MS. RITIKA SONI ASS. PROF. SNC, SHIMLA

1. Martha E. Roger’s theory:
“science of
unitary human
beings”
Presenter: Ms. Ritika soni

3. BIOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION TO THEORY
ESSENSE OF THEORY
DEFINITION OF NURSING
 SUHB COMPRISES OF:
Five assumption,
Four major concepts
Three major principles
FOUR METAPARADIGMS
APPLICATION OF THEORY AND
NURSING PROCESS
 APPLICATION OTHER THEORY IN
OTHER AREAS
CRITIQUES OF THEORY
EXAMPLE-2
CONCLUSION

4. • Born : May 12, 1914, Dallas, Texas, USA, Sharing her birthday
with Florence Nightingale.
• Eldest of four children of Rogers family.
• Nursing Diploma : Knoxville General Hospital School of
Nursing(1936)
• Graduation in Public Health Nursing : George Peabody
College, 1937
• Masters degree(MA) :Teachers college, Columbia university,
New York, 1945
• MPH :Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 1952
• Doctorate in nursing :Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore, 1954

5. Position: Appointed as Professor & head of the division of
nursing at New York University at 21 yrs until her retirement
in 1975 and Consultant, Speaker
Died : March 13 , 1994
Memorial placed in the sidewalk near her
childhood home in Knoxville by Gamma Chi,
Sigma Theta Tau, International. Photo by
Martha Alligood

6. Professional work
Her main focus was on nursing education
She also worked as a public health nurse, staff nurse,
a supervisor, and education director, in Hartford.
In 1979, she became “Professor Emerita” at Emeritus
university as a professor and continued to work on the
science of unitary human beings till the time of her
demise in march 13, 1994.
She was honored with numerous awards and citations
for her sustained contributions to theoretical basis of
nursing & science.
In 1988, society of Rogerion scholars was formed

7. Publications of Martha Rogers
Her publications includes three books & more than 200
articles:
 Educational revolution in nursing(1961)
 Reveille in nursing (1964)
 An introduction to the theoretical basis of nursing
(1970)
Famous publications:
 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)

8. Awards and Honors
Martha Rogers was honored with numerous awards and
citations for her sustained contributions to nursing and
science.
In 1996, she was posthumously inducted into
the American Nurses Association’s Hall of Fame.

9. Introduction of theory
The initial idea was gained from the Florence
Nightingale, who is recognized as mother of
nursing with the environmental theory.
She defined and described the concept of
ventilation, warmth, light, diet, cleanliness & noise,
as the main environmental factors.
Chin and Kramer (2011) revealed that this
theory has impacted to distinct from medicine and
nursing and recognition of nursing as a profession.

10. • 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 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.

11. Essence of Theory
The energy field of the human being interacts with the
energy field environment. (The human being and the
environment cannot be understood in isolation of each
other).
Nursing Client: Human beings-environment energy
fields relationship.
Nursing therapeutics: “Repatterning of man and
environment for more effective fulfilment of life’s
capabilities”

13. ROGER’S DEFINITION OF NURSING
Rogers’ theory defined Nursing as “an art and science that
is humanistic and humanitarian. It is directed toward the
unitary human and is concerned with the nature and
direction of human development. The goal of nurses is to
participate in the process of change.”

14. PROF. M. ROGER’S THEORY
“science of unitary human beings”
Professor Roger’s development of the said theory has
become an influential nursing theory in the united
states.
The science of unitary human beings comprises of :
Five assumption,
Four major concepts
Three major principles

15. Five
Assumption
• Energy field
• Openness
• Pattern
• Pan dimensionality
Four major
concepts are :
• Integrality.
• Resonancy
• Helicy
Three major
principles
(homeodynamic
principles include:

17. 1.Wholeness:
Human being is considered as united
whole, can’t viewed as subpart

18. 2. Openness:
A person and his environment are continuously
exchanging matter & energy with each other

19. 3.Unidirectionality:
The life process of human being evolves irreversibly
and unidirectional i.e. from birth to death

20. 4. Pattern and organization:
Identifying individuals & reflecting their wholeness are
life’s pattern. These patterns allow for self- regulation,
rhythmicity & dynamisms. They give unity to diversity
and reflect a dynamic and creative universe.
Thus, fourth assumption is that Pattern identifies
individuals and reflects their innovative wholeness.

