The Importance of a Nursing Theoretical Framework for Nursing Practice: Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human Beings and Barrett’s Theory of Knowing Participation in Change as Exemplars

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.

BACKGROUND:Workers’ health and well-being are topics on the rise within occupational research. Rogers’ science of unitary human beings can potentially contribute to increased knowledge in the area. However, no previous review has investigated how the theory has been used in relation to workers in working life.OBJECTIVE:The aim of this scoping review was to provide an overview of studies that have used Rogers’ science of unitary human beings to study workers health and well-being in working life.METHODS:A literature search was conducted in CINAHL and PubMed, and other relevant sources in May-June 2022.RESULTS:The results showed that there seems to be a lack of use of Rogers’ science of unitary human beings regarding workers health and well-being in working life. The overarching theme was: Well-being as an essential phenomenon in working life in all dimensions of existing.CONCLUSION:The theory has potential to contribute more to research regarding workers’ health and well-being in working life.

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.

Trust is a critical element in establishing a therapeutic nurse-client relationship that can help to change people's health experiences and quality of life. This study's purpose was to examine the relationship between trust and power using Rogers' science of unitary human beings and Barrett's theory of power. A national sample, comprised of 189 women and men, aged 21 to 60, completed Barrett's Power as Knowing Participation in Change Test that measured power and Gibb's TORI Self-Diagnosis Scale that measured trust, trust of self, and trust of others. Correlation analyses revealed support for the three hypotheses stated which predicted a positive relationship between power and trust, trust of self, and trust of others. Findings support the conceptualization of trust and power.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Energy fields nursing: a brief encounter of a unitary kind.

The 20th century in nursing has focused heavily on theory development. While theorizing about nursing--what it is, and what it is not--can be traced back to Nightingale, Martha E. Rogers' An Introduction to the Theoretical Basis of Nursing (1970) marked the advent of a new era in nursing science. With a view of nursing as a "learned profession," this landmark work staked out a substantive knowledge base for the discipline. The science of unitary human beings proposed by Rogers was a radical departure from all that had come before and is seen by many as pioneering the beginning of a paradigmatic shift within the profession. The purpose of this inquiry is to document the self-described events across the life span of Martha E. Rogers that she perceived as having influenced the development of the science of unitary human beings. A life history approach is utilized and the data are organized chronologically. This life story of Martha E. Rogers is essential to the current and future understanding of the evolution of the culture of nursing. Likewise, more is learned about the nature and process of theory development.

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.

A pre-test/post-test control group design with 60 participants was used to examine the subjective feelings of timelessness, motion, boundary lessness, transcendence, and increased imagination experienced during pleasant guided imagery within Martha Rogers' science of unitary human beings. Two hypotheses were derived from Rogers' principle of reso nancy, which describes "the continuous change from lower to higher wave frequency patterns in the human and environmental fields." Pleas ant guided imagery was postulated to pattern the human energy field from a lower toward a higher wave frequency pattern. The hypotheses tested in this study were (a) participants experiencing an 11-minute pleasant guided imagery tape will have significantly lower time metaphor test scores than participants experiencing an 11-minute educational tape and, (b) participants experiencing pleasant guided imagery will have significantly higher human field motion tool scores than participants experiencing the educational tape. Lower time metaphor test scores and higher human field motion tool scores reflect a higher wave frequency pattern of the human energy field. A significant treatment by trials interaction effect (F = 4.358; df = 1/118; p < 0.05) provided support for the first hypothesis. The second hypothesis was not supported. On the basis of a factor analysis, the validity of the human field motion tool is questioned. The findings suggest that Rogers' principle of resonancy may provide an explanation of the subjective feelings experienced during pleasant guided imagery.

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.