VIRGINIA HENDERSONS

NURSING THEORY

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 EVOLUTION OF THEORY
Virginia Henderson was the nurse-theorist who devoted her
career to defining nursing practice. She believed that an
occupation that affects human life must outline its functions
particularly if it is to be regarded as profession. Her ideas
about definition of nursing were influenced by her nursing
education and practice by her students and colleagues at
Columbia University School of Nursing, and by distinguished
nursing leaders of her time. Two events are the basis for
her development of definition of nursing and these are:

First, she participated in the revision of a nursing text

book. During revision of the Textbooks of the principles and
practice of nursing written with Bertha Harmer (1922)
Henderson realized the need to be clear about the functions
of the nurse.
Second, she was concerned that the many states had no
provision for nursing licensure to ensure safe and
competent care for the consumers.
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She examined the earlier statements of the nursing functions
by American Nurses Association and viewed these
statements as non specific and unsatisfactory definition of
nursing practice. In 1966, Hendersons first definition of
nursing was published in Bertha harmers revised nursing
text book.

It reads as the unique function of the nurse is to assist the

individual (sick or well) in the performance of those activities
contributing to health or its recovery (or peaceful death) that
he would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength,
will or knowledge. And to do this in such a way as to help him
gain independence as rapidly as possible.
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CONCEPTS USED BY HENDERSON
Henderson called her definition of nursing as concept.
Henderson viewed human being, health, environment and
nursing as follow:

Human being: The patient as an individual who requires

assistance to achieve health and independence or peaceful
death. The mind and the body are inseparable. The patient
and his family are viewed as a unit.

Health: She views health in terms of patients ability to

perform unaided the 14 components of nursing care. She
says it is the quality of the health rather than life itself, that
margins of mental physical vigor that allows a person to
work most effectively to reach his highest potential of
satisfaction in life.

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 Environment: She used Webster dictionary, which
defines environment as the aggregate of all the
external conditions and influences affecting the
life and development of an organism.

Nursing: In1966, Henderson ultimate statements in

the definition of nursing were published of her ideas
it reads as follows:
The unique function of the
nurse is to assist the individual (sick or well) in
the performance of those activities contributing
to health or its recovery (or peaceful death) that
he would perform unaided if he had the
necessary strength, will or knowledge. And to do
this, in such a way as to help him gain
independence as rapidly as possible.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF HENDERSONS
THEORY
There is interrelation of concepts.
Concepts of fundamental human needs
are borrowed from other discipline e.g.
Maslows theory.
Her definition and components are
logical and the 14 components are a
guide for the individual and nurse in
reaching the chosen goal.
Relatively simple yet generalizable.
Applicable to the health of individuals
of PM
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 Contd..
Can be the bases for hypotheses
that can be tested.
Assist in increasing the general
body of knowledge within the
discipline.
Her ideas of nursing practice are
well accepted.
Can be utilized by practitioners to
guide and improve their practice.
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 FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS OF HUMAN
ACCORDING TO VIRGINIA
HENDERSON

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 FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS OF
HUMAN

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 Play or participate in various forms of recreation.

Learn, discover, or
satisfy the curiosity
that leads to normal
development and
health and use the
available health
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 MATAPARADIGM OF HENDERSONS
THEORY

INDIVIDUAL:

Have basic needs that are component of health.

Requiring assistance to achieve health and
independence or a peaceful death.
Mind and body are inseparable and interrelated.
Considers the biological, psychological,
sociological, and spiritual components.
The theory presents the patient as a sum of parts
with biopsychosocial needs.
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Environment:
Settings in which an individual learns unique
pattern for living.
All external conditions and influences that affect
life and development.
Individuals in relation to families.
Minimally discusses the impact of the
community on the individual and family.
Basic nursing care involves providing
conditions under which the patient can perform
the 14 activities unaided.
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Health:
Definition based on individuals ability to
function independently as outlined in
the 14 components.
Nurses need to stress promotion of
health and prevention and cure of
disease.
Good health is a challenge -affected by
age, cultural background, physical, and
intellectual capacities, and emotional
balance Is the individuals ability to meet
these needs independently.
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Nursing:
Temporarily assisting an individual who lacks the necessary
strength, will and knowledge to satisfy 1 or more of 14
basic needs.
Assists and supports the individual in life activities and the
attainment of independence.
Nurse serves to make patient complete whole", or
"independent."
The nurse is expected to carry out physicians therapeutic
plan. Individualized care is the result of the nurses
creativity in planning for care.
Nurse should have knowledge to practice individualized
and human care and should be a scientific problem solver.
In the Nature of Nursing Nurse role is, to get inside the
patients skin and supplement his strength will or
knowledge according to his needs.
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HENDERSONS THEORY AND NURSING
PROCESS
Nursing assessment: Assess needs of
human being based in the 14
components of basic nursing care.
Nursing Diagnosis: Identify individuals
ability to meet own needs with or
without assistance, taking into
consideration strength, will or
knowledge.
Nursing Plan: Document how the nurse
can assist the individual, sick or well.
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 Nursing Implementation
Assist the sick or well individual in to
performance of activities in meeting
human needs to maintain health,
recover from illness, or to aid in
peaceful death. Implementation based
on the physiological principles, age,
cultural background, emotional
balance, and physical and intellectual
capacities.Carry out treatment
prescribed by the physician.
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Nursing Evaluation
Use the acceptable definition of nursing
and appropriate laws related to the
practice of nursing. The quality of care is
drastically affected by the preparation
and native ability of the nursing
personnel rather that the amount of
hours of care.Successful outcomes of
nursing care are based on the speed with
which or degree to which the patient
performs independently the activities of
daily living.