21. 5.Sentience and thought
Human being is characterized by the capacity for
abstraction and imagery, language & thought, sensation
& emotion. Of all the earth’s life forms, only the human
is a sentient thinking being who perceives and ponders
the vastness of the cosmos (universe seen as a well-
ordered whole).

23. Major
Concepts
Energy
field
Openness
Pattern
Pan-
dimensionality

25. 1.Energy field
• It is inevitable part of life. Fundamental unit of
both living and non living environments.Human
and environment both have energy field which
is open i.e. energy can freely flow between
human and environment
• Energy fields have no boundaries ;they are
indivisible & extend to infinity.

26. 2. 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.

27. 3.Pattern
• The interchange between and among energy
fields has patterns. These are not fixed but
change as situation require.
• Pattern is defined as the "distinguishing
characteristic of an energy field perceived as a
single waves"
• "Pattern is an abstraction and it gives identity
to the field"

28. 4.Pan - dimensionality
• The interchanges occur at different points in
the four dimensionality of space-time.
• Pan dimensionality is defined as "non linear
domain without spatial or temporal attributes"
• Human being are pan dimensional being and
have more than three dimension.

29. Synergy is defined as the unique behavior of whole
systems, unpredicted by any behaviors of their component
functions taken separately.
Human behavior is synergistic.

31. Homeodynamic principles
• Homeodynamics should be understood as
a dynamic version of homeostasis
• Homeodynamics refers to the balance
between the dynamic life process and
environment.
• These principles help to view human as
unitary human being.
• Three principle of homeodynamics
– Integrality
– Resonancy
– Helicy

32. 1. Principle of Integrality
a).Principle of Reciprocy
Postulates the inseparability of man and environment and
predicts that sequential changes in life process are
continuous, probabilistic revisions occurring out of the
interactions between man and environment.
b) . Principle of Synchrony
This principle predicts that change in human behavior will be
determined by the simultaneous interaction of the actual
state of the human field and the actual state of the
environmental field at any given point in space-time.

33. 1. Principle of Integrality (Synchrony + Reciprocy)
Because of the inseparability of human beings and their
environment, sequential changes in the life processes are
continuous revisions occurring from the interactions
between human beings and their environment.
Between the two entities, there is a constant mutual
interaction and mutual change whereby simultaneous
molding is taking place in both at the same time.

35. 2.Principle of Resonancy
It speaks to the nature of the change occurring between
human and environmental fields. The life process in human
beings is a symphony of rhythmical vibrations oscillating at
various frequencies.
It is the identification of the human field and the
environmental field by wave patterns manifesting continuous
change from longer waves of lower frequency to shorter
waves of higher frequency.
This movement of energy can be made by human touch,
guided imagery activities, drawing, story-telling & other active
use of imagination.

36. 3.Principle of Helicy
The human-environment
field is a dynamic, open
system in which change is
continuous due to the constant
interchange between the
human and environment.
This change is also
innovative. Because of
constant interchange, an open
system is never exactly the
same at any two moments;
rather, the system is
continually new or different.

37. METAPARADIGMS

38. Roger’s theory and Metaparadigm
Person
Environment
Health
Nursing

39. 1. Unitary Human Being (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.
OR
A unitary human being is an "irreducible, indivisible, pan
dimensional (four-dimensional) energy field identified by
pattern and manifesting characteristics that are specific to
the whole and which cannot be predicted from knowledge
of the parts" and "a unified whole having its own distinctive
characteristics which cannot be perceived by looking at,
describing, or summarizing the parts“

40. 2. Environment
• It includes the entire energy field other
than a person.
The environment is an "irreducible, pan
dimensional energy field identified by
pattern and integral with the human field"

41. 3. Health
"an expression of the life process; they are the
characteristics and behaviour emerging out of the
mutual, simultaneous interaction of the human and
environmental fields“
 Health and illness are the part of the sane
continuum.
Bad interaction or misplacing of energy leads to
illness.

