Martha Rogers
1914-1994
Melissa Scholtens
Kelli Erb
Marisa Gariglio
Katina Zenner
Born May 12, 1914 in Dallas, TX
Martha E. Rogers's Science of Unitary
Human Beings
Patients are considered "unitary human beings,"
who cannot be divided into parts, but have to be
looked at as a whole. Humans are viewed as
integral with the universe and have the capacity to
participate in the process of change.
(nursing-theory.org)
Unique Focus
Instead of a focus based on health and
illness, Rogers' theory was focused on
unitary human-environment mutual
processs.
(Maliniski, 2006)
Rogers' Motivation
"Rogers believed that there was
a unique body of knowledge for
nursing and she set out to
develop that, based on the strong
belief that a true picture of
human beings cannot be
obtained by looking at the parts,
or even the sum of the parts, a
traditional view widely known as
holism."
(Society of Rogerian Scholars)
Martha Rogers' Philosophic Viewpoint
In creating the Unitary Science Theory Rogers united
theories from contemporary science, philosophy and
art.
The following slides describe and depict the sources
of Martha Rogers' philosophy.
Philosophic View of Rogers
Drawing on theory from
Einstein's ideas about relativity
and the unity of space and time
she founded pandimesionality
(Butcher, 1999)
Philosophic View of Rogers
Heisenberg's principal of uncertainy was a basis describing the
unpredictable nature of change (Butcher, 1999)
Philosophic Views of Rogers
von Bertalanffy’s General Systems Theory to describe a
negentropic universe of open systems which evolve toward
increasing innovation, creativity, and diversity (Butcher, 1999)
Philosophic View of Rogers
Quantum theory to postulate energy fields as the fundamental
unit of the living and non-living (Butcher, 1999)
Philosophic View of Rogers
Cybernetics and system theory to support the notion of a universe characterized by
integral irreducible wholes that are more and different than the sum of parts (Butcher,
1999)
What Influenced Rogers Philosophy?
Numerous philosophers, scientists, and theorists from a
wide range of disciplines influenced Rogers, but none more
significantly than Nightingale.
Both scholars had similar personality characteristics and
values that influenced the discipline of nursing in similar
ways.
Rogers repeatedly identified nursing as an independent
science, and was one of the first to do so.
What Influenced Rogers Philosophy?
The philosophy of humanism had a significant impact on Rogers'
philiosophy which is defined as: "philosophy of joyous service for the
greater good of all humanity in this natural world and according to the
methods of reason and democracy" (Butcher,1999)
Rogers (1970) defined nursing as a “humanistic science dedicated to
compassionate concern for maintaining and promoting health,
preventing illness, and caring for and rehabilitating the sick and
disabled”.
Values expounded by humanists are clearly evident in all of Rogers'
writing
Nursing equaled service to mankind
The Bottom Line
"Rogers consistently emphasized the pattern as a whole rather than
particulate events"
To sum this up simply:
Rogers wanted to see the forest instead of each individual tree!
The consistent thread throughout all of Martha Rogers' writings is the
term pattern being indentifed as "a unifying concept"
THE CHALLENGE
"To view nursing as understanding and caring for human beings
in the wholeness and mutuality or the person environment rather
than isolated actions and responses"
(Journal of Rogerian Nursing Science,2004)
Human Being
According to Martha Rogers patients "cannot be divided into parts,
but have to be looked at as a whole." Patients are considered "unitary
human beings." (www.nursing-theory.org)
According to Rogers, the science of unitary human beings is
continuously ongoing. "In a universe of open systems, causality is not
an option; change is continuously innovative and
creative...association does not mean causality." (Wright, 2007, pg. 64)
Environment
Martha Rogers believed that the human and environment coexisted.
Patients could not be separated from their environment when
addressing health and treatments. (www.nursing-theory.org)
Health
An "expression of the life process. Illness and health are part of the
same continuum, and the events occurring throughout the patient's life
show how the patient is achieving his or her health potential."
