Contributor: Violet Malinski, RN, PhD
Compiled by the Society of Rogerian Scholars (SRS)
Resource Development Committee
Download the SRS Instrument Packet
In an effort to facilitate research and practice informed by Martha E. Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human Beings, the SRS Resource Development Committee obtained permissions to distribute pre-existing tools developed within the science to interested Rogerian scholars, with no fee attached. As early as 1961 Martha E. Rogers called for basic research in nursing to further development of theoretical knowledge in nursing. Throughout her writings she called for innovative tools of measurement and new methodologies needed for the study of the new reality proposed by Rogerian science. A number of scholars, whether as doctoral students working with or consulting with Rogers or other faculty knowledgeable in the science or as established Rogerian scholars, answered her call for the development of Rogerian instruments with which to study this unitary science. The tools were developed primarily through the 1980s, as is reflected in some of the language used, but the concepts and ways to measure them are still relevant.
The most well-known and widely used is Elizabeth Barrett’s Power as Knowing Participation in Change tool, which she developed with Rogers along with the Rogerian derived theory of power as knowing participation in change. She expanded on Rogers’ (1992) assumption that, although we cannot start, manage, or stop change, we can participate in change; we just don’t always do so wisely. She identified knowing participation in change as power within Rogerian nursing science. The instrument has been used in all fields of nursing, research, practice, administration, and education.
John Phillips (2015) developed the concept of human field image to replace body image in Rogerian nursing science. He described it as ongoing pattern manifestations and changes that enhance potentials for wellbecoming. Linda Johnston furthered this work by developing the Human Field Image Metaphor Scale to measure this concept.
Rogers (1992) stated that field pattern is an abstraction and therefore cannot be directly observed but only revealed through manifestations of pattern. She proposed 6 such manifestations, noting that there are more to be discovered. Pattern manifestations thus became a focus for instrument development. Jeanne Paletta developed the Temporal Experience Scale to assess Rogers’ postulated manifestation of field change in time experience as slower, faster, or as timelessness. Marie Hastings-Tolsma’s Diversity of Human Field Pattern Scale measures the proposed manifestation of lesser-greater diversity in human-environmental field experiencing. Juanita Watson’s Assessment of Dream Experience explores the proposed manifestation of longer sleeping, longer waking, beyond waking.
Others focused on health and well-being, which now would be wellbecoming.
Sarah Gueldner offered a picture scale to assess well-being, while Kathy Matas developed the Self Defined Health Promotion Goals Scale.
The Society of Rogerian Scholars has granted permission to Nursology to post the document about the instruments, in which descriptions and references can be found along with the person to contact for permission to use the tool. Download the SRS Instrument Packet.
The packet can also be found on the SRS website, which contains other information about the society, such as conferences, membership information, and the President’s message, which might be of interest. On the SRS website, societyofrogerianscholars.org, scroll over to the heading “SUHB” then move down to Scholarly Resources and down past bibliography updates and information about the book, Evolving Rogerian Nursing Science: John R. Phillips’ Unique Contributions, to information about the research tools. Be sure to read the introduction which provides important information.The whole file can be downloaded or you can look at each tool description separately. The instruments themselves and scoring guides are only available through the specific contact person cited for each one. Following are the 7 tools that we can provide:
- Barrett’s Power as Knowing Participation in Change tool
- Gueldner’s Well-Being Picture Scale
- Hastings-Tolsma’s Diversity of Human Field Pattern Scale
- Johnston’s Human Field Image Metaphor Scale
- Matas’ Self Defined Health Promotion Goals Scale
- Paletta’s Temporal Experience Scale
- (J.) Watson’s Assessment of Dream Experiences
Researchers can assist in developing theoretical knowledge in the Science of Unitary Human Beings, help to refine and expand use of existing tools, or use them as a springboard to develop new ones in the science, whether by exploring the manifestations of change or other Rogerian concepts. For example, Phillips (2019) derived the theory of pandimensional awareness -integral presence and called for developed of an instrument to measure it for use in both research and practice to recognize the diversity of such experience and to enrich awareness of possibilities to enhance wellbecoming.
The Resource Development Committee members responsible for dissemination of each instrument welcome your inquiries!
References
Phillips, J. R. (2015). Martha E. Rogers: Heretic and heroine. Nursing Science Quarterly, 28, 42-48. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318414558608
Phillips, J. R. (2019). Unitariology and the changing frontiers of the science of unitary human beings. Nursing Science Quarterly, 32, 207-213. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318419845404
Rogers, M. E. (1961). Educational revolution in nursing. Macmillan.
Rogers, M. E. (1992). Nursing science and the space age. Nursing Science Quarterly, 5, 27-34. https://doi.org/10.1177/089431849200500108