Nursing Theorist: Martha Rogers

MARTHA ROGERS
Dr. Martha Elizabeth Rogers

1914 – 1994
I. Biography
o Martha Elizabeth Rogers

was born in Dallas, Texas
on May 12, 1914, the
oldest of four children in
a family which strongly
valued education.
o The family moved to
Knoxville, TN where she
attended the University
of Tennessee in l93l
taking undergraduate
science courses for 2
years.
o But then she entered
nursing school at
Knoxville General
Hospital, received her
nursing diploma in 1936.
o She completed a BSN in Public Health Nursing from
George Peabody College (Nashville) in l937.
MARTHA ROGERS
o She worked as a public health nurse, first in Michigan,

then in Connecticut.
o In 1945 she earned her master's degree in public health
nursing supervision from Teacher's College Columbia
University.
o She was director of the Visiting Nurses Association in
Phoenix, AZ.
o She returned East in 1951 earning a M.P.H. from the
Johns Hopkins University while teaching at Catholic
University.
o She continued on at Johns Hopkins and completed a
Sc.D in 1954.
o She then began her long tenure with the Division of
Nursing Education at New York University. Her strong
background in sciences guided NYU to develop the
nursing program as a distinct body of scientific
knowledge.
o In 1961 she published Educational Revolution in
Nursing.
o In 1963 Martha edited a journal called Nursing Science.
o 1964 she published Reveille in Nursing.
o She first published her model of human interaction and
the nursing process in 1970 when she published An
Introduction to the Theoretical Basis of Nursing. This
view presented a drastic but attractive way of viewing
human interaction and the nursing process. Further
information on her theory can be found in publications
and on the Internet.
o Rogers officially retired as Professor and Head of the
Division of Nursing in 1975 after 21 years of service.
o In 1979 she became Professor Emeritus and continued
to have an active role in the development of nursing
until the time of her death on March 13, 1994. She was
80 years of age.
II. The Creation of the SUHB
Martha E. Rogers' creation of the Science of Unitary Human

Beings (SUHB) theory allowed nursing to be considered one of the
scientific disciplines. Rogers provided a framework for nursing study
and research that improved nursing education, practice and
research in the United States. She was born in 1914, attended the
University of Tennessee until 1933 and then entered the Knoxville
General Hospital School of Nursing. In 1936, she finished nursing
school and earned a BSN degree from George Peabody College the
following year. Rogers decided to work for several years as a public
health nurse before pursuing a graduate degree. She actually
earned two master's degrees, one in teaching and one in public
MARTHA ROGERS
health. However, Rogers did not stop at a master's level but instead
continued her education by obtaining a doctor of science degree. In
1954, she became a professor of nursing at New York University
(NYU) where she remained for 21 years (Nursing World). While at
NYU, Rogers revised curriculums, theory based learning and
established a five year BSN degree program. During her years at
NYU, she also developed the conceptual framework for the SUHB,
which presented a new way of viewing human interaction and the
nursing process (American Association for the History of nursing).
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 (Barrett, 2000). Rogers' framework allows
for an alternative to traditional nursing, which can be construed as
reductionistic, mechanistic and analytic. This framework includes an
open system world view, and thus, has challenged many traditional
ideas about nursing.
Five basic assumptions underlay Rogers' conceptual

framework: wholeness, openness, Unidirectionality, pattern and
organization, and sentience and thought (Barrett, 2000). First, the
human being is considered a unified whole which is more than the
sum of its parts. Second, the person and the environment are
continuously exchanging matter and energy with each other. Third,
the life process exists along an irreversible space time continuum.
Fourth, pattern and organization are used to identify individuals and
mirror their wholeness. Fifth, human beings are the only organisms
able to think abstractly, have language, sensation and emotion.
There are four main topics that are addressed by nursing

theorists: people, the environment, health and nursing. Rogers'
conceptual framework can be analyzed using these four topics. The
way that these subjects are viewed affects the nature of nursing
that the SUHB theory describes (Barrett, 2000). A Person is defined
by Rogers as a being and energy field in constant interaction with
the environment. A person is an open system, more than the sum of
its parts. The environment is an energy field including everything
that is not the person. Next, health is viewed in terms of choosing
actions that lead to the fulfillment of a person's potential, and lastly,
nursing tries to direct the interaction of the person and the
environment in order to maximize health potential.
Martha Rogers' theory has three principles of homeodynarnic.

