Virginia Henderson Nursing Need Theory

Virginia Henderson Nursing Need Theory

Introduction

For advanced nursing care, nurses must be familiar with nursing theories, which were established to give direction for clinical practice. According to Gligor and Carmen (2020), recent advances in technology, abilities, expert knowledge, and patient needs and expectations have resulted in a changing health system. Growing lifespans and chronic disease rates, the advent of day surgery, the increase in inpatient healthcare, and the decline in hospitalization have all led to altering dynamics of need and supply in the institution. These developments, in particular, have led to the creation of novel patient care approaches and a shift in the professional duties of nursing staff. This work was written for the purpose of familiarization with Virginia Henderson Nursing Need Theory.

Background

Theorist’s Background

The Need Theory was developed by Virginia Avenel Henderson, a nurse and a thinker. According to Rose (2017), she was a nurse educator, scholar, and author of several nursing publications. In Virginia, Virginia Henderson attended school with her aunts and uncle Charles Abbot, who ran a boys’ school at Walter Reed Hospital. She earned her nursing diploma from Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. The Henry Street Visiting Nurse Service employed Virginia Henderson for two years after she graduated from college. However, after two years, her great desire to serve the profession thwarted her plans. She worked tirelessly to change nurses’ perceptions throughout the years by doing extensive research that helped create the intellectual foundations of her profession. She traveled the world at the request of professional groups, colleges, and authorities to share her knowledge and encourage nurses and other medical workers during her career.

Phenomenon of Concern

Henderson’s Need Theory is one of her most notable contributions to nursing. For patients to recover after hospitalization, it is essential to increase treatment choices and focus on fundamental human needs. Patient independence is emphasized as a means of speeding up the hospitalization process in this idea. Nurses can help satisfy these demands according to Henderson’s idea.

Theory Description

Concepts

A holistic nursing approach is demonstrated by the 14 components of Virginia Henderson’s Need Theory. According to Wallace and Jones (2020), these 14 basic requirements, according to Henderson, may be used to guide nursing interventions and help patients regain their independence, which is the ultimate goal. As Henderson defines, nursing has the objective of assisting patients with their care; however, some of the tasks mentioned in Henderson’s ideas can only be applied to fully functional persons.

Diagram