Martha E. Rogers
Encyclopedia
Martha Elizabeth Rogers was an American nurse, researcher, theorist, and author. Rogers is best known for developing the Science of Unitary Human Beings
and her landmark book, An Introduction to the Theoretical Basis of Nursing.
, the oldest of four children of Bruce Taylor Rogers and Lucy Mulholland Keener Rogers. She began college at the University of Tennessee
, studying pre-med (1931-1933) and withdrew due to pressure that medicine was an unsuitable career for a woman. She enrolled in the Knoxville General Hospital School of nursing with a friend and received her diploma in 1936 and the following year she completed her BS in public health nursing at George Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee
.
in public health nursing from Teachers College, Columbia University
in 1945, an M.P.H. in 1952 and a Sc.D. in 1954, both from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Between 1952 and 1975 she was a Professor and Head of the Division of Nursing at New York University
, after which she was recognized as a Professor Emeritus in 1979. Following her retirement in 1975, Rogers continued to teach at New York University.
. In 1996, she was posthumously inducted into the American Nurses Association
's Hall of Fame .
is known as the Science of Unitary Human Beings. Its primary tenants include the following:
Science of unitary human beings
The science of unitary human beings is a grand nursing theory developed by Martha E. Rogers. The details of the theory are included in her book, An Introduction to the Theoretical Basis of Nursing.- Overview :...
and her landmark book, An Introduction to the Theoretical Basis of Nursing.
Early life and education
She was born in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, the oldest of four children of Bruce Taylor Rogers and Lucy Mulholland Keener Rogers. She began college at the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, studying pre-med (1931-1933) and withdrew due to pressure that medicine was an unsuitable career for a woman. She enrolled in the Knoxville General Hospital School of nursing with a friend and received her diploma in 1936 and the following year she completed her BS in public health nursing at George Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
.
Career
She went on to specialize in public health nursing, working in Michigan, Connecticut, and Arizona, where she established the Visiting Nurse Service of Phoenix, Arizona. She continued her education, receiving an M.A.Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in public health nursing from Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University is a graduate school of education located in New York City, New York...
in 1945, an M.P.H. in 1952 and a Sc.D. in 1954, both from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Between 1952 and 1975 she was a Professor and Head of the Division of Nursing at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, after which she was recognized as a Professor Emeritus in 1979. Following her retirement in 1975, Rogers continued to teach at New York University.
Death and afterward
She died March 13, 1994 and is buried in Knoxville, TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. In 1996, she was posthumously inducted into the American Nurses Association
American Nurses Association
The American Nurses Association is a professional organization to advance and protect the profession of nursing. It started in 1896 as the Nurses Associated Alumnae and was renamed the American Nurses Association in 1911...
's Hall of Fame .
Nursing theory
Rogers' theoryNursing theory
Nursing theory is the term given to the body of knowledge that is used to define or explain various aspects of the profession of nursing.-Grand nursing theories:...
is known as the Science of Unitary Human Beings. Its primary tenants include the following:
- Nursing is both a science and art; the uniqueness of nursing, like that of any other science, lies in the phenomenon central to its focus.
- Nurses long established concern with the people and the world they live is in a natural forerunner of an organized abstract system encompassing people and the environments.
- The irreducible nature of individuals is different from the sum of the parts.
- The integralness of people and the environment that coordinate with a multidimensional universe of open systems points to a new paradigm: the identity of nursing as a science.
- The purpose of nurses is to promote health and wellbeing for all persons wherever they are.
Publications
- Educational Revolution in Nursing (1961)
- Reveille in Nursing (1964)
- An Introduction to the Theoretical Basis of Nursing (1970)