ANSWER
Virginia Henderson’s Needs Theory
With our essay sample, you can investigate Virginia Henderson’s theory! You will find the theorist’s background, theory description, significant concepts, evaluation, application in nursing, and other important information here. With the help of our essay, you can learn more about Virginia Henderson’s theory.
Name and Background of the Theory/Author
Many theorists have significantly contributed to facilitating and determining a nurse’s working process. Virginia Henderson was a well-known nurse and theorist who focused on the place of patients in nursing care, assessed their needs, and highlighted the unique characteristics of the healing process. Many nursing theorists, including her, believed that nursing philosophy and ideology had to be committed to the idea that “nursing requires a knowledge base for practice that is distinct from that of medicine” (Chinn & Kramer, 2015, p. 29).
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Virginia Henderson Theory Choice
Virginia Henderson is the author of the Nursing Need Theory, one of the most influential theories in nursing practice that focuses on the importance of patient independence and its ability to accelerate the progress of nursing care in hospitals. The core of the theory is the development and understanding of a nurse’s roles and functions, as well as the relationships that a nurse can develop while assisting people in meeting their needs (Snowden, Donnell, & Duffy, 2014). Henderson’s attempt to cover several aspects of nursing and demonstrate their importance is a unique feature of this theory. The selection of this theory for analysis is explained by the ability to investigate not only the concept of nursing and its definition but also the role of patients in care and the development of nursing activities related to 14 primary human needs.
Virginia Henderson’s History
Virginia Henderson was born in 1897 in Kansas City, Missouri.
As the fifth of eight children in a family of lawyers, she was able to attend her family’s boy’s school. She soon graduated from the United States School of Nursing in Washington, DC, and continued her education at Columbia University. Her interest in nursing arose during WWI and grew over time, as did her desire to assist sick or injured people in need of appropriate care (Masters, 2014). Henderson traveled extensively to demonstrate how to care for the sick and to improve nursing and health care. Her international experience, observations, and in-depth knowledge of nursing all contributed to the development of her theory and aided in creating nurse guides.
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Theoretical References
Henderson began revising and editing a nursing textbook in 1939 following the death of its original author. She eventually became a co-author of the subsequent editions. Her Basic Principles of Nursing Care was first published in 1960. This book has been translated into 20 different languages (Masters, 2014). The book Principles and Practice of Nursing were published in 1978. Henderson defined nursing in his original work, saying that nursing aimed at assisting sick and healthy people in performing activities that could contribute to health or recovery (Henderson & Nite, 1978). In 1996, she died at the age of 98. Her most recent works were devoted to international nursing and health care teaching and speaking. Even though some authors, such as Strout (2012), argue that Henderson’s theory lacks clear definitions of wellness, her works are used by millions of nurses worldwide to improve the quality of nursing care and health care (Ahtisham & Jacoline, 2015).
Concern as a Phenomenon in Theory
According to Henderson and her theory, the central phenomenon of concerns includes the role of interpersonal relations, the quality of a caring process, a goal-attainment nature, and the process of adaptation to the conditions under which care should be provided. Patients are people who have needs related to their health and the desire to improve it in any way possible (Ahtisham & Jacoline, 2015). Henderson’s main goal was to solve the problem of recognizing those needs and understanding care by all nurses and other medical workers at various levels.
Description of Virginia Henderson’s Theory
Reasoning Style
Given that Henderson attempted to combine several statements (14 patient needs and nursing care peculiarities) in order to reach a single logical conclusion, it is possible to say that her theory is based on deductive reasoning. The key to the theory under consideration is a clear and explicit definition of nursing. Henderson wanted to explain what nursing could entail and supported her discussions with new nursing suggestions and guidelines.
She derived the nursing definition from 14 properly developed needs, which included physiological and psychological aspects of nursing and health care. In other words, to assess Henderson’s theory’s logical adequacy, one must examine all assumptions and statements. As a result, Henderson correctly chose the deductive type of reasoning for developing the Need Theory.
Theory’s Major Concepts
People may find Henderson’s concepts and assumptions similar to those developed in other areas of life, such as those discussed in terms of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The theory’s main concepts are 14 fundamental human needs supported by existing physiology, culture, interactions, and independence in communication that nurses may develop with various people (Chinn & Kramer, 2015). All theory concepts are operationally defined and used consistently. Henderson, for example, explained that patients needed to breathe normally and eliminate body wastes, eat and drink adequately, sleep and rest, move or maintain desirable postures, choose clothes independently, maintain body temperature and keep the body clean, avoid dangers and share emotions, needs, and fears with others, work to be done, participate in recreation, and learn or satisfy the curiosity that could promote the improvement or development (Alligood, 2014).
In addition to these central concepts, the theory is distinguished by the introduction of four major concepts: an individual with basic needs, the environment or setting in which a patient can learn how to live healthy, health based on the fulfillment of all 14 needs, and nursing, the goal of which is to assist patients and provide them with independence and support.
QUESTION
Henderson Discussion – 400 Words
Henderson believed nurses have the responsibility to assess the needs of the individual patient, help individuals meet their health needs, and provide an environment in which the individual can perform activities unaided. What is an opportunity in nursing practice that would benefit from application of Henderson’s theory? How does this align with the ANA’s definition of nursing? Provide at least one evidenced-based research article to support this recommendation.