42. 4. Nursing
• Nursing is both science and art.
• Nursing exists to serve people by constantly maintains
the energy fields which is conducive for patient.
• Nursing action directs the interaction of person &
environment to maximize health potential.
Nursing as a science
The theory asserts the independent science of nursing
because an organized body of knowledge which is
specific to nursing is arrived at by scientific research and
logical analysis.
Nursing as an art
Rogers claimed that the creative use of science for the
betterment of humans and the creative use of its
knowledge is the art of its nursing.

43. Nursing process- Health Patterning
Practice method
1.Assessment
2.Voluntary
mutual
patterning
3.Evaluation

44. 1.ASSESSMENT
For the nurse
Pattern appraisal
Mutual patterning of
human and environmental
fields
Evaluation
For the patient
Self-reflection
Patterning activities
Personal appraisal

46. A).Pattern appraisal include appraisal of
multiple lifestyle rhythms such as:
Nutrition
Work/leisure activities
Exercise
Sleep / wake cycles
Relationships
Discomfort or pain
Fear /hopes

47. b)

48. 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

49. Patterning activities for the client
 Meditation
 Imagery
 Journaling
 Modifying the surroundings

51. Application of SUHB IN OTHER
AREAS:
Clinical
Practice
Education Research

52. 1.Clinical practice
• Nursing action is always focused on
unitary human being and change the
energy field between human and
environment.
• Nursing action include all non-invasive
actions such as guided imaginary, humor,
therapeutic touch, music etc. which are
used to increase the potential of human
field.
• The more importance should be on the
management of pain, supportive therapy
and rehabilitation.

54. • Example in Nursing care plan:
• MS. X, 22 years old female was admitted in
psychiatric hospital with severe depression
secondary to diagnosis of ovarian malignancy.
She became tearfull while history taking. She
was accompanied by her husband and 1 year
old child. Her husband appear anxious but
supportive. She was diagnosed with ovarian
cancer 2 month ago and underwent surgery for
same. From past three week she started sitting
alone, decreased activity of daily living, repeated
crying spells, decreased talk, decreased sleep,
neglecting her child care, and also attempted
suicide.

55. 2.Nursing education
• Emphasis should be given on the
understanding of the patient and self,
energy field and environment.
• Example :
Training should lay more focus on
teaching non-invasive modalities such
as therapeutic touch, meditation, humor,
regular in service education programme
etc.

56. 3.Research
• Rogerian theory has been used in many
research works and has always found
testable and applicable in research.
• Example:-
A study to assess the effectiveness of
music therapy on stress reduction
among postmenopausal women
residing in Hudco Colony, Coimbatore

57. • A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of
Yoga Therapy in Reducing Stress
among Primary Care Givers of
Psychiatric Patients.

58. Strengths
1.Rogers’ concepts seems to quite difficult
to understand.
• But it’s a parsimonious theory.
• Parsimony refers to theory based on
simple assumption but proves to be very
valuable.
2.Overall Rogerion SUBH is considered as
complex but still efforts are going on to
clarify the complex concepts.

59. 3. The uses on non-invasive modalities are very
useful and important in many areas.
SUBH is the foundation of many theories and it
can be apply in a variety of settings and all
spheres of life.
4. Theory has been used in many research work
and has been found testable but found difficult
to understand the concepts.

60. Weaknesses
• Overall this theory is considered as very complex
concept and quite difficult to understand.
• 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.

64. Mrs. X is a 22years old female admitted in a psychiatry unit with severe
depression secondary to diagnosis of ovarian malignancy.
She becomes tearful during history taking. She is accompanied with her
husband and 1year old child.
Her husband appeared anxious but supportive and attentive …………he is
working as an accountant in their native place.
She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer 2 months back and underwent
bilateral salpingioopherectomy and hysterectomy………30days ago.
She is undergoing chemotherapy due to its Metastatic pattern
From past 3 weeks Radha started sitting lonely, decreased ADL, repeated
crying spells, decreased talk, neglects hygiene, muttering to self, decreased
sleep, appetite, neglecting her child care, complaints of severe pain in the
body 3 days back attempted suicide by consuming rat poison.
Current assessment findings …….her general appearance is a teary eyed young
woman ,ill-kept, clinging to her husband, looking perplexed, not talking…..poor
nutritional intake, when asked about her illness….cries inconsolably …on
repeated asking expressed sadness of mood.
EXAMPLE-2

