Martha Rogers’ science of unitary human beings in relation to workers health and well-being: A scoping review

Two dominant discourses in contemporary nursing theory and knowledge development have evolved over the past few decades, in part by unitary science views and caring theories. Rogers' science of unitary human beings (SUHB) represents the unitary directions in nursing. Caring theories and related caring science (CS) scholarship represent the other. These two contemporary initiatives have generated two parallel, often controversial, seemingly separate and unrelated, trees of knowledge for nursing science. This paper explores the evolution of CS and its intersection with SUHB that have emerged in contemporary nursing literature. We present a case for integration, convergence, and creative synthesis of CS with SUHB. A trans-theoretical, trans-disciplinary context emerges, allowing nursing to sustain its caring ethic and ontology, within a unitary science. The authors critique and review the seminal, critical issues that have separated contemporary knowledge developments in CS and SUHB. Foundational issues of CS, and Watson's theory of transpersonal caring science (TCS), as a specific exemplar, are analysed, alongside parallel themes in SUHB. By examining hidden ethical-ontological and paradigmatic commonalities, trans-theoretical themes and connections are explored and revealed between TCS and SUHB. Through a creative synthesis of TCS and SUHB we explicate a distinct unitary view of human with a relational caring ontology and ethic that informs nursing as well as other sciences. The result: is a trans-theoretical, trans-disciplinary view for nursing knowledge development. Nursing's history has been to examine theoretical differences rather than commonalities. This trans-theoretical position moves nursing toward theoretical integration and creative synthesis, vs. separation, away from the 'Balkanization' of different theories. This initiative still maintains the integrity of different theories, while facilitating and inviting a new discourse for nursing science. The result: Unitary Caring Science that evokes both science and spirit.

The purpose of this article is to clarify the ambiguity surrounding the concept of caring through situating it within one conceptual system, the Science of Unitary Human Beings. An analysis of the dialogue on caring in nursing is presented. A process of concept clarification was developed to examine points of congruence between existing literature on caring and theoretical niches expressing similar meanings in the Science of Unitary Human Beings. The process resulted in the synthesis of five constitutive meanings of caring in the Science of Unitary Human Beings: manifesting intentions, appreciating pattern, attuning to dynamic flow, experiencing the infinite, and inviting creative emergence. Narratives were developed to ground the abstract meanings in concrete human experience.

Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings (SUHB) and several theories that emanate from Rogers' work contain foundational concepts that may lend themselves toward nursing actions to address important social justice mandates, to advocate and to act for equity, and to uproot systems of oppression and racism in nursing. However, at the same time, theoretical concepts such as power arising from ascendant theories of SUHB are often used with little to no critical reflection for past and present-day histories of racism and power inequities in nursing and in society writ large. Using concepts related to SUHB such as integrality, turbulence, power, and patterning, we critically explore the potential of developing anti-racism reflections and actions through 3 theories: Barrett's Knowing Participation in Change; Butcher's Kaleidoscoping in Life's Turbulence; and Smith's Turbulence-Ease in the Rhythmic Flow of Patterning. We acknowledge that SUHB was/is largely developed within a framework of whiteness by scholars who were/are working from academic positions and social identities of societal safety and privilege. This requires nurses to reflect on how that history shapes SUHB. We also acknowledge the urgent need for ongoing anti-racism and justice work by nurses. As a call to action, we suggest a start by critically building upon existing theoretical foundations in SUHB to develop a more explicit anti-racist theorizing-praxis in nursing for the wellbecoming of humans and nonhumans alike.

The purpose of this article is to reflect on the state of Martha E. Rogers' science of unitary human beings as it has evolved over the past 40 years, with particular attention to the decade since her death. Although Rogers never updated her 1970 book, revised concepts and principles of homeodynamics, as reported in other publications, are discussed. In more than a decade since Rogers' death, nurse scientists have been prolific in explicating the science in scholarly research and writing. An example of theories derived from the science, as well as concepts under study, and research methods are identified. Twenty-first century thoughts on the science of unitary human beings, as expressed by three founders of the Society of Rogerian Scholars, are highlighted from an interview conducted by Fawcett. Rogers suggested that the development of a science of unitary human beings is a never ending process.

Three key philosophical issues raised by the science of unitary human beings are analyzed: space and time; causality; and process. Clarification of Rogers' positions in relation to these issues is provided, and areas in need of further development are identified. These issues are of vital significance in the world view of the science of unitary human beings. Scholarly development of the substantive metaphysical implications of the model is invited.

The purpose of this paper is to examine philosophical knowing and practical knowing in the Science of Unitary Human Beings for the purpose of documenting evidence of their interrelationship in existing practice tools and practice methodologies that are based on Rogers' philosophical assumptions. We contend that identification of philosophical knowing and practical knowing in the Science of Unitary Human Beings illustrates the nature of each and exposes the importance of their interrelationship for future knowledge development.

