Martha Rogers: Science of Unitary Human Beings

Study Notes

Background:
- Born in 1914 in Dallas, Texas.
- Earned a nursing diploma from Knoxville General Hospital School of Nursing in 1936 and a Public Health Nursing degree from George Peabody College in Tennessee in 1937.
- Received her Master’s degree from Teachers College at Columbia University in 1945, and her Doctorate from Johns Hopkins University in 1954.
- Died on March 13, 1994.
- Worked as a professor at New York University’s School of Nursing.
- Fellow for the American Academy of Nursing.
Key Publications:
- Theoretical Basis of Nursing (1970)
- Nursing Science and Art: A Prospective (1988)
- Nursing: Science of Unitary, Irreducible, Human Beings Update (1990)
- Vision of Space Based Nursing (1990)
Assumptions:
- Wholeness: The human being is considered a united whole.
- Openness: A person and their environment continuously exchange energy with each other.
- Unidirectionality: The life process of a human being evolves irreversibly and unidirectionally, from birth to death.

Evaluative and Diagnostic Phase:
- Determining the well-being status of the patient and their family at the time.
Interventive Phase:
- Implementing nursing interventions for the patient.
Education:
- Students have individual personalities and patterns to their work.
- Students are unitary human beings and should be interacted with differently.
- Culture, family, and experiences affect their reasons and motives to become a nurse.
- Focus on the “integrality of person and environment, the individual’s active participation in change, and each person’s individual pattern.”
Research:
- The theory applies to any environment that contains human beings.
- Focuses nursing interventions on the patient’s overall well-being and not just their disease state.
- Encourages the use of guided imagery, relaxation, therapeutic touch, and meditation.

Clarity:
- It is difficult to understand the principles, lacking operational definitions and adequate tools for measurement.
- The model has passed the test of time for the development of nursing science as nursing matured as a science.
Simplicity:
- The model, when examined in total perspective, is still classified as complex.
- Its continued use in practice, research, and education will help nurses appreciate its elegance.

Martha Rogers was a nurse, educator, and researcher who developed the Science of Unitary Human Beings theory.
She believed that human beings are not separate from their environment but rather exist in a continuous energy exchange with it.
Rogers saw human beings as "unitary" and "irreducible." This means that they cannot be broken down into separate parts or systems.
Rogers theory views human beings as evolving irreversibly and unidirectionally from the moment of birth to death.

Rogers' theory impacts nursing practice in the evaluative and diagnostic phases.
Nurses assess patients and their families holistically, considering well-being at a given time.
Rogers' theory inspires interventions that focus on the patient's overall well-being rather than simply the disease state.
Nurses use guided imagery, relaxation techniques, therapeutic touch, and meditation as interventions based on Rogers' theory.

Rogers' theory encourages educators to recognize students as unique individuals.
Students should be seen and treated as "unitary human beings" with distinct personalities and learning patterns.
Their cultural backgrounds, family experiences, and individual motivations influence their paths to nursing.

Rogers' theory has been found applicable in various environments where human beings exist.
Research supports its focus on nursing interventions that prioritize patient well-being, including a holistic approach to care.

Rogers' theory has faced criticism regarding the clarity of its principles, lack of defined operational definitions, and limited tools for measurement. However, it continues to be relevant and influential in advancing nursing science.

Wholeness: Human beings are considered as a united whole.
Openness: Person and environment are continuously interacting via energy exchange.
Unidirectionality: The human life process evolves irreversibly and unidirectionally from birth to death.