More and more teaching institutions and hospitals are integrating conceptual frameworks into nursing practice. This article describes how the Neuman theory can be applied in a medical-surgical setting. Strengths and perceived stressors are identified using selected, preformulated questions; they are further classified as intra-, inter-, or extra-personal factors affecting the holistic system of the person and the environment. A case study demonstrates how interventions can be applied at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.