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Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the Nursing Theory of Science of Unitary Human Beings
created by Martha Rogers. The paper will include focus information inclusive of her motivations
and influences for creating this nursing model, her philosophies regarding nursing care and how
this model correlates with the four global concepts of nursing (human being, environment, health
and nursing). Additionally, the paper will provide an evaluation of how Martha Roger’s Nursing
Martha Rogers contributed to nursing practice with a profound desire for learning and an
insatiable quest of leadership. These characteristics motivated her career and her contributions to
the nursing profession all of her life. According to Gunther (2010) Rogers worked from 1933
until 1994 in a wide range of nursing and educational roles prior to the final development of her
nursing theory Unitary Human Beings, published in 1970. The primary premise of her theory is
the concept of interconnectedness that exists between human beings and the environment
represented in elemental terms such as energy exchanges that occur on every level of existence
and in every conceivable dimension (Gunther, 2010). Rogers explains best in the following
statement:
and environment, to strengthen the coherence and integrity of the human field, and to
direct and redirect patterning of the human and environment fields for realization of
interconnectedness: energy fields, universe of open systems, pattern and pandimesionality. Each
of these concepts provides a working definition on how and when people and the environment
According to Gunther (2010) “Rogerian nursing focuses on concerns with people and the world
in which they live – a natural fit to nursing care, as it encompasses people and their
environment” (p. 245). Based on Rogers’ background and experience, it is no surprise that her
nursing theory would be science based, academic in tone and demonstrative of the importance of
Running head: THEORY 4
relationships and environment. In an article by Hektor (1989) she depicts three influential
factors that possibly contributed to the development of Rogerian nursing philosophy. First, there
is Rogers’ appreciation and love of family. Being the oldest of nine siblings, born in 1914, she
came from a large upper class family of which provided her with the financial security and
support to pursue her educational desires without limitations unlike most people (and specifically
women) of her time (Hektor, 1989). This familial support afforded Rogers’ self confidence
which she utilized throughout her career in a time when it was necessary to challenge social
norms to achieve academic and professional success within the nursing field. Second, she had an
appreciation and passion for learning with an aptitude for math and science (Hektor, 1989). Most
of her career was in pursuit of higher education with an ultimate accumulation of degrees from a
variety of Ivy League Universities such as John’s Hopkins, Columbia and New York University
(Hektor, 1989). Roger's constant pursuit of education with an aptitude to science is present
construct requiring a strong educational background for both understanding and implementation.
Third, Rogers had a need to help people (Hektor, 1989). Most of the work she
participated in while obtaining her Master and Doctorial Degrees focused on Public Health
and home visitation (Hektor, 1989). There is evidence of how nursing, human beings, and
environment are present in all of her personal work experience up until the time she published
scholar in her time and valued what education and experience could bring to the nursing field
both in terms of nurses as caregivers as well as nurses as leaders and role models for maximizing
Running head: THEORY 5
health. The influence of her public health nursing experience, love of science and math, and
constant acquisition of knowledge are the philosophic values which seemed to motivate the
establishes key components universal to all nursing practice models and theories; nursing, health,
Human being represents the individual, family, group, or community receiving care, each
The environment comprises the physical, social, cultural, spiritual, and emotional climate
Health is the focus for the particular type of nursing and specific care provisions needed.
Rogerian nursing theory incorporates each of these elements to achieve a theory that provides a
for the care of people and the life process of humans” (Gunther, 2010, p. 245). Her theory
emphasizes that nursing incorporates more than taking care of the physical aspects of a person’s
state of health. Nursing, therefore is reflective in a continuum of care “with a critical thinking
process directing practice…[that] can be divided into three components: pattern appraisal,
mutual patterning and evaluation” (Gunther, 2010, p. 248). As stated previously patterns are one
of the four significant concepts of Rogerian theory which provides a means for interpreting and
interacting (reciprocy) with changes (synchrony) in any given energy field. Patterns change and
Running head: THEORY 6
evolve (helicy) which is why nursing practice should continuously appraise, acknowledge and
evaluate (resonancy) the energy fields with which they interact; specifically human beings and
communities that are receiving care (p. 3). Rogers breaks down each of those constructs
(individuals, families and communities) into energy fields and open systems. First, humans and
the community are dynamic and unitary in that they are “irreducible, indivisible, pandimensional
energy field[s] identified by pattern and manifesting characteristics that are specific to the whole
and that cannot be predicted from knowledge of the parts” (Gunther, 2010, p. 244). In more
simplistic terms relative to the direct practice of nurses, human beings or communities are a
construct of each other. To interact as nurses with one is to consider the implications of the
other. Second, recognizing that energy is an open system, nurses must comprehend human
beings are unstable, changing entities across a continuum time. According to Rice (2009),
“unitary human beings experience time as passing, and involving the past, present and future” (p.
