Roger’s Theory

Rogers' theory

Rogers' theory is known as the Science of Unitary

Human Beings. Its primary tenets include the
following: Nursing is both a science and art; the
uniqueness of nursing, like that of any other
science, lies in the phenomenon central to its focus.
 Biography

• She was born in Dallas, Texas May 12, 1914; sharing her birthday
with Florence Nightingale.
• Her family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee before she turned one.
• As a young child she was very inquisitive to gain more and more
knowledge, she had passion of reading books
• In 1936 She attended nursing diploma programme at Knoxville
General Hospital
• She continued her schooling at George Peabody College and
completed Bachelors of Science in Public Health Nursing in 1937.
• She worked as a Public Health Nurse for two years after
obtaining degree in Public Health Nursing.
 Biography

• After completing her Masters in Public Health Nursing from

Teachers College Columbia University in 1946, she started
working as a public health nurse.
• She worked as director of Visiting Nurses Association in
Phoenix, Arizona.
• In 1951 she joined Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore and
completed Doctor of Science in 1954 while she was working at
Catholic University.
• After completing her Doctor of Science she served as the Head
of the Division of nursing at New York University
• In 1963 she edited the second journal in Nursing i.e. Nursing
Science
 Biography

• An Introduction to the Theoretical Basis of Nursing

was the most famous work of Rogers which was
published in 1970.
• In 1975 she retired as Head of the Division of nursing
from New York University
• She joined Emeritus University in 1979 as a
Professor and continued to work on The Science of
Unitary Human Beings till the time of her demise in
March 13, 1994.
 Assumptions

• Human being is considered as whole which cannot be viewed as

subparts.
• The life process of human is irreparable and one way i.e. from
birth to death.
• Health and illness are the continuous expression of the life
process.
• The energy flows freely between the individual and
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.
Concepts:
 Energy fields:

• it is the inevitable part of life. Human and

environment both have energy field which is open
i.e. energy can freely flow between human and
environment.
 Openness:

 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:

 Is the distinguishing character of the energy field.

Pandimensioal: • Undeviating field which is not
constricted by space or time, it is an infinite domain
without boundary.
 Principle 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
integrality, resonancy, and heliecy.
 Principles of integrality

• 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.
 Principles of Resonancy

• It is an ordered arrangement of rhythm

characterizing both human field and environmental
field.
• 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, drawing,
storytelling and other active use of imagination.
Principles of heliecy
Metaparadig
m in Nursing
Person
Environment
Health
Nursing
 Person

• A unitary human being is open systems which

continuously interact with environment. A person
cannot be viewed as parts, it should be considered as
a whole.
 Environment

• it includes the entire energy field other than a person.

• These energy fields are irreducible, not limited by
space and time, identified by its pattern and
organization
 Health

• Not clearly defined by Roger. It is determined by the

interaction between energy fields i.e. human and
environment.
• Bad interaction or misplacing of the energy leads to
illness.
 Nursing

• Is both science and art.

• It constantly maintains the energy field which is
conducive for patient.
• Nursing action directs the interaction of person and
environment to maximize health potential.
 Clinical Practice

• Nursing action is always focused on unitary human

being and change the energy field between human
and environment.
• Nursing interventions include all the noninvasive
actions such as guided imaginary, humor,
therapeutic touch, music etc. which are used to
increase the potential of human being.
 Clinical practice cont…

• The more importance should be on the management

of pain, supportive psychotherapy and rehabilitation
of the human being.
 Nursing Education

• Emphasis should be given on the understanding of

the patient and self, energy field and environment.
• Training should lay more focus on teaching non-
invasive modalities such as therapeutic touch,
meditation, humor, regular in-service education
programme etc.
 Nursing Research

• Rogerian theory has been used in many research

works and has always been found testable and
applicable in research.
 Pattern appraisal

 It is an inclusive assessment of human and

environment energy fields, its organization of energy
field, and identification of areas of dissonance. •
Nurses validate the entire appraisal along with the
client.
 Mutual patterning:

• It is the proper patterning of the energy fields

between the human and environment.
• It is the mutual interaction between the client and
nurse
• Patterning can be done by suggesting the various
alternatives, educating, empowering, encouraging
etc. depending on the client’s condition and needs.
Mutual patterning cont..
• Pattern appraisal include appraisal of nutrition, rest
and sleep, exercises, discomfort, and relation with
others.
• The pattering activities can be therapeutic touch,
meditation, humor, imaginery etc.
 Evaluation

• Evaluation is done by repeating the pattern appraisal

after the mutual patterning to determine the extents
of dissonance and harmony.
 Clinical scenario:

• Mr. X is a 54 years old male admitted in the Male

Psychiatric ward with the diagnosis of major depression
secondary to the diagnosis of Myocardial Infraction (MI).
• He was very tense and sobbing during the history collection.
• He was accompanied by his wife and son. Even though his
wife was anxious but still she was supportive and helpful.
• Mr. X was diagnosed with MI four months back and
underwent the angioplasty three months ago.
• Currently he is on Antihypertensives
 Clinical scenario

He started to show the sings and symptoms of

depression from the past one month.
• He used to sit alone, diminished the activities of daily
living, regular crying spells, decreased chat, self
muttering, insomnia, anorexia, body aches, least
bothered about personal hygiene, two days before he
attempted suicide by hanging on ceiling fan.
• His present findings based on the assessment shows
that he is very tearful, socially withdrawn, nutritional
status is impaired, crying spells, sad mood, and risk for
committing suicide.
 Mutual patterning of the human and
environmental fields includes:

sharing knowledge
offering choices
empowering the patient
fostering patterning
evaluation
repeat pattern appraisal, which includes nutrition,
work/leisure activities, wake/sleep cycles, relationships,
pain, and fear/hopes
identify dissonance and harmony
validate appraisal with the patient
self-reflection for the patient
Rogers’ concepts provide a worldview from which
Strengths

nurses may derive theories and hypotheses and

propose relationships specific to different situations.
Rogers’ theory is not directly testable due to lack of
concrete hypotheses, but it is testable in principle.
 Weaknesses

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 health state.