SISTER NIVEDITA GOVERNMENT NURSING COLLEGE

IGMC, SHIMLA

SUBJECT: ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE

PRESENTATION ON: ROGER’S THEORY

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

Mrs. Pooja Sood Archita Sharma

Lecturer MSc. (N) 1st Year

Obstetrics and Gynaecological Nursing SNGNC, IGMC

SNGNC, IGMC Shimla

Shimla

SUBMITTED ON:
 INDEX
SR. CONTENT REMARKS
No.

1. Introduction.

2. Credentials and background of

theorist.
3. Publications of Martha Rogers.

4. Martha E Roger’s: Theory of the

Science of Unitary Human Beings.
 Assumptions
 Major concepts.
 Homeodynamic principles.
 Metaparadigm in nursing.
 Applications to nursing.
 Critique.
5. Strengths of Roger’s Theory

6. Weaknesses of Roger’s Theory

7. Conclusion.
INTRODUCTION
Nursing is both a science and art. The uniqueness of nursing, similar to that of any other
science, lies in the phenomenal central to its focus. Nurses long established concern with
people and the world they live in is a natural fore runner of an organized abstract system
encompassing people and their environment. The integration of people and environments that
coordinate with the multi- dimensional universe of open systems points to a new paradigm
identifies nursing as a science.

CREDENTIALS AND BACKGROUND OF THEORIST

 Martha E Rogers was born on May 12, 1914, in Dallas, Texas.
 She began her college education at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
 She received her “nursing diploma” from Knoxville General Hospital School of
nursing in 1935.
 In 1937, she received The Bachelor of Science in public nursing from George
Peabody College.
 In 1945 she did MA in Public Health Nursing Supervision from Teacher’s college,
Columbia University, New York.
 In 1952 she did Masters of public health.
 In 1954 she earned her doctorate from John Hopkins University.
 For 21 years from 1954 to 1975, she was professor and head of the division of nursing
at New York University. In 1970, Roger published her book “An introduction to the
theoretical basis of nursing.”
 Her publications include three books and over 200 articles in she lectured in 46 states.
 She has also been awarded by many awards, funds, and scholarships that have been
established in her name.
 She died on 13th March 1994, at the age of 79.

PUBLICATIONS OF MARTHA ROGERS

• Theoretical basis of nursing (Rogers 1970)

• Nursing science and art: A prospective (Rogers 1988)

• Nursing: Science of unitary, irreducible, human beings (Rogers 1990)

• Vision of space-based nursing (Rogers 1990)

MARTHA E ROGER’S: THEORY OF THE SCIENCE OF UNITARY
HUMAN BEINGS.
• The belief of the coexistence of the human and the environment has greatly
influenced the process of change toward better health.

• In short, a patient can’t be separated from his or her environment when addressing
health and treatment.

• This view lead and opened Martha E. Rogers‘ theory, known as the “Science of
Unitary Human Beings,” which allowed nursing to be considered as one of the
scientific disciplines.

• Rogers repeatedly stated that she did not create a "theory" but rather an abstract
system, a science, from which many theories may be derived.

• Martha Rogers theory The Science of Unitary Human Beings is mainly focusing on
the four concepts and three principles of homeodynamic that are energy fields,
openness, pattern, pandimensional, integrality, resonance and helicy respectively.

Assumptions

 Human being is considered as whole which cannot be viewed as subparts.

 The life process of human is irreparable and one way that is from birth to death.
 Health and illness are the continuous expression of the life process.
 The energy flows freely between the individual and the environment.
 Human being possesses the ability to think, imagine, sense, feel, and can use language
for expression.
 Human beings have the ability to adapt according to the new changes in the
environment.

Major Concepts

Roger postulates that human beings are dynamic energy fields integrated with environmental
fields. Human and environment field are identified by pattern and characterized by a universe
of open systems from these concepts in her 1983 paradigm, she postulated four building
blocks for her model - energy field, a universe of open systems, pattern and four
dimensionality.

In 1922, Rogers changed four dimensionality to pandimensionality.

 Energy Fields

Openness

Pandimensional Pattern

ENERGY FIELDS

 All the human beings are viewed as an integral part of the universe.
 Human beings and environment have energy field, nursing action is directed towards
patterning and maintaining these energy fields.
 MG feels other inevitable part of life. And environment both have energy field which
is open that is energy can freely flow between human and environment.

OPENNESS

 The human and environmental fields are constantly exchanging energy.

 There is no boundary or barrier that can inhibit the flow of energy between human
and environment which leads to the continuous movement or matter of energy.

PATTERN

 Pattern identifies energy fields. Is the distinguishing character of a field and is

perceived as a single wave the nature of the pattern changes continuously and
innovatively.
  Each human field pattern is unique and is integral with its own environment field.

PANDIMENSIONALITY

 Pandimensionality is defined as “a nonlinear domain without spatial or temporal

attributes.”
 The term pandimensional provides for an infinite domain without limit it best
expresses the idea of a unitary whole.

