Martha E. Rogers: A Life History

Abstract

The 20th century in nursing has focused heavily on theory development. While theorizing about nursing—what it is, and what it is not—can be traced back to Nightingale, Martha E. Rogers’ An Introduction to the Theoretical Basis of Nursing (1970) marked the advent of a new era in nursing science. With a view of nursing as a “learned profession,” this landmark work staked out a substantive knowledge base for the discipline. The science of unitary human beings proposed by Rogers was a radical departure from all that had come before and is seen by many as pioneering the beginning of a paradigmatic shift within the profession. The purpose of this inquiry is to document the self-described events across the life span of Martha E. Rogers that she perceived as having influenced the development of the science of unitary human beings. A life history approach is utilized and the data are organized chronologically. This life story of Martha E. Rogers is essential to the current and future understanding of the evolution of the culture of nursing. Likewise, more is learned about the nature and process of theory development. © 1989, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.