8). Nurses must have an awareness of the human beings in their present state in order to have a
Health for Rogers is not clearly defined but is implied as a “value term defined by the
culture or individual. Health and illness are manifestations of pattern and are considered to
denote behaviors that are of high value and low value” (Gunther, 2010, p. 246). Health as a
pattern health may vary and manifest itself as disease or wellness as an idea; a barrier relative to
a given human being or environment in a variety of situations. Health is for the nurse to
evaluation. According to Wright (2007) Rogers believed that nursing was in the center of health
care because the “primary purpose of health care is the promotion of health” (p. 65).
Environment for Rogerian Theory is identified in similar terms as human beings. The
environment is an energy field and an open system. The value of the environment is not
necessarily a physical location; it is the significant interacting energy field and open system with
human beings. Each human field is specific to its given environmental field and energy flows
between the two as a unifying force creating a whole component for evaluation (Gunther, 2010).
Martha Rogers’s model for nursing practice is abstract in content which challenges nurses
to think metaphysically about their patients and how nursing care should be provided with an
emphasis on a more global approach to nursing and healthcare. It is a foundation for practice
energy fields and pandimensionality unfamiliar to other nursing theorists during her time. The
diverse content lends itself to having a broad scope for practice in all disciplines of nursing.
Energy is a dynamic exchange regardless of the specific field of practice. The concepts of
energy fields and open systems are adaptive regardless of the nursing discipline, development of
programming, or education offering. Correlative to the theories abstract nature it has lent itself
to the development of other nursing theorist such as “Barrett’s (1998) health patterning;
Butcher’s (1999) synthesizing health patterning and pattern appreciation; and Cowling’s (2005)
unitary appreciative nursing” (Wright, 2007, p. 66), Newman’s Health expanding consciousness
There are a multitude of documented research instruments and practice tools that were
derived from the Science of Unitary Human Beings. The following is a list selected from
Assessment Criteria for Nursing Evaluation of the Older Adult (Decker, 1989)
Martha Rogers was a truly distinctive and innovative philosopher whose contributions
have outlasted her 50 year career and extend into the 21st century for continued growth and
development within the nursing field. According to Phillips (2010) “Rogers’ view of energy
freed us from the ideas of cell theory and field theory” (p. 55), she created alternative ways to
consider nursing interactions. To appreciate and understand the abstract nature of Rogers’s
theory a nurse must have as strong educational foundation and be willing to step outside of
traditional thinking and open their views of the world through creative interactions. Her values
of higher learning resonates throughout her theory and suggests that the ultimate provision of
nursing care is accomplished in achieving the highest education possible to exchange scholarly
ideas while remaining open to limitless possibilities of human and environment interactions.
Running head: THEORY 9
References
Tomey, (Eds.), Nursing theorist and their work. (7th ed., pp. 242-264). Maryland Heights,
Hektor, L. M. (1989). Martha e. rogers: A life history. Nursing Science Quarterly, 2 (1), 63-73.
http://nsq.sagepub.com/content/2/2/63
professional nursing. (4th ed., pp. 3). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company.
Phillips, J. R. (2010). The universality of rogers’ science of unitary human beings. Nursing
http://nsq.sagepub.com/content/23/1/55.
Ring, M.E. (2009). An exploration of the perception of time from the perspective of science of
Wright, B. W. (2007). The evolution of rogers’ science of unitary human beings: 21st century