65. Nursing care of mrs. X with Rogers model
With rogerian model, the process of caring MRS. X
begins with pattern appraisal
Nursing care involve : Pattern appraisal, Mutual
Patterning, and Evaluation

66. 1.Pattern appraisal
This visible rhythmical pattern is a manifestation of
evolution towards dissonance
MRS. X has pattern manifestation of
dissonance……..depression with suicidal ideation,
ovarian malignancy, pain
She has a low educational background
A pattern activity of healing is noted through reports of
a positive operative course
Patterning has to be directed towards reduction in
perceived dissonance with her personal and
environmental field
Pain is a manifestation of perceived dissonance
Decreased environmental energy transfer is visible by
decreased talking and crying

67. •She has manifestation of fear…….her self-knowledge
links her illness to her personal belief of being punished
for her past sins
•Appraisal is needed in her sleep patterns, nutrition and
her perception of self
•Appraisal can be grouped into exchanging patterns,
communication patterns, and relating patterns
•Time between nurse and Mrs. X is needed to foster her
healing
•During the process nurse must rely on personal
intuition and insight regarding the emerging pattern
•All this pattern forms the unitary pattern of MRS. X

68. 2. Mutual patterning
•The process is mutual between the nurse and MRS.X
•The surgery performed, medication she is receiving are
patterning modalities
•Patterning activities planned by the nurse for MRS. X
……..therapeutic touch, humor , meditation, imagery
•She needs to be assessed fully regarding her ability to
understand and agree with different patterning
modalities
•Therapeutic touch can be introduced to Mrs. X
•Touch is given and incorporated into the management
of pain, helps in energy transmission for healing and
…….helps in developing trust in the nurse

69. Teach her how to center the energy and channel her
energy to the area of pain
Use humor for increasing socialization and developing
self-confidence and developing worthiness
Human environmental patterning needs to involve the
other individual who share her environment including
husband and son
Options are introduced relating to increase
communication and hygiene patterns
The entire family is involved in power as knowing
participation in change

70. 3.Evaluation
•The evaluation process centers on the perceptions of
dissonance that exist after the mutual pattern activities
•The appraisal process is repeated
•Manifestation of worry, pain, fear, sadness of mood has
to be appraised with family members
•A summary of the dissonance and/or harmony that is
perceived is then shared with MRS. X, and mutual
patterning is modified or instituted as indicated based
on the evaluation.

71. Summary and Conclusion
• The Science of Unitary Human Beings is highly
generalizable as the concepts and ideas are
not confined with a specific nursing approach
unlike the usual way of other nurse theorists in
defining the major concepts of a theory.
• Rogers gave much emphasis on how a nurse
should view the patient. She developed
principles which emphasizes that a nurse
should view the client as a whole.
• Her statements, in general, made us believe that
a person and his or her environment are integral
to each other. That is, a patient can’t be
separated from his or her environment when
addressing health and treatment.

72. • Bibliography:
1. Basavanthappa BT : “ NURSING THEORIES” ; 1ST Edition
2007 ; Jaypee brother publication ; New delhi. Page no : 273-
285
2. Navdeep kaur brar, “ ADVANCE NURSING PRACTICE”; 1st
edition,
2015; jaypee brother publications, new delhi; p.p-615 -
623.
3. Potter and perry : “ FUNDAMENTAL OF NURSING”; 7TH
edition
; Elsevier publication, Nodia. Page no: 66-68.
4. Samta soni, “ TEXTBOOK OF ADVANCED NURSING
PRACTICE”;
1st edition, 2013; Jaypee publications, new delhi.p.p – 277-
285

73. • Websites :
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_E._Roge
rs
– nurseslabs.com/martha-e-rogers-theory-
unitary- human-beings
– www.nursing-theory.org/theories-
and.../roger-
theory-of-unitary-human-beings.php
– nursingtheories.weebly.com/martha-
rogers.html
– nsq.sagepub.com/content/1/2/50.refs
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAUyDMIhj
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