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 THEORETICAL ASSERTIONS

The Nurse-Patient Relationship:

Henderson stated that there are three levels
compromising the nurse-patient relationship:
The nurse as a substitute for the patient.

The nurse as a helper to the patient.

The nurse as a partner with the patient.

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 The Nurse-Physician Relationship

Henderson asserted that nurses function

independently from physicians. Though
the nurse and the patient, as partners,
formulate the plan of care, it must be
implemented in such a way that will
promote the physicians prescribed
therapeutic plan. She also insisted that
nurses do not follow doctors orders;
rather they follow in a philosophy which
allows physicians to give orders to
patients or other healthcare team
members.
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The Nurse as a Member of the Healthcare
Team:
For a team to work together in
harmony, every member must work
interdependently. The nurse, as a
member of the healthcare team, works
and contributes in carrying out the
total program of care. However,
working interdependently, as
Henderson indicated, does not include
taking other members roles and
responsibilities.
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 APPLICATIONS
Practice:
The nurse can help the patient move to an independent
state by
Assessment- assess the patients for 14 fundamental
needs and determine what are lacking.
Planning- plan to meet the needs fit to the doctors
prescribed plan.
Implementation- uses the 14 basic needs in answering
the factors contribute to the illness. Assist the sick or
well individual to maintain health or recover from
illness.
Evaluation phase- decides whether goals are met or not.
Provide a rationale for collecting reliable and valid data
about the health status of clients.
Help build a common nursing terminology to use in
communicating with otherHKK
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health professionals.
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 Education
Development of 3 phases of curriculum development that
students should progress in their learning. The focus in all
three phases remains the same these are:
Assisting the patient when he needs strength, will or
knowledge in performing his daily activities or in carrying
out prescribed therapy with the ultimate goal of
independence.
Develop a habit of inquiry; take courses in biological,
physical, and social sciences and in the humanities; study
with students in other fields, observe effective care, and give
effective care in a variety of settings.
Involve students in the complete study of the patient and all
his needs.
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 Research
Research questions arise from each of the
14 components of basic nursing care.
Henderson concluded no profession,
occupation or industry in this age can
evaluate adequately or improve it practice
without research.
Offer a framework for generating knowledge
and new ideas.
She emphasized the importance of research
in evaluating and improving the nurses
practice.
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 VIRGINIA HENDERSONS
THEORY

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 STRENGTHS
The concept of nursing formulated by
Henderson in her definition of nursing and the
14 components of basic nursing is
uncomplicated and self-explanatory. Therefore,
it can be used without difficulty as a guide for
nursing practice by most nurses.
Hendersons work is relatively simple yet
generalizable with some limitations.
Her work can be applied to the health of
individuals of all ages.
Each of the 14 activities can be the basis for
research.
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 WEAKNESS
A major shortcoming in her work is
the lack of a conceptual linkage
between physiological and other
human characteristics.
No concept of the holistic nature of
human being.
Lacks inter-relate of factors and the
influence of nursing care.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Basavanthappa BT. Nursing theories. 1st ed. New Delhi:
Jaypee Brothers Medical Publisher; 2007.p. 61-65.
Basavanthappa BT. Fundamentals of nursing. 2nd ed. New
Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publisher; 2007.p. 52.
Kozier and erbs. Fundamental of nursing. 8th ed. New
Delhi: Pearson; 2009. p. 43-44.
Sr. Nancy. Principles and practice of nursing. 6th ed.
Indore: N.R. Brothers; 2007.p. 602-603.
http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Henderson.html
http://vhenderson2011.blogspot.in/p/major-concepts.html
http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Henderson.html
http://nursing-theory.org/theories-and-models/henderson-
need-theory.php
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