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MAJOR CONCEPTS

AND DEFINITIONS
•The belief in the existence of “vital
force” or energy, the source of all life,
among living organisms started since
ancient times. From ancient Hindus’
“prana” and Chinese’s “qi” to
Mesmer’s “animal magnetism” and
Reichenbach’s “odic field”, this belief
in the “vital force” or energy had been
the foundation for alternative, holistic
healing that are now widely practiced
within the nursing community (Rosa
1994, Schieber 1997, Ulett 1997, Rosa
1998, Pryjmachuk 1998, as cited by
Stenger, 1999).
What is Energy?
From a traditional view, energy is the capacity to do
work while absence of it equates disability or illness. In
contrast, the concept of energy from a unitary perspective
considers energy as a phenomenon that is inherently dynamic
and is subjected to change. It considers disease or illness as
part of human potential actualization and death as another
manifestation of energy instead of the end or the opposite of
life (Todaro-Franceschi, 1999).
Martha Rogers sees energy
from a unitary perspective and
proposed two energy fields that
are the fundamental unit of the
living and inanimate.
ENERGY FIELDS
Martha Rogers sees a person and his/her environment
as energy fields instead of as elements that possess the
energy field. These energy fields are called the Human Energy
Field (HEF) and the environmental field. According to her, the
HEF is an "irreducible, indivisible, pandimensional energy field
identified by pattern and manifesting characteristics that are
specific to the whole and which cannot be predicted from
knowledge of the parts" (1991). Her definition of HEF identifies
one of the important concepts that she proposed – the
wholeness of the human being. According to her, human being
is regarded as a unified whole which is more than and different
from the sum of the parts.
OPENNESS
One of the critical characteristics of the
energy fields are its openness. The HEF and
the environmental field continuously and
completely exchanges information. Human
beings are inseparable from the
environment. Hence, the two fields are
integral with one another.

PANDIMENSIONALITY
Pandimensionality describes "a nonlinear
domain without spatial or temporal
attributes" (Rogers as cited by Marrimer-
Tomey, 1994), an "infinite domain without
limit" (Rogers as cited by Meleis, 1991)
PATTERN
Every individual or field has its own unique
characteristic or pattern integral with its
own, unique environmental field. According
to Martha Rogers, pattern is perceived as a
single wave that gives identity to the field.
In caring for different individuals or groups,
one must consider the uniqueness of each
in order to identify behaviours normal to
him or her.
The Principles of Homeodynamics
"postulate a way of perceiving unitary man"
(Rogers as cited by Marrimer-Tomey, 1994) and
serves as "fundamental guides to the practice
of nursing" ( Rogers , 1990).
PRINCIPLE OF INTEGRALITY

            Human beings and the environment are


in constant interaction with each other.
Environment affects the individual as the
individual affects the environment. Certain
changes in one field will brought about a
change on the other. This principle is also in
line with Martha Roger’s concept of openness
and provides basis for nurses in manipulating
the environment for effecting change in client’s
outcome.
PRINCIPLE OF HELICY
Human and environmental field pattern is continuous yet
diverse. As the environment changed, the field pattern of human
beings also changed since both fields possessed the
characteristic of openness. The changes in the field pattern may
be either beneficial or not to the individual that is why nurses
must take into consideration re-patterning of these fields to
create positive outcome to the patient. Interaction between the
two fields is not just the reason for the dynamic attribute of the
field patterns. The dynamic characteristic of both fields may be
inherent such that change may occur even without the influence
of the other field. It just simply changes over time.

PRINCIPLE OF RESONANCY
This principle asserts that human and
environmental fields are identified by wave
patterns that manifest continuous change from
lower to higher frequencies.
THEORETICAL
ASSUMPTIONS
PERSON
• In the Science of Unitary Human Beings, the person and
environment are the central focus of nursing. A person is a
unitary, pandimensional and evolving energy field
operating as an open system with infinite potentials
defined by patterns perceived through manifestations as a
single wave. Furthermore, the principle of integrality
asserts that a person is in continuous mutual process with
the energy field that is the environment.