Nursing
Is a science and an art. This involves using the science of nursing
creatively to help better the life of the patient. The practice of nursing,
according to Rogers, should be focused on pain management, and
supportive psychotherapy for rehabilitation. (www.nursingtheory.org)
Clarification of Origins
Martha E. Rogers was born 1914 in Dallas Texas. In 1936 she
graduated from Knoxville General Hospital School of Nursing with
her nursing diploma. In 1937 she obtained her Public Health Nursing
degree from George Peabody College. She also earned a Masters
degree from Teachers College at Colombia University in
1945. Rogers went on to get her Doctorate in Nursing from Johns
Hopkins University in Baltimore in 1954 (www.nursing-theory.org).
Let there be Light-Origin
Martha Rogers was a very
educated woman who had
extensive knowledge in sciences,
humanities, and the arts. Rogers
acknowledged that "knowledge
can be obtained through
intuition" (Phillips, 1997, p. 39).
"Through Rogers unconditional
love she respected people's
dignity and worth and their
capacity to actualize their
potentials." "The light from her
concern for human dignity and
worth illuminated nurses to the
meaning and purpose of nursing
so they could be quality-of-life
enhancers" (Phillips, 1997, p.
39).
Unique Philosophy to Nursing
Rogers believed that nursing is a learned profession and requires
nursing to be educated in institutions of higher learning. Some say
that Rogers was one of the first nurses to view nursing as a learned
profession. She believed that nursing is both a science and an
art. She spent time and energy educating the public as well as fellow
nurses that nursing uses a unique body of knowledge (Phillips, 1997).
Philosophy-continued
Roger's Science of Unitary Human Beings is a unique philosophy to
nursing because we are looking at the patient as a whole instead of
just parts of the patient. It also includes elements such as therapeutic
touch, guided imagery, music, humor, and meditation. Rogers was a
pioneer and icon in nursing and the way we practice today. All of her
elements are helpful interventions nurses can do to help a patient heal.
Content
Martha Rogers Science of Unitary Human Beings describes all of the
global concepts of human being, environment, health, and nursing
which were described on previous slides.
Rogers defines health, one of the global concepts, as an expression of
the life process. She describes four characteristics to this life process
which are: Energy field, Openness, Pattern, and Pan dimensionality.
Characteristics of Life Process
Energy field-"the fundamental unit of all, both the living and the
unliving". This provides the patient a way to view his or her
environments as a whole
Openness- "refers to the fact that the human and environmental fields
are constantly exchanging their energies."
Pattern-"distinguishing characteristics of an energy field that is seen
as a single wave."
Pan dimensionality-"is a domain that has no spatial or temporal
attributes."
Evaluation of Nursing Model #3 and #4
Nurses come to know human energy field pattern and environmental
energy field pattern through manifestations of that pattern in the form
of the clients' experiences, perceptions, and expressions (Venes,
2009).
The role of the nurse is to serve people. Rogers proposes noninvasive modalities for nursing, such as therapeutic touch, humor,
music, meditation, guided imagery, and even the use of color. The
interventions of nurses are meant to coordinate the rhythm between
the human and environmental fields, help the patient in the process of
change, and help patients move toward better health (www.nursingtheory.org).
Martha Roger's Science of Unitary Human Beings Theory has been
used in many different areas of nursing, including, hospice, healing
centers, hospitals, out-patient care, and delivery rooms.
Taber's Medical Dictionary gives the definition of therapeutic touch
as: "the practice of running the hands on or above a patient's body to
restore health. It is based on the premise that the human body is a
complex system of energy fields, which must be channeled and
balanced for optimum health."
Nurses use therapeutic touch in many ways:
• Operating rooms to calm patients prior to surgery
• Recovery room and post-operative patients to speed healing
• Terminally ill patients, such as cancer and AIDS patients, to relieve
anxiety and stress, create piece of mind, and reduce pain.
• In nurseries to promote health and healing in premature babies
• To increase milk let-down in breast-feeding mothers
• Assist women during childbirth
• To calm colicky babies
(Wurges & Frey, 2009)
In a study of 20 infants,10 infants that received therapeutic touch,
massage, and listened to classical music continuously throughout the
day during the first 10 days of their life, had increased maturation of
visual evoked potentials, visual acuity, and more mature brain
processes. These were evidenced by maturational changes in EEG
activity and significant changes in the visual cortex (McGrath, 2009).