First, Integrality a human energy and environmental energy are
integrated, one affects the other. Second, Helicy is all energy
patterns are continuous and unpredictable providing increasing
diversity. Lastly, Resonance is a continuous change in energy fields
MARTHA ROGERS
from lower to higher frequency patterning which is best represented

by our wake-sleep cycles.
Martha Rogers' development of the Science of Unitary Human

Beings has become an influential nursing theory in the United
States. When first introduced it was considered radical, and difficult
to understand, but now is simply thought to be ahead of its time.
This conceptual framework has greatly influenced all facets of
nursing by offering an alternative to traditional approaches of
nursing.
III. Martha Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings

Important Terms:
Wholeness - in which the human being is regarded as a unified

whole which is more than and different from the sum of the parts.
Openness - where the individual and the environment are

continuously exchanging matter and energy with each other.
Unidirectionality - where the life process exists along an

irreversible space time continuum.
Pattern and Organization - which identifies individuals and

reflects their innovative wholeness.
Sentience and Thought - which states that of all life, human

beings are the only ones capable of abstraction and imagery,
language and
thought, sensation and emotion.
HUMAN: “an irreducible, indivisible, pandimensional energy field

identified by pattern and manifesting characteristics that are
specific to the whole and cannot be predicted from the parts".
ENVIRONMENT: Rogers defined the environment as being in

constant interaction with the person, or human field pattern
manifestation. Furthermore, it has been defined very simply as
everything that is not of the human field pattern manifestation,. It
has been defined 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."
HEALTH: "health is participation in the life process by choosing and

executing behaviors that lead to the optimum fulfillment of a
persons’ potential” and that "health is a rhythmic patterning of
energy that is mutually enhancing and expresses full life potential".
MARTHA ROGERS
NURSING: "as a science, designates the term nursing as a noun

and signifies that nursing is an organized body of abstract
knowledge. Traditionally, the term has been used as a verb. Nursing,
the science-noun, indicates that there is a body of knowledge
specific to nursing." So nursing as a science is using the word as a
noun, but Rogers also stated that she believed that nursing is an art,
and in that case the word should be used as a verb. This has been
consistently reiterated throughout the history of the Science of
Unitary Human Beings.
"Nursing seeks to promote symphonic interaction between the

environment and man, to strengthen the coherence and integrity of
the human beings, and to direct and redirect patterns of interaction
between man and his environment for the realization of maximum
health potential".
The goal of nursing according to Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human

Beings is to promote human-environment field patterning and the
nursing process.
###
Sources:
Buchinger, K.L. (1992). Martha E. Rogers In: American nursing: A

biographical dictionary, Vol II. V.L. Bullough, V.L., O.M. Church, & A.P.
Stein, (Eds.). New York: Garland.
Hektor, L.M. (1989). Martha E. Rogers: A Life History. Nursing

Science Quarterly 2; 2, 63-73.
Malinski, V.M., and Barrett, E.A.M. (1994). Martha E. Rogers: Her Life
and Work. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.
Safier, G. (1977). Contemporary American leaders in nursing: An

oral history. New York: McGraw Hill.
http://www.nurses.info/nursing_theory_person_rogers_martha.htm/
http://www.freeonlineresearchpapers.com/martha-e-rogers/
http://www.asu.edu/nursing/courses/nur361/leader27/
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What were Martha Rogers' educational background and career path?

What were Martha Rogers' educational background and career path?

What is the Science of Unitary Human Beings (SUHB) theory?

What is the Science of Unitary Human Beings (SUHB) theory?

MARTHA ROGERS

Dr. Martha Elizabeth Rogers

o Martha Elizabeth Rogers

o She worked as a public health nurse, first in Michigan,

II. The Creation of the SUHB

Martha E. Rogers' creation of the Science of Unitary Human

Martha Rogers' SUHB theory offers a new look at nursing,

Five basic assumptions underlay Rogers' conceptual

There are four main topics that are addressed by nursing

Martha Rogers' theory has three principles of homeodynarnic.

from lower to higher frequency patterning which is best represented

Martha Rogers' development of the Science of Unitary Human

III. Martha Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings

Wholeness - in which the human being is regarded as a unified

Openness - where the individual and the environment are

Unidirectionality - where the life process exists along an

Pattern and Organization - which identifies individuals and

Sentience and Thought - which states that of all life, human

HUMAN: “an irreducible, indivisible, pandimensional energy field

ENVIRONMENT: Rogers defined the environment as being in

HEALTH: "health is participation in the life process by choosing and

NURSING: "as a science, designates the term nursing as a noun

"Nursing seeks to promote symphonic interaction between the

The goal of nursing according to Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human

Buchinger, K.L. (1992). Martha E. Rogers In: American nursing: A

Hektor, L.M. (1989). Martha E. Rogers: A Life History. Nursing

Safier, G. (1977). Contemporary American leaders in nursing: An

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