Martha Rogers

The Science of Unitary & Irreducible Human Beings

DENISE BARGER, BSN, RN PAT SCHLAGEL, BSN, RN LISA THIELKE, BSN, RN

MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MOORHEAD NURSING 600

Grand Nursing Theorist

Martha Rogers
1914-1994
retrieved from: http://www.nurses.info/nursing__theory__person__rogers__martha.htm

Origins
3

Rogers was one of the first nurse scholars to

explicitly identify the person (unitary man) as the central phenomena of nursing concern
1970 Science of Unity Human Beings (SUHB)

Rogers realized there had to be something to know in

nursing that required increased education for its transmission

(Fawcett interview, n.d.)

Purpose
4

SUHB theory offers a new look at nursing,

providing a framework for practice, education and research that moves away from the traditional medical model approach to the delivery of nursing care
(Fawcett interview, n.d.)

To promote human-environment field patterning

and the nursing process

(n.a., 2009, para. 11)

Evolution Over Time

5

Radical Difficult to understand Greatly influenced all facets of nursing

(n.a., 2009, para. 7)

Science of Unitary Human Beings

6

Five basic assumptions underlay Rogers' conceptual framework: 1. Wholeness 2. Openness 3. Unidirectionality 4. Pattern and Organization 5. Sentience and Thought
(Rogers as cited in Barrett, 2009, para. 4)

Science of Unity Human Beings

7

There are four main topics (metaparadigms) that are

addressed by nursing theorists:

1. 2. 3. 4.

People Environment Health Nursing

(Rogers as cited in Barrett, 2009, para. 5)

Application to Health
8

Individually defined
Multicultural dimensions Influenced by health behaviors

Goal of nursing: health promotion

Application to Nursing
9

Promote health

Positive optimistic approach

The study of unitary, irreducible, indivisible human

& environmental fields: people and their world.

(Rogers as cited in McEwen & Wills, 2007, p.204)

Application to Environment
10

Continually exchanging energy with the unitary

human being
Constant state of change
Helix Represents environment energy field Co-existing & interactive with unitary human

INTERACTION BETWEEN HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENT

11

Environment Energy Field

Human Being Energy Field

Application to Person
12

Unitary energy system Whole entity sum of the parts

Continually exchanging energy with the

environment These energy fields may be described as open systems, with each person having his/her own unique pattern of energy which constitutes the persons identity.
(Tettero, Jackson, & Wilson, 1993, p.777)

Examples of Application to:

13

Nursing Practice Education Research

Application to Nursing Practice

14

Promote Health

Maintain Health

Prevent Illness

Application to Research
15

Model is abstract & testable in principle

Study humans as individuals & groups

Challenges traditional thinking

THE FLOW OF ENERGY

16

Energy is constant and ever flowing

Application to Education
17

Nursing aims to assist people in achieving their

maximum health potential

Martha Rogers 1970 (as cited by Wright, 2007, p. 65)

Rogers stated nurses must commit to lifelong

learning and noted, the nature of the practice of nursing (the use of the knowledge for human betterment). Martha Rogers 1990 (as cited by Tomey & Alligood, 2006, p. 252)

Critique of the Theory

18

CLARITY SIMPLICITY GENERALITY EMPIRICAL PRECISION DERIVABLE CONSEQUENCES SPECIFIC EXAMPLES

Clarity
19

Major elements of Rogers work:

5 key definitions 3 principles of homeodynamics 6 assumptions

This approach appears simplistic But is difficult for nurses to understand Too abstract

Parsimony
(McEwen & Wills, 2007)

Simplicity
20

Ongoing studies and work within the model have served to simplify and clarify some of the concepts and relations. However, when the model is examined in total perspective, some still classify it as complex More work is required: use in practice, research and education needed May determine that the model is simple

(Tomey & Alligood, 2006)

Rogers Nursing Theory Implementation

21

1981 at San Diego Veterans Medical Center

(SDVMC) Review the process SDVMC nursing applied to arrive at this nursing model Process took 8 years to implement

