THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS IN NURSING

MARTHA ROGERS
SCIENCE OF UNITARY HUMAN BEINGS
(Week No. 8)

“Professional practice in nursing seeks to promote symphonic interaction

between man and environment, to strengthen the coherence and integrity of
the human field, and to direct and redirect patterning of the human and
environmental fields for realization of maximum health potential” (Rogers,
1970, p. 122).

INTRODUCTION
Martha Rogers was a renowned theorist who developed the Science of
Unitary Human Being. Rogers was one of the first to identify human beings as
the central phenomenon of interest to nursing (Newman, as cited in Fawcett,
2003). The SUHB is unique in that the phenomenon of central interest is what
is “known” as opposed to what is done in practice (Rogers, as cited in Fawcett,
1995). Rogers was an innovative nurse theorist who inspired a new generation
of theorists who are committed to carrying on her work.

The SUHB contains content that addresses the four metaparadigm

concepts of human beings, environment, health, and nursing. By definition,
all nursing conceptual models contain content about the four nursing
metaparadigm concepts (J. Fawcett, personal communication, November 24,
2006). The emphasis of the SUHB is on the integrality of human environment
field phenomena (Gunther, 2002). The concept of person is of a unitary human
being, patterned, open, and pandimensional energy field. The concept of
environment is a patterned, pandimensional energy field where health is seen
as an expression of the life process and the goal of nursing is to facilitate well-
being through intentional mutual patterning including environmental
patterning to promote helicy, integrality and resonancy (Fawcett, 1993).

The concepts of the SUHB are energy fields, openness, pattern,

pandimensionality, and homeodynamics (resonancy, helicy, integrality).
Energy fields are the “fundamental unit” for both the living and nonliving and
are two types, human and environmental (Barrett, 2000; Eschiti, 2004;
Gunther, 2002; Levin, 2006). These fields cannot be divided or reduced and
because there is no separation between the identified fields, they are
considered as energy fields as opposed to having energy fields (Rogers, as

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cited in Eschiti, 2004). Rogers (1992) makes it explicit that humans are more
than the sum of their parts and cannot be understood by only having
knowledge of their parts.

LEARNING OUTCOME
At the end of this this module the student will be able to:
1. Understand the Concept of Unitary Human Beings
2. Understand Major Concepts and Definitions of Martha Roger’s Theory
3. Understand the Metaparadigm of the Martha Roger’ Theory

OUTLINE
1. Major Concepts and Definitions
2. Major Assumptions
a. Nursing
b. Person
c. Health
d. Environment
3. Theoretical Assertions

CONTENT
Major Concepts and Definitions

In 1970, Rogers’ conceptual model of nursing rested on a set of basic

assumptions that described the life process in human beings. Wholeness,
openness, unidirectionality, pattern and organization, sentience, and
thought characterized the life process.

Rogers postulates that human beings are dynamic energy fields that are
integral with environmental fields. Both human and environmental fields are
identified by pattern and characterized by a universe of open systems. In
her 1983 paradigm, Rogers postulated four building blocks for her model:
energy field, a universe of open systems, pattern, and four dimensionality.

Rogers consistently updated the conceptual model through revision of the

homeodynamic principles. Such changes corresponded with scientific and
technological advances. In 1983, Rogers changed her wording from that of
unitary man to unitary human being, to remove the concept of gender.
Additional clarification of unitary human beings as separate and different
from the term holistic stressed the unique contribution of nursing to health

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care. In 1992, four-dimensionality evolved into pandimensionality. Rogers’

fundamental postulates have remained consistent since their introduction;
her subsequent writings served to clarify her original ideas.

Concept Definition
1. Energy Field An energy field constitutes the fundamental unit
of both the living and the nonliving. Field is a
unifying concept, and energy signifies the
dynamic nature of the field. Energy fields are
infinite and pandimensional. Two fields are
identified: the human field and the
environmental field. “Specifically human beings
and environment are energy fields” (Rogers,
1986b, p. 2). The unitary human being (human
field) is defined as an irreducible, indivisible,
pandimensional energy field identified by
pattern and manifesting characteristics that are
specific to the whole and that cannot be
predicted from knowledge of the parts. The
environmental field is defined as an irreducible,
pandimensional energy field identified by
pattern and integral with the human field. Each
environmental field is specific to its given
human field. While not necessarily quantifiable,
an energy field has the inherent ability to create
change (Todaro-Franceschi, 2008). In this case,
both human and environmental fields change
continuously, creatively, and integrally (Rogers,
1994a).

2. Universe of Open The concept of the universe of open systems

Systems holds that energy fields are infinite, open, and
integral with one another (Rogers, 1983). The
human and environmental fields are in
continuous process and are open systems.

