TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editor's Note - Thomas Cox RN, MS, MSW, MS

Reflections on Dialogue 2001 - Dorothy Woods Smith, RN; PhD; HNC

Blind persons’ ability to detect obstacles in unfamiliar environments - Karolyn Kells

Pattern Changes in People Experiencing Therapeutic Touch, Phase II - Dorothy Woods Smith, RN; PhD; HNC

Remembering Martha E. Rogers - Tae Sook Kim, RN PhD

Tribute to John R. Phillips: 2001 Distinguished Alumnus of the Division of Nursing - New York University by Elizabeth Ann Manhart Barrett, RN PhD FAAN

FEEDBACK & EMAIL

We encourage communication in all forms. Letters to the editor are encouraged and welcome and will, if desired, be published in the Newsletter.

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Thomas Cox - Newsletter Editor

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Editor's Note

The electronic form of the Newsletter began with a plan to replicate the paper version of the Winter 2001 edition. That issue was to be the last paper version of the newsletter. Problems developed with getting the paper version complete and rather than delay this issue further, we decided to move ahead with the e-newsletter.

The intention to move ahead to an electronic version of the Newsletter was discussed for a long period of time. In the end, it was felt that the promotion of Martha's work and of the Science of Unitary Human Beings, mandated moving ahead into uncharted waters.

Producing an electronic journal certainly is in line with Martha's views on science and technology as valuable artifacts of human progress. This form of publishing offers opportunities for more rapid turnaround time, for a forum for discussion and for archiving of materials.  

One thing remains clear however, the newsletter is intended to promote the work of Martha E. Rogers and the Science of Human Beings, as that work continues to evolve. 

We also hope that the availability of the on-line Newsletter will encourage both new and current devotees to explore Martha's work and to promote membership in the Society of Rogerian Scholars. We are also hopeful that people from other disciplines will also join in our discussions and SRS.

SUPPORTING THE NEWSLETTER AND THE SOCIETY OF ROGERIAN SCHOLARS

The online version of the Newsletter is free. However, there are costs associated with its production and the way to support the Newsletter is to become a member of the Society of Rogerian Scholars.

Membership in the Society of Rogerian Scholars is open to all people interested in the evolution and promotion of the thought of Martha E. Rogers, the Science of Unitary Human Beings, and Unitary Health Care. While nursing is the primary beneficiary of the wisdom of Martha E. Rogers, the ideas advanced by her are relevant to many different disciplines. The Society encourages membership from non-nursing health disciplines as well as non-health disciplines.

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Print off and forward the following Membership Application Form to:

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Make checks (U.S. funds only) payable to: Society of Rogerian Scholars. Membership year runs from July 1 through June 30. For new members only who pay in April, May, or June, dues are credited towards the following year.

Library subscriptions are available for Visions: The Journal of Rogerian Nursing Science at $15. 00 per copy.

Reprints of articles in Visions are available for $2.50 per article.

The book, Martha E. Rogers: 80 Years of Excellence, is available from the above address at $15.00 per copy (postage and handling $2.50 USA and $5.00 International).

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I would like to maximize the use of e-mail notifications to encourage wide access to the Rogerian Nursing Science News Online. To accomplish this task I would like to develop mailing lists for nursing school faculty, Deans, students, libraries, and other nursing organizations. If you have mailing lists please that will help reach an ever wider, deeper, more diverse population please send them to me:

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Reflections on Dialogue 2001

 Dorothy Woods Smith

Kathy Matas, leader of the 2001 Rogerian Dialogue invited us to listen with our 

whole selves, to listen 

with our bones; to go through the listening hole. We would know when we were there.

Through the listening hole...

I sought a place, an opening above me, 

perhaps symbolized by the missing ceiling tile in our dialogue room, 

through which I would enter the listening hole

At times I thought I was there, 

hearing themes rather than isolated words and ideas; 

hearing intent as well as dialogue

Today, in meditation, I sensed the listening hole. 

It was neither up nor down, outside me nor deep within, 

but aspatial.

I sensed the difference between hearing and listening, 

aware that they were integral 

as are the sides of a Möbius strip

I knew that in the listening hole creativity is infinite, 

awareness expanded, and that knowing is pandimensional, 

more than the sum of the words.

I was aware of the power of intent to reach around, 

beyond, and through words

Pattern appreciation is in the listening hole.

Dorothy Woods Smith, June 10, 2001

Society of Rogerian Scholars

Philosophy 

Since its advent as a profession heralded by the work of Nightingale, nursing has been responsible for the development of a body of scientific knowledge specific to nursing and for the imaginative and creative use of this knowledge in the art of practice. The nurturance of human beings is the ever-present and age-old concern of the nursing profession.

