Dr. Elizabeth Ann Manhart Barrett, nurse theorist and researcher, Rogerian scholar, and passionate advocate for nursing science, transitioned peacefully on August 24, 2021 surrounded by her family. She was best known for her theory of Power as Knowing Participation in Change derived from Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human Beings (SUHB) More than 100 studies have been conducted using the theory and/or measurement instrument (PKPCT); the PKPCT has been translated into 7 languages.

Elizabeth developed the first practice methodology for Rogerian nursing practice called Health Patterning, and she had an independent nursing theory-guided practice for many years in New York City based on this method. Elizabeth was a member of the American Academy of Nursing’s Nursing Theory-Guided Practice Expert Panel (NTGP-EP), serving as the organizer and first leader of NTGP-EP along with Dr. Rosemarie Parse. In addition, she was a founding member and first president of the Society of Rogerian Scholars. Elizabeth was a passionate champion of nursing science grounded in nursing theory. Her articles “What is Nursing Science?”(2002) and “Again, What is Nursing Science?”(2017) are classics. She edited four books including Rogers Science-based Nursing that received the ANA Book of the Year Award.

Elizabeth was born in Newburgh, Indiana and was blessed with five children, 14 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. After 12 years of working in her home and caring for her children she decided to go to college. She credits her mother, a “feminist”, with inspiring her to pursue her dreams and to help people who were suffering, especially those who were less privileged. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing summa cum laude from the University of Evansville (UE) and continued as a part-time student at UE while working full-time and eventually earning a Master of Arts in education with a major in psychology and a Master of Science in Nursing. After this she taught psychiatric/mental health (PMH) nursing at UE and continue to work as a PMH nurse.

In 1976 she moved to Greenwich Village in New York City to begin doctoral study at New York University (NYU). It was a different world from her roots, and she loved New York City. It was there that she began working with Martha Rogers studying and advancing the SUHB. While in the PhD program at NYU she worked as a float charge nurse at Bellevue Hospital Center, fulfilling another dream; she considered Bellevue Psychiatry as the greatest challenge and reward in PMH nursing practice. It was her favorite position. While studying Nursing Science with a major in Theory Development and Research at NYU she taught research at Adelphi University and PMH clinical practicums at City University of New York (CUNY). After graduation she was an Assistant Director of Nursing at Mount Sinai Hospital for 5 years and then joined the faculty at Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing (CUNY) where she held positions of Director of the Graduate Program and Coordinator of the Center for Nursing Research. She retired as Professor Emerita in 2001 and expanded her private practice to full-time. She was a licensed therapist in the state of New York practicing Health Patterning, a nursing theory guided practice with private clients. For 40 years she was active in mentoring many researchers and scholars in the SUHB and Power Theory and conducting her own research testing and advancing the theory.

Those who knew Elizabeth can attest to her kind, loving and supportive nature and playful sense of humor. We will miss her on this Earth, but we will continue to experience her presence in many ways. May she soar in peace and power!

Society of Rogerian Scholars Conference Tribute

The SRS Fall 2021 conference planning committee met together this past week to plan a conference tribute to Dr. Elizabeth Ann Manhart Barrett. We invite you to join with us in organizing a Celebration of Light and Life that will be shared on Saturday October 2, 2021 in the afternoon as special part of the conference program. We are compiling photos and memories that will be organized and shared in a powerpoint presentation.

1. We invite you to please send digital versions of any photos that you may have of  Dr. Barrett to msmit230@health.fau.edu and leslie@medesk.com. The photos may be scanned or you can take a photo of the photo and send in email. 
2. We invite you to share any personal memories that you may have of Dr. Barrett or stories of how her work impacted your work or life. The SRS website has an open text box where the memories can be shared publicly or you can email msmit230@health.fau.edu and leslie@medesk.com with content to be shared in the conference tribute. 

We may also pull content form the website so if you write something there we may also include it. Depending on the volume of content we receive  we will have to make choices or edit the stories for use. 

There will also be time for open sharing of stories in real time at the conference during the celebration for those who would be comfortable doing so.

The SRS website link to write a memory  is here  and you can also follow the link to Dr. Barrett’s obituary shared by her family. 

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. 
As a reminder please register for the conference  here and share the conference information widely in your circles. 

SRS Annual Conference 2021

Join us for our 34th Annual Conference:
A Fantastic and Limitless Future: Nursing Science, Diversity, & Wellbecoming”

Keynote speaker: Marlaine C. Smith, RN; PhD; AHN-BC, HWNC-BC, FAAN

There is no charge to attend the conference but a donation to the Society is always appreciated!