Theoretical Foundation of Nursing  The Art of Nursing, using the science of nursing creatively

to help better the lives of the patient.

Martha Elizabeth Rogers (1914-1994)
 Human beings- conceptualized as dynamic, constantly
“Science of Unitary Human Beings” evolving energy fields rather than as homeostatic beings.
 Humans- viewed as integral with the universe.
 Eldest of 4 children
 The Unitary Human Being and the Environment are not
 Parents: Bruce Taylor Rogers and Lucy Mulholland
dichotomous.
Keener Rogers
 Nursing focus on people and the manifestations that emerge
 Born on May 12, 1914, in Dallas, Texas
from the mutual human/environmental field process.
1931-1933= began her college education, studying Science at the
University of Tennessee
Basic characteristics that describe the basic life process in
1936- she received her Nursing Diploma from Knoxville General
human are proposed:
Hospital School of Nursing.
A. Energy Field
1937- obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree from George  Energy- “potential for process, movement, and
Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee. change.” (Leddy, 203 p.21)
 Energy Field- is the conceptual boundary of all that
1945- other degrees, Master of Arts Degree in Public Health is
Nursing supervision from Teacher’s College, Columbia - Is the fundamental unit of both the living and
University, New York. nonliving.
1952- Master of Public Arts Degree - Provides a way to perceive people and their
environment as irreducible wholes. (Rogers,
1954- Doctor of Science Degree from John Hopkins University 1986, p.4)
in Baltimore. - Continuously varies in intensity, density, and
Martha Rogers (1970, 1988, 1990) extent.
B. Openness
 Nursing involves care of the unitary human beings  The Human field and the environment field are
 Nursing is considered as an art and a science constantly exchanging energy.
 The Science of Nursing, is the knowledge specific to the
field of nursing that comes from scientific research.
  There are no boundaries, or barriers to inhibit
energy flow between fields (Rogers, 1970)
 The Human beings openly participate in energy
transformation with the environment creating
mutual change. (Leddy, 2004, p.16)
C. Pattern
 Pattern is defined as the distinguishing
characteristic of an energy field perceived as a
single wave. Roger calls it an “abstraction” that
gives identity to the field.
 Patterning is the “dynamic or active process of the
life of the human being” that is “accessible to the
senses” (Alligood and Fawcett, 2004, p.11)
 Pattern Manifestations include “A person’s
experiences, expressions, perceptions, and physical,
mental, social and spiritual data.” (Davidson, 2001,
p.103)
D. Pandimensionality
 “A nonlinear domain without spatial or temporal
attributes.” (Rogers, 1990, p.7)
 The parameters in language that humans use to
describe events are arbitrary.
 The present is relative, there is no temporal ordering
of lives.
E. Homeodynamic Principles
 The Principles of Homeodynamics postulate the
way of perceiving unitary human beings.
 The fundamental unit of the living system is an
energy field
 The 3 principles of homeodynamics as proposed by
rogers are:
1. Resonancy
2. Helicy
3. Integrality
 These principles describe the nature of the
person/environment process involving change and
growth.
1. Resonancy
-The intensity of change, embraces the continuous variability of
the human field as it evolves.
-“An ordered arrangement of rhythms characterizing both human
field and environmental field that undergoes continuous dynamic
metamorphosis in the human environment process.”
2. Helicy
-Describes the unpredictable but continuous evolution of energy
fields as evidenced by nonrepeating rhythmicities.
-the life process evolves in sequential stages along a curve that
has the same general shape.
-the principle of helicy postulates an ordering of the human’s
evolutionary emergence.
“Helicy is the nature of change, integrality is the process by
which change takes place, and resonancy is how change takes
place.” (Philips, 1994, p.15)
3) Integrality
-encompasses the mutual, continuous relationship of the human  Environmental fields are infinite, and change is
energy field and the environment energy field. continuously innovative, unpredictable, and
characterized by increasing diversity.
-change occurs by continuous repatterning of the human and
 Environmental and human fields are identified by
environmental fields by resonance waves.
wave patterns manifesting continuous mutual change.
-the fields are one and integrated but unique to each other.
Major Assumptions
Person (Unitary Human Being)
 A person is an open system in continuous process with
the open system that is the environment (integrality).
 A unitary human being is “irreducible, indivisible, Health
pan-dimensional (four dimensional) energy field
 Rogers defined health as an expression of the life process;
identified by pattern and manifesting characteristics that
they are the “characteristics and behavior emerging out of
are specific to the whole and which cannot be predicted
the mutual, simultaneous interaction of the human and
from knowledge of the parts,” a unified whole having its
environment fields.”
own distinctive characteristics which cannot be perceived
 Health and illness are parts of the same continuum.
by looking at, describing, or summarizing the parts.”
 The multiple events taking place along life’s axis denote the
 The person has the capacity to participate knowingly in
extent to which man is achieving his maximum health
the process of change.
potential and vary in their expressions form greatest health to
Environment those conditions which are incomparable with the
maintaining life process.
 “irreducible pan-dimensional energy field identified
by pattern and integral with the human field” Nursing
 The fields coexist and are integral.
 The concept nursing encompasses 2 dimensions:
 Manifestations emerge from this field and are
1. Independent Science of Nursing
perceived.
-an organized body of knowledge which is specific to
nursing is arrived at by scientific research ad logical analysis.
 2. Art of Nursing Practice
- the creative use of science for the betterment of the human.
-the creative use of its knowledge is the art of its practice
 Nursing is a learned profession: it is a science and art
 Nursing is the study of unitary, irreducible, indivisible
human and environment energy fields.
 The art of nursing involves the imaginative and creative use
of nursing knowledge
 The purpose of nurses is to promote health and well-being
for all persons and groups wherever they are using the art
and science pf nursing.
 The health services should be community based.
 Rogers envisions a nursing practice in nursing practice of
noninvasive modalities
 Professional practice in nursing seeks to promote
symphonic interaction between man and environment, to
strengthen the coherence and integrity of the human field,
and to direct and redirect patterning of the human and
environmental fields for realization of maximum health.