The Science of Unitary Human Beings provides a distinctive nursing frame of reference for viewing human beings, the mutual human-environmental process, and nursing practice. Nurses who are concerned with the Science of Unitary Human Beings are challenged to contribute to its conceptual, theoretical and practical development. Nurses are responsible for the logical analysis of the framework and the generation and testing of theories.
How nurses use knowledge derived from the framework to provide a service to society is as important as the knowledge itself. The thoughtful synthesis of the science and art of nursing is essential if the framework is to contribute to the fulfillment of the profession's mandate to provide nursing service to society. All nurses concerned with the development and use of the framework are responsible for engaging in open communication of ideas, questions, challenges, and refutations generated by the framework, and reporting scholarly work and practice in the nursing literaure.

The Society of Rogerian Scholars is committed to fostering the development of the Science of Unitary Human Beings by providing a formal, organized structure for the stimulation, development, and exchange of ideas. The formation of the Society is predicated upon the belief that all nurses around the world should have a forum where questions, ideas, insights, and opinions related to the framework's concepts, theories, and use in practice are discussed.

The Society provides a structure to ensure open and speedy communication of current work and thinking within the framework and the most recent developments and revisions of its concepts, principles, and theories. The fulfillment of the mission and purposes of the Society will help to advance nursing as a science and thereby contribute significantly to the knowledgeable nursing of human beings.

Purposes 

- Advance nursing as a basic science.
- Explore the meaning of a philosophy of wholeness for nursing.
- Foster the understanding and the use of the Science of Unitary Human Beings as a basis for theory  
  development, research, education, and practice.
- Provide avenues for dissemination of information related to the Science of Unitary Human Beings.
- Create forums for scholarly debate.
- Provide educational forums on the Science of Unitary Human Beings.

Mission Statement 

The mission of the Society of Rogerian Scholars, Inc., is to advance nursing science through an emphasis on the Science of Unitary Human Beings. The focus of the Society is education, research, and practice in service to humankind.

Blind persons’ ability to detect obstacles in unfamiliar environments.

 Karolyn Kells

            Blind individuals with the ability to detect obstacles in an unseen, unfamiliar environment are surprising.  Since nurses care for blind individuals, information about this ability is critical; however, no nursing references to this ability were located.  Therefore, a Husserlian phenomenological inquiry with perspectives of Reeder (1988) and Stein (1997) was conducted to develop descriptive, substantive knowledge about this ability.  A convenience sample of eight blind participants generated the data in face-to-face audiotaped dialogic conversations.  Three themes emerged:  “Sense that something is there,” “Sensing,” and “Space.”  These three entwined themes were recognized in the unity-of-meaning or uniting theme: Sensing presence as open or closed space.  Although the findings of this inquiry are intriguing and pose many questions for nurses, there is a need for further study and replication.  Given the synergistic recognition of obstacles that the participants described, there is also a need for secondary analysis of the data.  There are some implications for further study regarding nursing theory pattern recognition (Rogers, 1986; Newman, 1986) and human environmental field integrality (Rogers, 1986).

Kells, K.J. (2001) Blind persons’ ability to detect obstacles in unfamiliar environments. Image:  Journal of Nursing Scholarship. 33(2), 153-157.

Pattern Changes in People Experiencing Therapeutic Touch, Phase II: Pandimensional Pattern Changes in Healers and Healees in a Therapeutic Touch Series Relationship of Pattern Changes to Duration of Therapeutic Touch Sessions

Dorothy Woods Smith, RN; PhD; HNC

Summary

Rogers¹ Science of Unitary Human Beings, in which human beings are viewed as homeodynamic energy fields engaged in continual mutual process with the environmental field, provides a framework in which Therapeutic Touch (TT) can be studied. In the mutual process of TT, one person knowingly participates with another in creating human energy field pattern changes.

The purpose of this study was to measure manifestations of pandimensional change in human field patterns in both healers and healees experiencing a series of TT treatments. This expands on the author¹s previous study in which significant increases in manifestations of power (p =.001) and spirituality (p <.001) were noted in students completing a 3-credit university course in TT (Smith, 2000).

In this pre-experimental study, 19 volunteers (healees) participated in a series of 5 to 8 sessions of TT, each paired for the series with one of four experienced TT practitioners (healers). Therapeutic Touch was defined as ³a health patterning modality whereby nurse and client participate knowingly in the changing human-environmental field process² (Malinski, 1996, p.2).