Implementation of Rogers Nursing Theory

(Heggie, Schoenmahl. Chang, & Grieco, 1989)

CNS Committee Evaluation Process Current care model was a medical model Limitation to nursing practice Model needed to change focus Medical problems focus individual focus CNS committee determined need for model change
22

Review of nursing models and theories

Review of nursing service philosophy and care standards

Determined focus a metaparadigm model

400 Nurse knowledge/attitudes survey

Creating disequilibrium drove need for change
Discussion groups validate conflict with present medical model framework

Implementation of Rogers Nursing Theory

B Staff attend classes on nursing theory models Leadership attend classes on Rogers Theory Classes included actual patient application Staff attend classes on Rogers Theory Rogerian Theory Expert visits to present application of Rogers Theory
Continued nursing staff education over 3 years Martha Rogers visited and addressed nursing staff

Created openness and awareness of new ideas

Survey results/nursing philosophy compared to nursing theories

CHOSE ROGERS THEORY

RATIONALE:
1. Most congruent with hosp. philosophy and nursing staff beliefs 2. Foundational for future oriented growth 3. Holistic in nature

23

Generality
24

Rogers theory is a synthesis of phenomena

Important to nursing
Abstract, unified, and highly derived framework Does not define particular hypotheses or theories

Instead provides a worldview

Nurses may derive theories and hypotheses and

propose relationships specific to different situations

(McEwen & Wills, 2007)

Rogers Theory Applied to ADN Program

25 Increasing diversity Humans and their environment characterized by increasingly complex change Example: Nursing students as they study will find their beliefs changing Continuous change Humans and their environment are constantly changing and evolving together Example: Sleep patterns change as humans age Mutual process Continuous interaction between humans and their environment and is constantly changing Example: As an new nursing student learns skills, coming aware of the way their tensions elicit to the patient

(Hellwig & Ferrante, 1993)

integrality

helicy

resonancy

Empirical Precision
26

Early criticism identified

major limitations

Difficult to understand principles Lack of working definitions Poor tools for measurement

Deductive in logic

Characteristic lack of immediate empirical support

(Tomey & Alligood, 2006)

Derivable Consequences
27

Intends to assist in the understanding of human

evolution and human potential Organized in a manner that place nursings identity as a science Focus is on the human and environmental connection as highly significant Many have used the conceptual model for research

(Tomey & Alligood, 2006)

Summary
28

To understand the Rogers Theory principles and

concepts requires:

A general education base A readiness to part from the traditional Be imaginative in viewing our world

New and challenging theories are emerging to move

the understanding of the unitary human being

(Tomey & Alligood, 2006)

References
29

Fawcett, J. (n.d.). Interview of Martha Rogers nursing theory [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1XN3rPKndE Heggie, J., Schoenmehl, P., Chang, M., & Grieco, C. (1989). Selection and implementation of Dr. Martha Rogers' nursing conceptual model in an acute care setting. Clinical Nurse Specialist: The Journal for Advanced Nursing Practice, 3(3), 143-147.

Hellwig, S. & Ferrante, S. (1993). Martha Rogers model in associate degree education. Nurse Educator, 18(5), 25-27.
McEwen, N. & Wills, E. (2007). Theoretical basis for nursing (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkin n.a. (2009). Martha Rogers. Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/17667393/NURSING-THEORIST-MARTHAROGERS

References
30

Read, P., Shearer, N., & Nicoll, L. (2004). Perspectives on nursing theory (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkin Tettero, I., Jackson, S., and Wilson, S. (1993). Theory to practice: Developing a Rogerian-based assessment tool. Journal of Advance Nursing, 18(5), 776-782. doi:10.1046/j.13652648. 1993.18050776.x

Tomey, A. & Alligood, M. (2006). Nursing theorists and their work (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.
Wright, B. W. (2007). The evolution of Rogers s Science of Unitary/Human Beings: 21st century reflections. Nursing Science Quarterly, 20(1), 64-67.doi: 10.1177/089-4318406296295