Principles of Homeodynamics:

 Homeodynamics refers to the balance between the dynamic life process and
environment.
 These principles help to view human as unitary human being.
 The three separate principles are integrity, resonancy and helicy.
a) Principle of Integrity
 Energy fields are dynamic and constantly interact with the human and environment,
which affects our environment and vice versa.
 This is the principle on which meditation and humor works to produce a positive
environment.
b) Principle of Resonancy
 It is an ordered arrangement of rhythm characterizing both human field and
environmental field.
 There is constant change in the way or pattern of the energy field from a lower to
higher frequency.
 This movement of energy can be made by human touch, guided imagery activities,
storytelling and other active use of imagination.
c) Principle of Helicy
 Any minute change in the environment which leads to ripple effect that is results in a
larger change in other field.
 This change is constant, unpredictable and there are many factors which mutually
interact and cause the change.

METAPARADIGM IN NURSING

The basic concepts common to all nursing models are nursing, man, health, and environment.
Rogers used the term man refers to person and humankind.
 NURSING

PERSON

ENVIRONMENT

HEALTH

A. Nursing
 Rogers describes nursing as a learnt profession that is both a science dedicated to
compassionate concern for maintaining and promoting health, preventing illness and
caring for and rehabilitating the sick and disabled.
 Nursing is a science of unitary human being and is therefore unique because it is the
only science that deals with the whole person.
B. Person
 Rogers defines person as an open system is in continuous process with the open
system that is environment.
 She defines unitary human as an irreducible.
C. Environment
 Rogers defines environment as an irreducible pandimensional energy field identified
by pattern and manifesting characteristics different from those of the parts.
 Each environment field is specific to its given human field. Both change continuously
and creatively.
D. Health
 According to Rogers, Health is determined by interaction between energy fields that is
human and environment.
 Bad interaction or misplacing of the energy leads to illness.
APPLICATION TO NURSING
1. Clinical Practice
 Based on Roger’s theory, disease conditions must be regarded as manifestations of
the total patterns of the individual in interaction with the environment.
 Rogers expects change in nursing practice based on her model for example, aging
process can be perceived not as a decline but as a growing diversity in field pattern.
 So, many of the characteristics of the old people such as sleep disturbances, are not
abnormal and do not need interventions.
 Nursing care should become more individualized to a specific person in their own
unique situations, rather than using mass criteria for large clumps for individuals.
2. Education
 Rogers emphasizes structuring the nursing education programs to teach nursing as
a science and as a learned profession.
 The education of nurses should be committed to human service. She proposed that
the preparation for learnt practice in nursing required the bachelor’s degree.
3. Research
 Rogers model is directly related to research and theory development in nursing
science. Rogers expects the theory emerging from her model to ultimately explain,
product and prescribe about unitary man and life process phenomena. Hence,
there is a need for both basic and applied research.
 Research application-
 M B Thompson et al(Jan, 1994), conducted a randomized experimental study on
the effects of guided imagery on anxiety levels and movement of clients
undergoing magnetic resonance imaging.
 Subjects who listen to a guided imagery/relaxation tape before their MRI scan and
used guided imagery during their scan had lower levels of state anxiety than the
control group based on subject report and operator report the experimental group
moved less frequently during the MRI than the control group. The results of this
investigation support the use of guided imagery as a therapeutic intervention and
Roger’s science of unitary human beings.
CRITIQUE
 Simplicity: Roger’s conceptual model is not simple, it is complex. She uses
multiple concepts that are not easily understood.
 Generality: Rogers model is abstract and is therefore generalizable and powerful.
Is usually considered a macro theory first off it is brought in scope and attempts to
explain everything.
 Empirical precision: Rogers model is deductive in logic and lacks empirical
support. The difficulty in understanding the principles, lack of operational
definitions and inadequate tools for measurement are the major limitations to
effective utilization of this theory.

STRENGTHS OF ROGER’S THEORY

 Martha Rogers’ concepts provide a worldview from which nurses may derive theories
and hypotheses and propose relationships specific to different situations.
 Rogers’ theory is not directly testable due to a lack of concrete hypotheses, but it is
testable in principle.

WEAKNESSES OF ROGER’S THEORY

 Rogers’ model does not define particular hypotheses or theories, for it is an abstract,
unified, and highly derived framework.
 Testing the concepts’ validity is questionable because its concepts are not directly
measurable.
 The theory was believed to be profound and was too ambitious because the concepts
are extremely abstract.
 Rogers claimed that nursing exists to serve people. However, nurses’ roles were not
clearly defined.
 The purpose of nurses is to promote health and well-being for all persons wherever
they are. However, Rogers’ model has no concrete definition of a health state.
CONCLUSION
Rogers abstract conceptual model is broad in scope. The complexity of the single variable the
summative unit “unitary man” the model is not meant to be testable but here is drawn from it
are testable. It provides a substantive base for research and theory development, which
provides the knowledge base for practice. Rogers model challenges the research, the
education and the practitioners to meet their social obligations in creative ways so top her
conceptual model of unitary man presents a clear direct statement about the unique phases of
nursing and visionary perspective of nursing as science and art.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Book References-

 Reddamma GG, Advance Concepts of Nursing Practice, 1 st edition (reprint). New

Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers; 2023. P. 361-65.

Net References-

 https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/martha-rogers-theory/66310123
 https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/subh-martha/47181598
 https://journals.lww.com/hnpjournal/abstract/1994/01000/
the_effects_of_guided_imagery_on_anxiety_levels.11.aspx