In this process ³the nurse assumes a meditative form of awareness and uses her hands as a focus for the patterningŠ² (Meehan, 1988, p.6). Indicators of human field pattern change for healers and healees experiencing the TT series included power, spirituality, and diversity, all derived within Rogers¹ Science of Unitary Human Beings. In addition, healees reported levels of pain and stress, and recorded pulse and blood pressure prior to and five minutes after each TT session. Power was defined as ³the capacity to participate knowingly in the nature of change characterizing the continuous patterning of the human and environmental fields² (Barrett, Caroselli, A. S. Smith, & D. W. Smith, 1997, p. 32), and measured by Barrett¹s (1987) Power as Knowing Participation in Change Test. Spirituality was defined as ³a way of being and experiencing that comes about through awareness of a transcendent dimension characterized by certain identifiable values in regard to self, others, nature, life, and whatever one considers to the the Ultimate² (Elkins, Hedstrom, Hughes, Leaf & Saunders, 1988), and measured by Elkins¹ (1990) Spiritual Orientation Inventory. Diversity was defined as a ³field potential which promotes more varied and innovative field design² (Hastings-Tolsma, 1992), measured by Hastings-Tolsma¹s (1992) Diversity in Human Field Patterning Scale.

Pain and stress were defined as the individual¹s subjective report of theIntensity of their felt experiences at that moment, as recorded on 100mm Visual Analog Scales (zero none, 10 worst). Pulse and blood pressure were considered objective indicators of the stress response which may occur independently, or in association with pain. Pulse and blood pressure were recorded by research assistants using an electronic instrument. The four healers, all licensed registered nurses with master¹s degrees and three or more years experience as TT practitioners, completed the Subjective Experience of Therapeutic Touch Scale (SETTS, Krieger & Winstead-Fry, 1983) prior to and following the series, to support their selection as expert practitioners (M = 201, alpha .97, .98).

Treatment duration was not pre-set, but was determined by the healer¹s field pattern recognition with each healee at each session, observed and recorded by research assistants. Treatment times ranged from 5-19minutes, with a mean of 10.5 minutes. No relationship was found among outcomes of Therapeutic Touch and the duration of the treatment, which is consistent with the clinical practice of Therapeutic Touch, and with the atemporal nature of pandimensionality which underlies Rogers¹ Science of Unitary Human Beings. All healees experienced TT at the same time and place each week, each time paired with the same healer. Healees as a group (total 141 sessions) showed statistically significant reductions in stress each week (p = .01 to <.001); lessened pain each week, with 4 weeks at statistically significant levels (p = .03 to .005); lower systolic blood pressure all but the first week with 6 weeks at statistically significant levels (p = .02 to <.001); and slower pulse all but the eighth week, with statistical significance 4 of those weeks (p = .02 to <.001. The hypothesis that healers and healees (N = 17) would manifest greaterspirituality after a series of TT treatments was supported (p < .05).

The hypothesis that healers and healees would manifest greater power after a series of TT treatments was not supported, although change was in the predicted direction. The hypothesis that healers and healees would manifest greater diversity after a series of TT treatments was not supported, with significant change away from the predicted direction (p < .05), which may reflect the newness of the measurement tool. The findings of this study support the notion that TT promotes pandimensional field pattern changes, and that similar pattern changes manifest in both healers and healees.

Support for TT as an intervention for pain and stress is also demonstrated. Findings and trends found in this study provided support for a later study which explored field pattern changes in healees experiencing TT as part of a self-help program for people with chronic pain. TT as an intervention for pain and stress

Acknowledgments
The author gratefully acknowledges the University of Southern Maine College of Nursing Payson Research Award, which helped fund this study; Provost Mark Lapping and the late Dean Patricia Geary who provided support and space for TT practice and research; Dr. Dolores Krieger and Dr. Patricia Winstead-Fry for design consultation; Dr. John Broida, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Southern Maine, for data analysis; Sonya Johansen for statistical consultation, Jessica Curelop, graduate research assistantthroughout; Jean Akin, Deborah Gagne, Larry Plant, and Barbara Tsonis, the expert TT practitioners; and last but definitely not least, the student research assistants and volunteer healees.

References

Barrett, E. A. M., Caroselli, C., Smith, A. S., & Smith, D. W. (1997). Power as knowing participation in change: Theoretical, practice, and methodological issues, insights, and ideas. In M. Madrid (Ed.), Patterns of Rogerian Knowing (pp. 31-46). New York: National League for Nursing

Barrett, E. A. M. (1987). Power as Knowing Participation in Change Test. Available from Dr. E. A. M. Barrett, 415 East 85th Street, New York, NY 10028.

