MARTHA E ROGER’S

THEORY

Submitted to:Mrs.Sunita Sharma

Presented by: Pamila
Msc.Nursing 1st year
 Martha Elizabeth Rogers
(1914-1994)

 Martha Elizabeth Rogers was born in

Dallas, Texas, on May 12, 1914
 1936 Nursing diploma from Knoxville
General Hospital School of nursing.
 1937 Bachelor of science degree in
public health nursing from George
Peabody college in Nashville.
 1945 Master’s degree from Teacher’s
College Columbia University, New York.
 1952-1975 Professor & Head of
Division of nursing at New York
University.
 BACKGROUND CONT….

 1963 Martha edited a journal

called Nursing Science
 In 1979 she became Professor
Emeritus until the time of her
death on March 13, 1994
 She wrote three books that
explicated her ideas:
 Educational Revolution in
Nursing (1961),
 Reveilli in Nursing (1964),
 An introduction to the
Theoretical Basis of Nursing
(1970)
MARTHA ROGERS’ SCIENCE OF UNITARY
HUMAN BEING THEORY
 Martha Rogers' Science
of Unitary Human
Beings theory has
become an influential
nursing theory in the
United States.
 Unitary refers to being
a whole which cannot
be broken down into
parts, or irreducible.
SCIENCE OF UNITARY HUMAN
BEING THEORY cont….
• Nursing is both a science & an art
• Purpose of Nurse: to promote health & well being
• Irreducible nature of individuals is different from
sum of the parts
• Nurses concerned with people & world & live in
close contact with people, environment
• Integralness of people & environment: the
identity of nursing as a science
• Development was strongly influenced by early
grounding of arts, background of science & her
interest in space
SCIENCE OF UNITARY HUMAN BEING
THEORY cont….
Martha Rogers' 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.
 SCIENCE OF UNITARY HUMAN BEING
THEORY cont…

 Rogers' framework allows for

an alternative to traditional
nursing. This framework
includes an open system world
view, and thus, has challenged
many traditional ideas about
nursing
ROGERS’ CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF
NURSING
Five basic assumptions underlay Rogers'
conceptual framework:

1.Wholeness
2.Openness
3.Unidirectionality
4.Pattern and Organization
5.Sentience and Thought
CONCEPTUAL MODEL cont..
1.WHOLENESS: First, the human
being is considered a unified whole
which is more than the sum of its
parts.

2.OPENNESS: Second, the person

and the environment are
continuously exchanging matter
and energy with each other.
CONCEPTUAL MODEL cont..
3.UNIDIRECTIONALITY: The life
process exists along an irreversible
space time continuum.
4.PATTERN AND ORGANISATION:
Pattern and organization are used to
identify individuals and mirror their
wholeness.
5.SENTIENCE AND THOUGHT:
Human beings are the only organisms
able to think abstractly, have language,
sensation and emotion.
 
 BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE
MODEL

In her 1983 paradigm, Rogers

postulated four building blocks of her
model. Energy field

A Universe of Pattern
open system

Four
dimensionality
BUILDING BLOCKS
CONT….
1.ENERGY FIELD:
Rogers defined the energy field
as
 “The fundamental unit of the
living and the non-living,”noting
that the energy field is infinite
and dynamic.
 She identified two energy
fields human field, or unitary
human being and the
environmental field.
BUILDING BLOCKS
CONT….
2.UNIVERSE OF OPEN
SYSTEMS:
 The concept of the universe
of open system holds that
energy fields are infinite, open
and integral with one another.
The human and the
environmental field are in
continuous process and are
open systems.
BUILDING BLOCKS CONT…

3.PATTERN :
 Rogers described pattern as changing
continuously while giving identity to each
unique human-environmental field process.
 Manifestations of pattern have been described
as unique.
 May be regarded as an indication of pain,
illness or disease.
 Human behavior can be regarded as
‘manifestation of changing pattern’
BUILDING BLOCKS CONT…

4.PANDIMENSIONALITY:
Rogers defines pandimensionality as a nonlinear
domain without spatial or temporal attributes.
This term provides for an infinite domain without
limit. It best expresses the idea of a unitary whole.
Energy fields (man and environment) are not
bound by time or space.
PRINCIPLES OF
HOMEODYNAMICS
MARTHA ROGERS’ THEORY HAS
THREE PRINCIPLES OF
HOMEODYNAMICS

1. RESONANCY
2. HELICY
3. INTEGRALITY
PRINCIPLES OF HOMEODYNAMICS

RESONANCY
It specifies the continues change from lower
to higher frequency patterns in human and
environmental fields.

Resonancy presents the way change occurs.

Rogers elaborated: “individuals experience

lesser diversity and greater diversity , time as
slower, faster, or unmoving.
PRINCIPLES OF HOMEODYNAMICS

RESONANCY Cont..
It describe the nature of change that
occurs between the two energy fields.
Life process changes are depicted as
rhythmical vibrations oscillating at
various frequencies and at varying
intensities.
PRINCIPLES OF HOMEODYNAMICS

HELICY:
Helicy is the “continuous innovative,
unpredictable, increasing diversity of human and
environmental field patterns”
Helicy is viewed as change occurring along a
spiraling, longitudinal axis bound by space and time.
The human field becomes increasingly diverse
over time, as it incorporates past patterns and
develops new ones.
As a person ages, old patterns are not repeated
but can recur at more complex levels
PRINCIPLES OF HOMEODYNAMICS

INTEGRALITY:

Integrality refers to the continuous

and mutual interaction between the
human and environmental fields.

