PRESENTATION

ON

Presented by:-

Ajitabh Alwin Thomas

M.Sc Nursing 1st yr

About Martha E. Rogers

Dr. Martha Elizabeth Rogers

(1914-1994)
 About Martha E. Rogers

Martha E. Rogers was born in Dallas, Texas, 12th

May 1914 and died in Phoenix, 13th march 1994.
For 21 years, Dr. Professor and Head of the division
of Nurse Education at New York University. She was
active in numerous professional organizations,
received many awards and honors, and published
extensively in numerous Nursing journals.
ROGERS’S DEFINITION OF NURSING:

Nursing, “is a humanistic and

humanitarian science directed towards describing
and explaining the human beings in synergistic
wholeness, and in developing the hypothetical
generalization and predictive principles basic to
knowledgeable practice. This science of nursing is a
science of humanity- the study of irreducible human
being and their environments”
- Martha E. Rogers
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS:

 The human being is a unified whole

possessing an individual integrity and
manifesting characteristics that are more
than and different from the sum of the parts.
Extensive knowledge of sub system is
ineffective in enabling one to determine the
properties of the living system- human being
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS Contd…

 Second, it is assumed that the individual and

the environment are continuously exchanging
matter and energy with each other.
Environment for any individual is defined as
an “irreducible” energy field identified by
pattern and integral with the human field.
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS Contd…

 Thethird assumption holds that the life

process of human being evolves reversibly
and unidirectional along a space-time
continuum. The individual can never go
backward or be something he or she
previously was.
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS Contd…

 The fourth assumption is that pattern

identifies individuals and reflects their
innovative wholeness. Identifying individuals
and reflecting their wholeness are life’s
patterns. These patterns allows for self-
regulation, rhythemicity, and dynamisms.
 BASIC ASSUMPTIONS Contd…

 Finally,the fifth assumption is that the human

being is characterized by the capacity for
abstraction and imagery, language and
thought, sensation and emotion.
ROGERS THEORY: PRINCIPLES OF
HOMEODYNAMICS

Although Rogers offers no theoretical statement, she

ground her principles of Homeodynamics in the five
basic assumptions and four building blocks. The
principles of Homeodynamics are composed of three
separate principles-
 Integrality

 Resonancy


Helicy
Integrality:-

 The first principle is that of integrality.

Because of the inseparability of human being
and their environment, sequential changes in
the life process are continuous revisions
occurring from the interactions between
human being and their environment. Thus,
integrality is the continuous, mutual,
simultaneous interaction process between
human and environment fields.
Resonancy:-

 The next principle, resonancy, speaks to the

nature of the changes occurring between
human and environmental fields. The change
in the pattern of human beings and
environment is propagated by a wave that
moves from longer waves of lower frequency
to shorter wave of higher frequency.
Helicy:-

 The principle of helicy deals with the nature and

direction of change in the human – environment field.
The human- environment field is a dynamic, open
system in which change is continuous due to the
constant interchange between the human and the
environment. This 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.
APPLICATION OF ROGERS’ THEORY

 Focus on person’s wholeness.

 Seek to promote symphonic interaction between the
two energy fields (Human and environment) to
strengthen the coherence and integrity of person.
 Coordinate the human field with rhythemicity of
environment.
 Direct or redirect the pattern of interaction between
two energy fields to promote maximum health
potential.
LIMITATIONS OF ROGERS’S
PRINCIPLES OF HOMEODYNAMICS

 Even though basic assumptions are provided and the

principles are defined, the system remains abstract.
 Terms have not been sufficiently operationalized to
provide for clear understanding
 Because of lack of operational definitions, research done
to support or verify the principles provides questionable
result.
 Operational definitions are need for the development of
hypotheses that test the theoretical concepts involved,
but without such definitions just what was confirmed or
not confirmed by these studies is in doubt.
USES OF ROGERS’S PRINCIPLES IN
THE NURSING PROCESS

 If the profession of nursing is viewed as concerned with unitary

human beings, the principle of homeodynamics provide guidelines for
predicting the nature and direction of the individual’s development as
responses to health-related problems are made. Using these
guidelines, the professional practice of nursing would then seek to
promote symphonic integration of human beings and there
environments, to strengthen the coherence and integrity of the human
fields, and to direct and redirect patterning of the human and
environmental fields for the realization of maximum health. These
goals would be reflected in the Nursing Process.
 To successfully use the principles of homeodynamics, there
needs to be a consideration of the nurses and involvement of both the
 nurse and the client in the nursing process.
 This involvement in nursing process by the nurse demonstrate concern for the total person rather than
one aspect, one problem, or a limited segment of need fulfillment.
 In the nursing assessment phase of the nursing process, all the facts and opinion about the individual are
collected. Which is achieved by asking and seeking the response from the collected data.
 As a result of nursing assessment, a conclusion is drawn about the individual. This conclusion is the
nursing diagnosis, the second step in the nursing process, and it reflects the principles of
homeodynamics. Rhythms, patterns, diversity, interactions and life- process variations become evident.
 Resonancy requires that the nursing plan be geared towards supporting or modifying variations in the life
process of the whole human being. Because the human life process is unidirectional phenomenon, the
interventions cannot be aimed at returning the individual to a former level of existence; rather, the nurse
helps the individual move forward to a higher more diverse level of existence.
 Nursing planning in the helicy requires an acceptance of individual differences as an expression
of evolutionary emergence. The strategies geared to supporting or modifying rhythms and life goals, to
aquire this need an active participation of client in nursing process.
 The aim of the nursing plan is attainment of an optimum state of health for the individual. This state of
health may not be the ideal but will be maximum health that is potentially possible for the individual.

 If attainment of an optimum health is the aim of the nursing plan, then it becomes the focus for
nursing evaluation, the final step of nursing process
SUMMARY
 Building on the broad theoretical base from a variety of disciplines, Rogers
develop the principles of homeodynamics. Inherent in the principles are five
basic assumptions:
 The human being is the unified whole, possessing individual integrity and
manifesting characteristics that are more than and different from the sum of
the parts.
 The individual and the environments are continuously exchanging matter
and energy with each other
 The life process of human being evolves irreversibly and unidirectional
along a space time continuum.
 Pattern identifies human being and reflects their innovative wholeness.

 The principle of integrality, helicy and resonancy are compared to general

system theory, developmental theories and adaptation theories. Ways to use
the principles in the nursing process are explored. The difficulty is the lack of
understanding and operational definitions, and inadequate instruments for
measurement are the major limitations to the effective use of this theory.
CONCLUSION:

Martha E. Rogers (1970) considered the

individual as an energy field coexisting within
the universe. The individual is in continuous
interaction with the environment and is a
unified whole, possessing personal integrity
and manifesting characteristics that are more
than the sum of the parts.