What is time? The science of unitary human beings describes pandimensional reality as a domain without spatial or temporal attributes. As part of this pandimensional reality, unitary human beings experience time as passing, and involving the past, present, and future. The theory of accelerating evolution describes changes in human and environmental energy fields that are always accelerating and are manifested as differences in the experience of time as being slow, fast, and still. Time, be it measured or experienced, has no meaning in and of itself, but can only be understood in terms of the ever-evolving life process.

The purpose of this paper is to present an oncology case study focusing on a woman's journey through breast cancer treatment and survivorship and a nurse's journey to provide wholistic care using standardized nursing languages and Rogers's Science of Unitary Human Beings (SUHB). Published literature, experience, and expertise of the author were used as data sources. The data were clustered to formulate oncology nursing care based on the standardized nursing languages of NANDA International, Nursing Outcomes Classification, and Nursing Interventions Classification (NNN) from the theoretical foundation of Rogers's SUHB. The use of Rogers's SUHB, NNN, and the extant literature provided a theoretical, evidence-based, and practical approach to providing holistic care for a woman journeying through breast cancer treatment and survivorship. Nurses can use standardized nursing languages and Rogers's SUHB to facilitate personal well-being and quality of life for breast cancer survivors.

Although two of the primary risk factors for being bullied include "male" and "middle school" status, a gap in knowledge exists of middle school boys' personal accounts and meanings of being bullied and their healing. Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological approach using open-ended semi-structured individual interviews was used to collect and analyze evidence related to middle school boys' lived experiences of being bullied and healing. Roger's Science of Unitary Human Beings (SUHB) guided interpretation of the healing patterns. Three patterns of healing were identified in boys' experiences: meaning-making, self-transcendence, and nonviolently claiming personal power. Evidence of healing patterns exists in middle school boys' experiences of being bullied, offering a foundation for further research and practice focused on healing. When working with middle school boys who have been bullied, nurses need to ask about their experiences and promote their healing.

This article explicates current perspectives on Rogers' science of unitary human beings. Possibilities for nursing in the 21st century are elaborated upon. Attention is called to the increasingly rapid social changes which will have an impact on nursing science.

In the Rogerian science of unitary human beings, the requirements for meaning and evidence are problematic. Four-dimensionality, a major building block, is postulated to be nonspatiotemporal, nonlinear, and not predictable through knowledge of the parts. A problem arises primarily because the Rogerian system also presents "verification of concepts" as the means of testing "fit" with the real world. Evidence usually understood in the criterion of verifiability in the logical empiricist tradition is specifiable through physicalistic terms under particular three-dimensional conditions. What are the consequences if integral (phenomenologic) evidence is taken as the criterion of meaning in the Rogerian conceptual system?

A brief outline of Buddhist thought is presented. Four concepts from early Indian philosophy which contributed to the development of the middle way consequence (Madhyamika Prasangika) school of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy are discussed. These are: action (karma), direct perception, emptiness, and dependent arising. An overview of Martha Rogers' science of unitary human beings is given, followed by a discussion of the concepts of energy field and integrality within her worldview. Buddhist concepts of action, direct valid perception, and emptiness are considered in relation to Rogers' notion of energy field; the concept of dependent arising is compared to Rogers' principle of integrality. It is proposed that Rogers' worldview includes areas of similarity with concepts used in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy.

This literature review examines an operationalization of Martha Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings. The principle of helicy and the theory of accelerating evolution has been used by a number of authors as a theoretical framework for the exploration of how patients, particularly those who are elderly, perceive the passage of time. Although there is no conclusive evidence to support the aspect of Rogers' theory of accelerating evolution that suggests that as people grow older they perceive time as passing more quickly, there is evidence that suggests that different elderly patients can have a variable perception of the passage of time. For example, some patients perceive the passage of time as rapid and will be happy to sit quietly. Others may perceive the passage of time as occurring more slowly and will require diversional therapy. A conclusion is reached that nurses should include individual assessments of the patients' perception of the passage of time in order to identify accurately the degree of need for diversional activities.

The purpose is to report an exploration of published research explicitly identifying Rogers' science of unitary human beings as the theoretical context underlying quantitative research or the interpretation of qualitative data. Two databases (CINAHL and Medline Complete) were used to identify studies published from 2013 to 2023 with the search term "Rogers' science of unitary human beings." The search was narrowed by the descriptors "English language" and "research." The results included nine studies meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings are discussed in light of two earlier reviews and in terms of the science.

The importance of nurses' participation in health policy leadership is discussed within the context of Rogers' science of unitary human beings, Barrett's power theory, and one nurse-politician's experience. Nurses have a major role to play in resolving public policy issues that influence the health of people. A brief review of the history of nurses in the political arena is presented. Research related to power and trust is reviewed. Suggested strategies for success in political situations are offered.