As a result, sequential changes in life

processes take place at the same time
and in the same manner in both fields.
MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS

NURSING PERSON

ENVIRONMENT HEALTH
MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS:

NURSING
•Nursing is a learned profession:
Science, Art & Space
•Study of unitary human &
environmental energy field
•Nurse has to promote health & well
being of all person & group
•Health services should be community
based.
MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS cont..
NURSING
The art of nursing is to creative
use of science for human
betterment.
Professional practice in nursing
seeks to promote symphonic
interaction between human and
environmental fields.
Nursing aims to assist people in
achieving their maximum
potential.
MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS cont..

PERSON
Rogers defines person as an open
system in continuous process
 She defines unitary human being as an
“irreducible, indivisible, pandimensional
energy field identified by the pattern and
manifesting characteristics that are specific
to the whole”.
People and their environment are
perceived as irreducible energy fields
integral with one another.
MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS cont..
ENVIRONMENT
Rogers defines environment as a
irreducible, pan-dimensional energy field
identified by pattern.
 Each environmental field is specific to
its given human field. Both change
continuously and creatively.
Environment and human fields are in
mutual process.
Environment fields are infinite,
unpredictable and characterised by
increasing diversity.
MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS cont..
HEALTH
She uses the term passive health
to symbolise wellness and absence
of disease and major illness.
 Her promotion of positive health
connotes direction in helping
people with opportunities for
rhythmic consistency.
MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS cont..

HEALTH
Health and illness are
manifestations of pattern and are
considered to denote behaviours
that are of high value and low
value.
Events manifested in the life
process indicate the extent to which
man achieves maximum health
according to some value systems
APPLICATIONS OF THE THEORY

PRACTICE
The Rogerian model is an abstract
system of ideas from which to approach
the practice of nursing.
Rogers model,is relevant in today’s
health care system where continuum of
care is more important than episodic
illness and hospitalization.
The model provides the abstract
philosophical framework from which to
view the unitary human environmental
field phenomenon.
APPLICATIONS OF THE THEORY
cont…
PRACTICE
Within the Rogerian framework,
nursing is based on theoretical
knowledge that guides nursing practice.
 The professional practice of nursing is
creative and imaginative and exists to
serve people.
The Rogerian model provides a
challenging and innovative framework
from which to plan and implement
nursing practice.
APPLICATIONS OF THE THEORY
cont…
EDUCATION
In her view the professional nurse
need to be well rounded and
educated in the humanities, science
and nursing.
FOCUS OF CURRICULUM
•Conducting regular in-service
education
•Teaching & practicing therapeutic
touch
•Focus is on transmission of body of
knowledge
APPLICATIONS OF THE THEORY
cont…
EDUCATION
NURSING PROGRAMS
•Baccalaureate degree program
•Masters program
•Doctoral program
•Faculty must be at doctoral level
TEACHING LEARNING STRATEGIES
•Self awareness
•Laboratory study
•Use of media in education
APPLICATIONS OF THE THEORY
cont…
RESEARCH
Rogers conceptual model provides a
stimulus and direction for research
and theory development in nursing
science.
Rogers maintains that research in
nursing must examine unitary human
beings as integral with their
environment.
 Both quantitative and qualitative
approaches have been used in the
science of unitary human being
research
APPLICATIONS OF THE THEORY
cont…
S.No. AUTHOR’S STUDY RESULT
NAME&YEAR
1 Kaur A descriptive Each
Amarjit analytic study developmental
2002 on stage shows its
demographic diversity.
transition in Change is
respect to dynamic and
weight of evolutionary in
infants. nature. It was
creative and
constant.
APPLICATIONS OF THE THEORY
cont…
S.No Author’s name Study Result
&year

2. Adela To examine The correlations

yarcheski,R the between
N; relationship perceived field
PhD 2004 of perceived motion and
health each of the
status , other variables
health were
conception statistically
and well significant, and
being in early increased in
adolescents. magnitude from
perceived health
status to health
APPLICATIONS OF THE THEORY
cont…
S Author’s Study Results
no name

3 Hagemas Use of Use of therapeutic

ter, Julia therapeutic touch is effective
2000 touch in in prolonging
treatment of period of
drug addiction abstinence from
alcohol and other
drug abusers.
CRITIQUE OF THE THEORY

POSITIVE ASPECTS
Conceptual model is abstract & powerful
Broader in scope
Basis for the development of grand &
middle range theories- Newman’s Health
Expanding Consciousness

-Parse’s Human becoming

model
CRITIQUE OF THE THEORY

NEGATIVE ASPECTS
Does not do justice to the considerable
amount of work that has been performed
in its development & exploration, nor does
it critically analyze the logical or academic
adequacy of work
Less focus on health & nursing
Relationship among four concepts lacks
clarity
SUMMARY

In Martha Rogers Theory we have discussed:

Background of the theorist
Science of unitary human being
Conceptual framework
Building blocks of theory
Three principles of hemodynamics
Major assumptions
Applications of the theory
REFERENCES

  Parker E. Marilyn; Nursing theories and Nursing practice;

Second edition; page no. 192-122.
 Tomy Marriner Ann, Alligood Raile Martha; Nursing
theorists and their work; Fifth edition; Page no. 226-237.
 http://www.societyofrogerianscholars.org
 Malinski VM and Barrett EAM (1994) Martha E. Rogers:
Her life and work. Philadelphia, FA Davis.
 http://www.freeonlineresearchpapers.com/martha-e-rogers
 http://www.googles.com/current nursing; nursing theory
.html.