Virginia Henderson: The principle and Practice of nursing Theory
Write about Virginia Henderson: The principle and Practice of nursing Theory. Include the following information
Biographical information and origin of the theory
Description of theory with concepts
Evaluation of theory
Application of theory in research/practice/education
Sample Answer
Virginia Henderson: The principle and Practice of nursing Theory
Biographical information and origin of the theory
Virginia Henderson was born in 1897 as the fifth child in a family of eight children. She received her education in Virginia and later pursued her diploma in nursing in 1921. She then proceeded to be a nursing teacher from 1923 until 1929, when she went to pursue her bachelor’s degree at Columbia University. Henderson pursued her master’s in 1934(Ahtisham & Jacoline, 2015). Henderson started working on her nursing need theory in 1939 and enriched it through different editions of the book ‘Principles and Practices of Nursing’ (Ahtisham & Jacoline, 2015).
Description of Theory with Concepts
Henderson’s need theory defines the focus of nursing practice by highlighting the need to increase the independence of patients to enhance recovery in healthcare settings. Henderson’s theory, therefore, emphasizes the need for nurses to meet the basic human needs of their patients (Petiprin, 2019). The main concepts of Henderson’s Theory include the individual environment, health, and nursing. The role of nursing staff is to understand the individual needs of a patient, including their health needs, and to modify the patient’s environment to satisfy such needs. Henderson’s need theory also highlights 14 components that show a holistic nursing approach covering the spiritual, physiological, psychological, and social needs of patients (Petiprin, 2019).
Evaluation of Theory
The main strength of Henderson’s theory is that his concept of nursing is widely accepted in nursing practice today among patients of all ages. On the other hand, the main weakness of Henderson’s Theory is the absence of a conceptual diagram to interconnect the concepts and subconcepts of the theory and make them easily understandable.
Application of Theory in Research/Practice/Education
Henderson’s theory can be applied in different areas such as nursing practice as it can be utilized as a way for nurses to set goals for their patients. On the other hand, in nursing research, Henderson’s theory can serve as a basis for determining the fundamental concepts of nursing (Ahtisham & Jacoline, 2015).
References
- Ahtisham, Y., & Jacoline, S. (2015). Integrating Nursing Theory and Process into Practice; Virginia’s Henderson Need Theory. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 8(2), 443–450.
- Petiprin, A. (2019, August 21). Henderson’s Nursing Need Theory. Nursing Theory. https://nursing-theory.org/theories-and-models/henderson-need-theory.phpv
