Susan Leddy's Human Energy Model of nursing and health

Nursing Theorist Susan Leddy

Major Concepts of Leddy Theory of Nursing

Nursing Theorist Susan K. Leddy is the developer of the Human Energy Model of nursing and health. According to this model which was highly influenced by Rogers' science of unitary human beings the person is a unitary energy field that is continually open and interacting with the environmental energy field. The human being (energy field) is distinct from the environmental energy field in its ability to self organize and interact with awareness which makes, intention, the construct of self-identity and meaning as well as the ability to influence change of self and the environmental energy field through choice.

The environment is seen as dynamic and changing through transformation of energy with matter and information in a continuous process. "These transformations occur as a web of connectedness in relationships within the self and with the environment, including other humans and/or an "ultimate other" Change is partially unpredictable, but is also influenced by inherent order of the universe, history, pattern and choice." (Leddy, 2006, p. 86)

Health according to Leddy, "is the pattern of the whole." The pattern changes in matters of harmony/dissonance and varied over time in both quality and intensity.

The definition of this harmonious/dissonant dynamic health is acutely linked to Leddy's definition of nursing, which she defines as a, "Knowledge-based consciousness in a goal directed relationship with an individual or family client…during which the nurse is a knowledgeable, concerned facilitator, and the individual or family client is responsible for choices that influence health and healing." (Leddy, 2006, p. 86) The nurse then is a dynamic player but the person is ultimately responsible for health directed change.

Relationship of Man, Health, Environment to Nursing

Leddy's theories may in careful analysis come across as relatively ideological and frankly metaphysical, especially when given her emphasis on the unseen, the different energy flow theories, such as the Chakra (pp. 91-93) and other highly controversial at least in language. Yet one must also acknowledge that one fundamentally important aspect of her theory ie. The connectivity of man, health environment and nursing is well documented and well made in her theories and many that have sprung from them.

Leddy acknowledges in quasi-western mostly modern terminology the interconnectivity between the individual and his environment and health, as well as with his fellow human beings. In the connectivity of these aspects Leddy places the nurse as an advocate for knowledge and change suggestion, based on assessment, observation and intervention where needed, yet she acknowledges that the dynamic of change is almost solely rooted in the individual learning, seeing and then applying change agents to the reestablishment of health/balance in the dynamic between the person and the environment. This emphasis make sit clear that this model, despite its sometimes hokey language lays the real responsibility for health and wellness on internal (self-driven) choices and causes with the inclusion of the interjection of knowledge and possibly procedure from the nurse. Reading and believing all the language of the work can be challenging, especially for the modern medical practitioner as such language might denote untested and untried applications of terms and theories, but ultimately the core connectivity of the theory makes the reader/learner wish to continue to seek out the gems of knowledge within the pages of ideology. This interconnectivity, coupled with the individual as responsible for his or her own health play well with modern ideologies of medicine and personal responsibility found in nursing theory and in medicine in general at this time.

Resources

Leddy, S.K. (2006) Integrative Health Promotion. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.