Introduction
At least once in life, every person experiences existential vulnerability caused by the loss of meaning or a life-threatening event. In this regard, the self-transcendence framework is one of the most effective approaches to dealing with such conditions. It is especially of great importance for medical workers, including nursing practitioners, who may encounter people who experience vulnerability every day. As such, under the paradigm of holistic healthcare, medical personnel should strive to ensure the physical well-being and provide psychological comfort. For this reason, the current essay intends to review the self-transcendence theory and show how it may be applied in advanced nursing practice by describing and analyzing a hypothetical patient vulnerability situation.
Theory Review
The idea of self-transcendence as a structured theoretical view first appeared in the middle of the 20th century. Victor Frankl – the first major thinker in this sphere – argued that true happiness might be achieved when a person’s locus of attention is directed outside of oneself towards the outside world (Worth & Smith, 2021). The latter, in this case, may include other people or the surrounding environment. In order to achieve that, Frankl asserts that an individual should construct a meaning that would transcend oneself.
As for the realm of healthcare, the most prominent framework was proposed by Reed, who postulates that human development occurs as a result of experiences that make a person reevaluate one’s life. The author notes that as individuals become older, they enhance their emotional and psychological maturity, which helps them to develop a broader view of the world and, consequently, achieve self-transcendence (McCarthy et al., 2017). However, some events earlier in life that make people aware of their vulnerability and mortality may sometimes lead to an increased self-transcendence earlier in life (Fiske, 2019). The latter, in turn, is associated with the construction of meaningful systems that help cope with difficulties and problems and achieve greater well-being.
Vulnerable Situation and Self-Transcendence Promotion Plan
Liza, a 47-year-old single woman, has recently been diagnosed with inoperable breast cancer. This news has led to deep depression, eventually resulting in heart problems due to constant stress. As a result, one day ago, Liza was brought to the emergency room after she fainted on the street. She was diagnosed with the 2nd-degree AV block and later transferred to a non-intensive care unit as her children could not be with her at home. However, today after arriving at work, I found that Liza refuses the treatment because she does not see its purpose, as she will be dead soon.
In order to address this problem, a self-transcendence promotion plan was developed. Firstly, I will discuss with Liza and explain the importance of overcoming depression and intending to find a new meaning in life. Regardless of the patient’s reaction, she will be offered to use certain techniques to promote intrapersonal and temporal transcendence techniques. Then, when Liza becomes more accepting of her disease, she will be suggested to share her problems with other sick people and listen to their stories.
As for promoting intrapersonal awareness, Liza will be asked to contemplate her experience through techniques such as prayer, meditation, and journaling. Additionally, the patient will be instructed to analyze how her past experiences meaningfully related to the current disease and what she expects in the future to promote temporal self-transcendence (Reed, 2021). For a similar purpose, it is planned to conduct a one-on-one interview with the patient, where she can share the key events in her life, biggest challenges, and beliefs (Reischer et al., 2021). Finally, Liza will be suggested to join one of the breast cancer support groups to promote interpersonal self-transcendence.
Conclusion
Overall, the current essay reviewed the self-transcendence theory and showed its importance in the work of healthcare professionals, including advanced practice nurses. In this regard, it was shown that successfully finding meaning in the outside world is highly related to a person’s levels of happiness. Moreover, self-transcendence allows people who encounter life-threatening difficulties to overcome them by constructing new meanings effectively. In addition, the hypothetical case of Liza, who was diagnosed with breast cancer, was discussed. To address her depression and refusal of treatment, such techniques as journaling, prayer, meditation, personal interview, and group therapy were proposed.
References
Fiske, E. (2019). Self-transcendence theory and contemplative practices.Holistic Nursing Practice, 33(5), 266-272. Web.
McCarthy, V. L., Hall, L. A., Crawford, T. N., & Connelly, J. (2017). Facilitating self-transcendence: An intervention to enhance well-being in late life.Western Journal of Nursing Research, 40(6), 854-873. Web.
Reed, P. G. (2021). Self-transcendence: moving from spiritual disequilibrium to well-being across the cancer trajectory.Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 37(5), 151212. Web.
Reischer, H. N., Roth, L. J., Villarreal, J. A., & McAdams, D. P. (2021). Self‐transcendence and life stories of humanistic growth among late‐midlife adults.Journal of Personality, 89(2), 305-324. Web.
Worth, P., & Smith, M. D. (2021). Clearing the pathways to self-transcendence.Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1068. Web.