Nursing
Literature Review
Nursing theory: The Science of Unitary Human Beings (SUHB)
In her theory, ‘the Science of Unitary Human Beings' Martha Rogers looks at the scientific nature and the humanitarian aspects of nursing. Rogers puts emphases on the need to consider the human being-environment relationship or rather the science of human being (Polit & Beck, 2008). In other words, Rogers departs the traditional thoughts of nursing and focuses on the modern science of nursing. In the theory, Rogers employs concepts to explain her theory. They include energy fields-living and non-living substances, openness-she refer to openness as the flow of energy and that human beings and the environment exist in an open system (Polit & Beck, 2008). Pan-dimensionality- it means that life has no temporal attributes. The last concept is patterns which helps identify the energy fields. This conceptualization helps the theorist argue that human beings and the environment are irreducible and since nursing is concerned with the well-being of the human beings, nurses should focus on a unitary human being or in other words they should consider the relationship between the human and environment (Polit & Beck, 2008). They should also understand that the unitary human beings possess sensation, emotion, imagery, and change. Thus, a science of unitary human beings means that nurses should understand the interaction that exists between the environment and human beings and a result, they will ensure a maximum health potential. According to the theory, health and illness occur in the same continuum (Polit & Beck, 2008). The main point in Rogers' theory is that in nursing practice, nurses should understand that nursing is not about doing but it is about knowing. In other words, nurses should focus on caring while considering the person-environment process.
The theory "The science of Unitary Human Beings" benefits the areas of patient care and evidence-based practice. It is worth noting that "The science of Unitary Human Beings" is a belief system and a principle in which clinical practices are based. In the area of providing patient care, nurses benefit since they understand that human beings and the environment are irreducible (Taylor & Renpenning, 2011). In addition, human beings have many systems and tissue among other things that cannot be understood unless one employs scientist knowledge. Nurses also understand that in Roger's nursing model, the mind enables nurses to do good work. Thus, nurses consider nursing as a naturally scientific field and they employ a scientific thought which enables them to promote psychological and physical wellbeing to the patients (Taylor & Renpenning, 2011). When providing care, nurses benefit as they consider the human field and the environmental field. They define both as an energy field that is unitary and that flow together. By understanding the theory, nursing is able to care for the vulnerable. The theory also allows them to perceive nursing as an art and as a result, they employ scientific knowledge and provide safe practice (Taylor & Renpenning, 2011). The important part of providing parents care is that nurses relate the human beings condition with his environment and as a result, they are able to share knowledge, empower the patient, and provide self-reflection.
The theory also benefits the areas of evidence-based practice. This means that the theory enables the nursing professions to use the available evidence in nursing practices. Note that effective care is offered through the application of knowledge and skill which comes from research findings. Note that nurses are advised to make patient care decisions using research-evidence and in this case, nurses engage in the process of inquiry and the theory. Thus, by using the theory, nurses can use the Rogers theory to improve practice and promote quality of the life of patients. On evidence-based practice, nurses are able to build a culture of safety through sharing values and employing procedures that maximize patient safety. Note that the theory motivates the nurses to connect patients with their environment and by perceiving the environment as a health determinant, they are able to provide advanced health services.
The science of Unitary Human Beings contributes to patient care and positive patient outcome. This is because, nurses view patients as unitary human beings, and as functional beings (Meleis, 2007). As a result, nurses protect human beings from physical forces, they develop scientific practices, and they focus on knowing, and focus on maximizing health and well-being through valuing the structural and functional wholeness. In general, the theory contributes to patient care as nurses consider wholeness, openness, unidirectionality, pattern, and sentience and thought (Meleis, 2007). The theory promotes quality care as nurses are able to help the patient meet the self-care needs, reduce patient isolation, minimize anxiety, and provide adequate knowledge. The services are provided through assessing the human being and his environment and sharing knowledge based on life issues (Meleis, 2007). By using the theory, nurses perceive the illness using individual perspective- individual inner state and collective perceptive- individual physical appearance. Using a different perspective, nurses are able to promote well-being.
Martha Rogers is a nurse theorist and she was born in 1914 in Dallas. She attended the Knoxville General Hospital School of Nursing and attained a nursing diploma in 1936. Later, she joined George Peabody College and attained a Public Healing Nursing degree in 1937. In 1945, she attained a Master's degree from Columbia University. In 1954, she attained her Doctorate in Nursing from Johns Hopkins University. Martha wrote various publications including; Theoretical Basis of Nursing, Nursing: Science o Unitary, Irreducible, Human Beings Update, and others (De, 2005). In the latter publication, he considered patients as unitary human beings which means that the patient and the environment is a single entity. In the theory, Rogers uses two dimensions which are the art of nursing-using the science of nursing, and the science of nursing- applying the knowledge of the scientific research to a specific field of nursing (De, 2005). In studying the theory of unitary human beings, Rogers concludes that the major role of nurses is to serve patients and their interventions should coordinate the human being with his environment. Nurses should focus on pain management and promote better health.
Rogers’ theory has a positive impact on the nursing care in that it guides the nursing practices and nurses are able to perceive the care for human as a whole. With the theory, nurses are able to help patients be aware of their thoughts. Health care professionals can apply the theory in all settings including family setting, community setting, pediatrics, neurology, post-operative unit, palliative care units, and other settings (Fawcett & Desanto-Madeya, 2013). Their affects the health care in a positive in that nurses consider the holistic nature of the patients and provide a relaxing environment to promote the wellbeing. The theory will enable the nurses to connect the human with the environmental fields and more importantly employ scientific nursing knowledge (Fawcett & Desanto-Madeya, 2013). They also perceive human beings as unique beings and as a result, they will focus on betterment and well-being.
References
Taylor, S. G., & Renpenning, K. M. L. (2011). Self-care science, nursing theory, and evidence-
based practice. New York: Springer Pub.
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2008). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for
nursing practice. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Meleis, A. I. (2007). Theoretical nursing: Development and progress. Philadelphia ; London:
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
De, C. M. (2005). Caring for the vulnerable: Perspectives in nursing theory, practice, and
research. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett.
Fawcett, J., & Desanto-Madeya, S. (2013). Contemporary nursing knowledge: Analysis and
evaluation of nursing models and theories. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Co.
