment and his
behavior is greatly influenced by his
relationships.
A.
(Byrne and Thompson)
 Man normally responds as a unified whole
The mind and body operates as a whole and
his body structure conform to the purpose for
which each part was made. What affects one
affects the other.
 Man as a whole is different from and more
than the sum of his componentparts
Organismic Behavior
 Refers to those observable features and
actions that reflects man’s functioning as a
unified whole within the environment in
which he exist.
 Reflects the dynamic changes that occur in
him as a result of alterations he has made
or has met me his internal or external
environment.
B. Man as a System
Buckley’s definition
 Whole which function as a whole by virtue
of the interdependence of its parts?
 It has common or unifying boundaries with
interrelated and interdependent parts.
 It is composed of subsystems. Each is
designed to carry out an activity which in
turn is necessary for achieving the general
purpose of the system.
Closed System:
 Self-sufficient, totally isolated from other
systems.
 It does not allow outside stimuli in any from
penetrating its boundaries.
 It does not allow anything from within it to
go beyond its boundaries.
 Life sustaining elements cannot enter, uses
its reserves for energy- eventually fails to
function and disintegrates.
Open System:
 Exchanges matter, energy or information
with the environment  It is directly
affected by events or changes in other
systems.
 A person is viewed as a living behavior
system. The metabolic, the growth and the
total processes of living are involved in the
interchange of energy, matter or
 information among parts of the living
organism, and between the living organism
and its environment.
MAN AS A PSYCHO-BEING
Travelbee describes man as a unique, irreplaceable
individual, a one time being in this world.
Characteristics of Man:
 Alike yet unalike.
 Shows limited and unlimited nature.
 Creature of contradiction.
 Rational being yet irrational at times.
 Maturity with core of immaturity.
MAN AS A SOCIAL BEING
 Capable of relating with others
 From birth, he is endowed to know, to like, to love
and to respond to and appreciate the uniqueness of
others.
MAN AS A SPIRITUAL BEING
 The spirit of man gives him life to his human body.
Without the spirit, man does not know the reason
for his existence on this earth.
Man’s Spiritual Nature:
Intellect: It allows man to look for truth. It gives him
the ability to perceive his surroundings or the forces
within or outside him. It helps him understand the
meaning of events as they relate to him and to his
loved ones.
Will: It expresses man’s own wishes, desires or
longing to do what he has set his mind to do. It
gives him the power of conscious and deliberate
action or self-control in initiating, sustaining or
terminating human activity.
 Man believes that his life is governed by a power
greater than he. He pays obedience to this supreme
power regularly or infrequently, the frequency
dependent on man’s whims, caprices or feelings of
despair whenever hit by adversity.
SPIRITUAL VIRTUES:
Faith: Unquestioning belief in someone or
something; complete trust or confidence or reliance
one places in a person or thing.
Hope: Nourishes faith; vital factor in health care
setting. Its absence or presence often plays a part in
determining the patient’s prognosis or illness, state
of wellbeing and acceptance of the dying process.
Charity: Love of man for his fellowman; enables him
to overcome frustration because of love for
another. Love makes one do things for another
without complication. It allows one to give up one’s
pleasure while serving another without even
thinking of the sacrifice it entails.
NEED
 Something that is essential to the emotional and
physiologic health and survival of humans
 Something that is desirable, useful or necessary to
maintain well-being and life.
 Things required by human beings in order to
maintain physiologic and psychologic homeostasis
 Requirements for well-being.
Characteristics of Human Needs:
 Human needs are universal
 Human needs may be altered by individual
priorities
 Human needs maybe deferred
 Human needs nay be met in different ways
 Human needs are aroused by either external or
internal stimuli
 Human needs are interrelated
 An unmet need result in disruption of normal
body activities and frequently leads to eventual
illness.
ABRAHAM MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
Maslow’s framework of basic needs is based on the
theory that something is basic need if:
 Its absence results in illness
 Its presence prevents or signals health
 Meeting an unmet need restores health
The central theme “humans have urged to grow and
to attain their highest level potential”
According to Maslow, needs at one level must be
first met before the needs on the next level can be
met.
Physiologic Needs:
 Referred as the basic needs
 Physical needs that are inherent in all human
beings.
 These must met at least minimally for life to
continue. Below the level of subsistence death
will occur.
Safety/Security Needs: about through relating to people in autonomous
 Both physiological and psychological and competent way.)
 Need for shelter and freedom for harm or
danger
 Need for awareness, sureness, familiarity and
trustworthiness in people, things, places and
events.

Love and Belongingness Needs:

 The security we gain from love and belonging
enhances the feeling of safety. Our feeling of
structure and security is reinforced when we
know where we stand in relation to others, and
who we are to them. We all need mutually
meaningful relationships with other people.
 Need for love encompasses both giving and
receiving
 Belonging needs includes attaining a place in a
group

Self-Esteem Needs:
 Derived largely from the feeling that we are
valued by those around us.
 Self-esteem also comes from within – it is
related to the assessment of our own adequacy
, our performance and our capacity in the
various arenas of lives both personal and
professional and others hold on high regard. 
Esteem from other.

Self-Actualization Needs:
 The need to reach one’s potential through
development of one’s unique capabilities
 The process of self-actualization is the one that
continues throughout life.

Qualities that indicate achievement of one’s

potential:
 Acceptance of self and others as they are
 Focus of interest or problems outside of self
 Ability to be objective
 Feelings of happiness and affection for
others
 Respect for all persons.
 Ability to discriminate between good and
evil
 Creativity as guideline for solving problems
and carrying out interest.

(Maslow does not believe that intelligence is

required for self-actualization. He sees self-
actualization as a product of maturity that comes