Music has a wide range of therapeutic benefits including, enhancing
personal growth, communication, and self-expression. Music therapy
is often used with individuals who have speech or communication
difficulties, autism, mental illness, or have been sexually abused
(Mandleco, B. L., & Potts, N. L., 2012)
Other theories derived from the Science of
Unitary Human Beings
• Life Perspective Rhythm Model (Joyce J. Fitzpatrick)
• Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness (Margaret Newman)
• Theory of Creativity, Actualization, and Empathy (Martha Alligood)
• Theory of Self-Transcendence (Pamela G. Reed)
• Power as Knowing Participation in Change (Elizabeth Barrett)
Retrieved from: www.currrentnursing.com/nursing_theory/unitary_human_beings.html/2-19-12
References
Alligood, M., & Fawcett, J. (2004). Visions: The Journal of Rogerian Nursing. Infinite
Potentials. Retrieved from http://societyofrogerianscholars.org/Visions/VisionsVolume12.pdf
Butcher, H. K. (1999). Visions: The Journal of Rogerian Nursing Science, 7, 49-54 The
artistry of Rogerian practice.
Malinski. 2006. Rogerian Science-Based Nursing Theories. Nursing Science Journal,
volume19, 7-12. doi: 10.1177/0894318405284116
Mandleco, B. L., & Potts, N. L. (2012). Pediatric Nursing: Caring for children and their
families. (3rd ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage Learning. Retrieved from: http://0online.statref.com.libcat.ferris.edu/document.aspx?fxid=83&docid=278. 2
McGrath, J.M. (2009). Touch and massage in the newborn period: Effects on biomarkers
and brain development. Journal of perinatal and neonatal nursing, (Oct-Dec), 304-306.
doi:10.1097/JPN.0b013e3181bf1a74.
Nursing Theory. (2011). Retrieved from
http://nursing-theory.org/nursing-theorists/Martha-E-Rogers.php
References
Nursing Theory. (2011). Retrieved
from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/unitary_human_beings.html
Phillips, J. (1997). Martha E. Rogers: An Icon of Nursing. Nursing Science
Quarterly, 10(1), 39-41. doi: 10.1177/089431849701000112
Society of Rogerian Scholars. (2008). Theory: An overview of the science of
unitary human beings. Retrieved from
http://www.societyofrogerianscholars.org/theory.html
Venes, D. (2009). Tabers cyclopedic medical dictionary. (21st ed.).
Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company. Retrieved from: http://0-onlinestatref.com.libcat.ferris.edu/document.aspx?fxid=57&docid=63317.
Wright, B.W. (2007). The Evolution of Rogers' Science of Unitary Human
Beings: 21st Century Reflections. Nursing Science Quarterly, 20(1), 64-67.
doi:10.1177/0894318406296295
References
Wurges, J. & Frey, R. (2009). Therapeutic touch. In L. Fundukian (Ed.), The gale
encyclopedia of alternative medicine (3rd ed.). Detroit:
Gale. http://www.altmd.com/Articles/Therapeutic-Touch--Encyclopedia-ofAlternative-Med
Case Study
Mrs. P. ,a 56 year old female is admitted to the hospital with
irretractable nausea and vomiting post chemotherapy and radiation.
Symptoms include tachycardia with heartrates from 100-160's, nausea
and vomiting, dehydration with headache and fatigue. She is
complaining of generalized pain and weakness with a focus on a
headache. Mrs. P. is surrounded by multiple family members and
several small children who appear to be well meaning, but are
coughing, sneezing, and talking loudly. Mrs. P is unfortunately placed
in a semi-private room with a roommate who is eating Mexican food
for lunch and laughing watching the loudly tuned TV. The nurse
administers IVP narcotics for her pain and headache and an IVP
antiemetic, but Mrs. P continues to complain of headache.
Case Study Questions
1) Considering Rogers' Theory of Unitary Human beings where
Rogers states "nurses are in constant mutual process with those for
whom they care and have opportunities to pattern the environment for
change" what immediate interventions could be initiated for Mrs. P?
2) Using Rogers' theory, what non-pharmacologic interventions could
be utlitized for pain management?
3) In what ways can the nurse alter the way care is provided during the
shift in order to promote improvement in symptoms and provide a
calming environment?
4) What can the nurse do so that family and visitors can help Mrs. P
recover more quickly?
5) What can the nurse do help Mrs. P increase her appetite and help
control nausea and vomiting?