Elkins, D. N., Hedstrom, L. J., Hughes, L. l., Leaf, J. A., & Saunders, C. (1988). Toward a humanistic-phenomenological spirituality. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 28(4), l5-18.

Elkins, D. N. (1990). Spiritual Orientation Inventory. Available from Dr. D. N. Elkins, Pepperdine University Center, 2151 Michelson Drive, Suite 165, Irvine, CA 92715.

Hastings-Tolsma, M. (1992). Relationship of diversity of human field pattern to risk-taking and time experience: An investigation of Rogers¹ principles of homeodynamics. (Doctoral dissertation, New York University. Dissertation Abstracts International, 9237755.

Hastings-Tolsma, M. (1996). Diversity of Human Field Pattern Scale. Rogerian Nursing Science News 8 (4), 6,7.

Krieger, D. & Winstead-Fry, P. (1983). Self Evaluation Therapeutic Touch Scale. In D. Krieger (1993), Accepting Your Power to Heal (pp. 189-194). Santa Fe: Bear & Co.

Malinski, V. M. (1996). An invitation to dialogue on the theoretical basis of Therapeutic Touch. Rogerian Nursing Science News 8(3), 1-3. 6-7.

Meehan, T. C. (1988). Theory development. Rogerian Nursing Science News 1(2), 4-8.

Smith, D. W. (2000). Pattern changes in people experiencing Therapeutic Touch, phase I. Rogerian Nursing Science News 12 (3), 3,4.

Dorothy Woods Smith, RN; PhD; HNC
Associate Professor Emeritus
University of Southern Maine College of Nursing and Health Professions
13415 W. 143rd Street, Lockport, IL 60441 (dottiewsmith@earthlink.net)

Remembering Martha E. Rogers

 Tae Sook Kim, RN PhD

Martha and "Survival"

I saw Martha (physical manifestations of her) for the first and last time in 1992 at the fourth Rogerian conference. I started my doctoral study at NYU in that Spring and I was very excited when Joanne Griffin, who was teaching the Science of Unitary Human Beings class that semester, announced that there would be a Rogerian conference in June. I jumped at the opportunity right away and registered for the conference. During the conference, Martha seemed to float around among a group of people and I only watched her at a distance from my seat.

Contrary to what I had heard, she did not wear sneakers. On the last day of conference, on Sunday, at the Loeb Student Center, (it's being demolished now for something else) at NYU, Martha spoke in "Talk Show with Martha E. Rogers." One
person from the audience asked her the reason for creating her science. Martha answered simply, "survival." I think about that word now and then.

According to Webster's American College Dictionary (1998), "Survival" as a noun is defined as: 1) the act or fact of surviving, esp. under adverse or unusual circumstances, 2) a person or thing that survives or endures, esp. an ancient custom, observance, belief, etc. (p. 793). "Survive" as a verb is defined as: 1) to remain alive, as after the death of another or the occurrence of some event: continue to live, 2) to remain or continue in existence or use, 3) to continue to function or manage in spite of some adverse circumstance or hardship: hold up: endure (p. 794).

Her short, yet down-to-earth manner of answer to the audience's questions impressed me greatly. When I experience difficulties and feel down, I think about Martha and remind myself of the word, "survival," and I go on.

CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS

Tribute to John R. Phillips: 2001 Distinguished Alumnus of the Division of Nursing - New York University

by
Elizabeth Ann Manhart Barrett, RN PhD FAAN

How does one describe John Phillips? I wish I could count the ways. It's impossible, but to know him is to love him. John is indescribably unique - truly one of a kind as all of us know who love and respect him so dearly.

How many of us have known we could always count on John? All we had to do was pick up the phone, dial his number, and hear his voice greeting us with, "John Phillips speaking." Although I will try to share some of my impressions of what John has done that has distinguished him to receive this award, I want to say very clearly that John isn't what he does, he does what he is!

Dr. John R. Phillips is a scholar of noted acclaim who has made a major contribution to the advancement of nursing science. Without question, John is the quintessential teacher and most renowned scholar in the Science of Unitary Human Beings, created by Dr. Martha E. Rogers. Since her retirement in 1979, John has continuously taught courses in the Science of Unitary Human Beings. She was delighted with her successor in teaching.