• Similar to the holistic views proliferating the nursing


profession, Rogers view person as a whole entity with
infinite aspects contributing to a single manifestation of
being. However, Rogers deviates from the conservative
concepts of holism by asserting that knowing these
different aspects of person is insufficient to rationalize the
whole of that person. A whole cannot be understood
merely by be knowing the parts. Instead, the
manifestations of each aspect of a person must be
considered in the context of the whole.
PERSON
• In order to provide effective nursing service to a
person, a nurse must participate in the mutual
process of that person and that person's
environment in order to observe and apprehend the
patterns that both fields manifest. It is for the
betterment of the human being that nursing exists.
ENVIRONMENT
• Rogers considers the environment to be
everything outside of the human field. This
includes both the living (including other people)
and non-living. It is defined as an irreducible,
indivisible,pandimensional energy field identified
by patten and manifesting characteristics different
from those of the parts. Each environment field is
specific and integral to a given human field. Both
change continuously and creatively.
• Human beings can only exist in an environment. A
person, inevitably, draws energy from the
environment (air, water, food, shelter, etc.). It is
this relationship that strengthens the integrality of
the environment field with the human field. It is
also this integrality with the human field that
qualifies environment as a focus of nursing.
ENVIRONMENT
• The mutual process between human field and
environment field imply the importance of the
environment to a person and the importance of a
person to the environment. Similar to Florence
Nightingale's assertions, Rogers advocate the
manipulation of the environment to strengthen
the integrity of the human field.
• Moreover, Rogers recognizes the importance of
environmental management to maintain
habitability. By caring for the environment,
human beings also care for themselves.
HEALTH
• Rogers implied that health is a pattern manifestation
(a symphonic interaction) of the human-environment
mutual process. Moreover, she seemingly equates
health with the integrity of the human field that allows
for the experience of the maximum potential of the
human life process.
• By omitting a standard definition of health, Rogers
accommodates the diverse individual perceptions of
health. Her notions of health emphasized on its
value in the personal experience of the human life
process.
• The Science of Unitary Human Beings holds the
experience of the human life process as the central
phenomena of concern in Nursing. Health is implied
as a contributor to the capacity of a person to
maximize the experience of the human life process.
NURSING
• Rogers stated that, “Professional practice in Nursing
seeks to promote symphonic interaction between human
and environment fields, to strengthen the integrity of the
human field, and to direct and redirect patterning of the
human and environment fields for the realization of
maximum health potential.”
• Nursing is a learned profession with a body of
knowledge and a central focus unique to itself. It
concerns human beings and their respective
environments, with the purpose of promoting the
integrity of the human field in order to experience the
maximum potential of the human life process. In a
universe that continuously evolve towards diversity and
innovation, nursing is tasked with the responsibility to
keep pace with such changes and must therefore
continue to develop its body of knowledge.
• The art of nursing lie in the application of the science of
nursing for human betterment. A key assertion in the
Science of Unitary Human Beings is that people are
unique and can only be understood as a whole being.
Nursing must therefore be participatory in nature. It is
essential that a nurse share in the human-environment
mutual process to apprehend pattern manifestations
and to acquire the knowledge required to render
effective nursing service.
• Rogers further assert that non-invasive modalities are
the primary tools of nursing. Some of these modalities
are therapeutic touch, music, humor and guided
imagery. The Science of Unitary Human Beings, putting
emphasis on the integrality of the human and
environment fields in a pandimensional universe of
open systems, offers a unifying abstraction where
nursing stands independent of other fields of science.
While other fields of science address a particular aspect
of the person, nursing stands as a unifying element that
helps rationalize the total human life experience.
Reference:

• Todaro-Franceschi, V. (1999). The Enigma of Energy: 


Where Science & Religion Converge, New York:
Crossroad Publishing Co.

• Meleis, Afaf. Theoretical Nursing: Development and


Progress. Second edition. Philadelphia : J.B.
Lippinocott Company. 1991

• Marriner-Tomey, Ann. Nursing Theorists and Their


Work. Third edition. Missouri : Mosby. 1994

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