3. Pattern Pattern identifies energy fields. It is the

distinguishing characteristic of an energy field
and is perceived as a single wave. The nature of
the pattern changes continuously and
innovatively, and these changes give identity to

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the energy field. Each human field pattern is

unique and is integral with the environmental
field (Rogers, 1983). Manifestations emerge as
a human environmental mutual process. Pattern
is an abstraction; it reveals itself through
manifestation. A sense of self is a field
manifestation, the nature of which is
unique to each individual. Some variations in
pattern manifestations have been described in
phrases such as “longer versus shorter
rhythms,” “pragmatic versus imaginative,” and
time experienced as “fast” or “slow.” Pattern is
changing continually and may manifest disease,
illness, or well-being. Pattern change is
continuous, innovative, and relative.
4. Pandimensionality Rogers defines pandimensionality as a nonlinear
domain without spatial or temporal attributes,
or as Phillips (2010) notes: “essentially a
spaceless and timeless reality” (p. 56). The term
pandimensional provides for an infinite domain
without limit. It best expresses the idea of a
unitary whole.

The Science of Unitary Human Being does not directly identify testable
empirical indicators. Rather, it specifies a worldview and philosophy used to
identify the phenomena of concern to the discipline of nursing.

Major Assumptions
Nursing
1. Nursing is a learned profession and is both a science and an art.
2. Rogerian science focuses on concern with people and the world in which
they live- a natural fit for nursing care, as it encompasses people and
their environments. The integrality of the people and their
environments, operating from a pandimensional universe of open
systems, points to a new paradigm and initiates the identity of nursing
as a science.
3. The purpose of nursing seeks to promote nursing health and well-being
for all persons.

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4. The art of nursing is the creative use of the science of nursing for human
betterment.
5. Professional practice in nursing seeks to promote symphonic interaction
between human and environmental fields, to strengthen the integrity of
the human field, and to direct the redirect patterning of the human and
environmental fields for realization of maximum health potential.
6. Nursing exist for the care of the and the life process of humans.

Person
1. An open system in continuous process with the open system that is the
environment (integrality).

2. Rogers defined Unitary Human Being as an “irreducible, indivisible,

pandimensional energy field identified by pattern and manifesting
characteristics that are specific to the whole” (Rogers, 1992, p. 29).
3. Human beings “are not disembodied entities, nor are they mechanical
aggregates. . . . Man is a unified whole possessing his own integrity and
manifesting characteristics that are more than and different from the
sum of his parts” (Rogers, 1970, pp. 46–47).
4. Within a conceptual model specific to nursing’s concern, people and their
environment are perceived as irreducible energy fields integral with one
another and continuously creative in their evolution.

HEALTH
1. Roger uses the term health in many of her earlier writings without
clearly defining the term.
2. Passive health symbolizes wellness and the absence of disease and
major illness. Her promotion of positive health connotes direction in
helping people with opportunities for rhythmic consistency.
3. According to Rogers, wellness is a much better term because the term
health is very ambiguous.
4. Health according to Rogers is defined by the culture or the individual.
5. Health and illness are manifestations of pattern and are considered to
denote behaviors that are of high value and low value.

ENVIRONMENT
1. Rogers define environment “an irreducible, pandimensional energy field
identified by pattern and manifesting characteristics different from those
of the parts.

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2. Each environmental field is specific to its given human field. Both change
continuously and creatively.
3. Environmental fields are infinite, and change is continuously innovative,
unpredictable, and characterized by increasing diversity.
4. Environmental and human fields are identified by wave patterns
manifesting continuous change.

Theoretical Assumptions
1. Man is a unified whole processing his own integrity and manifesting
characteristics more than and different from the sum of his parts
(energy field)
2. Man and environment are continuously exchanging matter and energy
with one another (openness)
3. The life process evolves irreversibly and unidirectionally along the
space-time continuum (helicy).
4. Pattern and organization identify man and reflect his innovative
wholeness (pattern and organization).
5. Man is characterized by the capacity for abstraction and imagery,
language and thought, sensation and emotion (sentient, thinking
being).

REFERENCES

Alligood, M. R., & Marriner-Tomey, A. (2010). Nursing theorists and their

work. 7th ed. Maryland Heights, Mo.: Mosby/Elsevier.
Sitzman, K., & Eichelberger, L. W. (2011). Understanding the work of nurse
theorists: a creative beginning. 2nd ed. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett
Publishers.
Parker, M. E., & Smith, M. C. (2010). Nursing theories & nursing practice.
3rd ed. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co.

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Manila, Philippines