Having known John for the past 20 years, I can honestly say that his career has been primarily dedicated to the intellectual development of students. Even though his publications are internationally acclaimed, he is best known for his work with students. No question about it, students have always come first with him. They have been his priority and teaching is his modus operandi. Moreover, he has distinguished himself by his unusual skill, dynamic style, and wealth of knowledge. His quiet yet passionate approaches to the teaching-learning interchange and his sincere interest in the intellectual growth of students have witnessed an effectiveness that is both inspiring and uniquely engaging. While never officially a student of John, he has been my teacher, and many others who have never shared a formal classroom with him would say the same thing.

His reputation as a teacher is renown in the world of nursing science and, indeed, many doctoral students have come to NYU from all over the country specifically "to study with John Phillips." In addition, many of his former students have become scholars in nursing science and today hold leadership positions in health care settings and/or faculty positions in universities. I have been privileged to have personally known many of the students John taught and mentored through the dissertation process. In addition to his knowledge he so freely shares, these students have cherished his creativity, availability, genuine interest, encouragement, confidence in their abilities, and insistence on standards of excellence.

Then there is the Martha E. Rogers Center for the Study of Nursing Science. Since it was created in 1994, he has been involved in organizing, implementing, and participating in various activities such as the annual Visiting Scholars Program that is held each Spring. He has also coordinated each June a two-day Dialogue that draws 40 national and international nursing science scholars who come together to participate in a think tank designed to push forward the boundaries of unitary knowledge. He is editor of a Newsletter published by the Martha E. Rogers Center and is an assistant for the Centers' Listserv.

In addition, John has been instrumental in the planning and conduct of eight international Rogerian Conferences held at NYU from 1982-2000. He has taught numerous workshops and delivered keynote addresses to various audiences who have come to revere and respect both John Phillips and NYU. He is a dynamic speaker who provokes, challenges, and captivates his audiences whether they are comprised of a few people or a few hundred people. He is a visionary who chose the road less traveled.

John's efforts extend far beyond the walls of NYU, although I would say that NYU is always with him. He is an intellectual resource available to faculty teaching Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings in this country and other countries. He is revered by those who know him and many who do not. It is likely that every doctoral student in nursing in the country is familiar with his groundbreaking work in Rogerian science. Likewise, a review of the literature reveals citations to his work by nearly all authors writing in the Rogerian framework. His expertise in this area of scholarship was recognized when he received the Martha E. Rogers Award from the National League for Nursing in 1997. He has been selected for many other awards and honors as well.

I've always been amazed that he is such a prolific author, since I know he spends many evenings and weekends critiquing student papers, which take precedence over his own writing. Students have always come first; his dedication has been out of the ordinary.

John's command of research knowledge is formidable and he has successfully mentored many students through the dissertation process, some of whom have produced seminal studies. The excellence he demonstrates in his own writing is likewise required for his students. He is the creator of the human field image theory. With John serving as a mentor, scholars teaching in other universities have tested hypotheses derived from his theory and a quantitative research instrument to measure human field image has been developed and used in several studies.

John was a charter member of the Editorial Board of the prestigious Nursing Science Quarterly. He also serves on review panels of several other refereed journals. Another area of contribution has been his involvement in professional organizations. Most notably, he is one of five founders of the Society of Rogerian Scholars, which is now international in scope. He has served on the Board of Directors since its inception in 1988.

Another reason it is fitting that John receives this honor of distinguished alumnus is related to his extensive involvement in the intellectual and academic life of the University. Furthermore, he is never afraid to speak his truth, without concern for the acceptance of his ideas, and without concern for audience approval. He is a courageous man, a trait that also characterized his mentor, Martha Rogers.

In summary, Dr. John R. Phillips is an outstanding academic who excels in many arenas.

As early as 1983 this extraordinary talent was recognized when he received the Professor of the Year Award from SEHNAP. 

He is a humble, caring human being of integrity and courage who shares his spirit of intellectual excitement for teaching and learning with others. His scholarly endeavors have brought distinction to the nursing profession and to NYU. He is most deserving to receive the high honor of the New York University Division of Nursing Distinguished Alumnus Award.

W. Richard Cowling III, RN; PhD; CS
President: Society of Rogerian Scholars
804-226-0562
wcowling@hsc.vcu.edu

Thomas Cox, RN; MS, MSW, MS
Editor: Rogerian Nursing Science News Online
804-222-3568
tc_spirit@yahoo.com

Copyright 2001 Society of Rogerian Scholars, Inc. This material may not be reproduced without prior written permission See Society of Rogerian Scholars Newsletter Service or contact the editor  for more details on using Newsletter articles.