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
According to Nurselabs, this diagram shows all components of Need Theory.
Relationships
All concepts describe a healthy life of a person; on this basis, they are related. The components cover all aspects of life – from normal breathing to various games.
Evaluation
Weaknesses
Despite Henderson’s 14 ideas and subconcepts, there is no conceptual model to show how they are interconnected. The nurse’s role in providing a peaceful death is briefly described in the section on helping the dying individual.
Metaparadigms
To attain health and independence or peaceful death, people have basic health requirements. Wholeness is achieved when a person’s physiological and emotional states are in harmony. In her definition of a patient, she included anybody who needs healthcare services, but she did not restrict nursing to sickness treatment. Mind and body are interdependent and interrelated, according to her philosophy.
Indeed, the Need Theory did not expressly define the environment, but Henderson claimed that one of her 14 actions for client help was creating a supportive atmosphere favorable to health. Henderson’s study validates the responsibilities or agencies of the private and public health sectors in keeping the people healthy. She feels that society needs and expects nurses to care for those who cannot care for themselves on their own.
Henderson’s health theory did not define health directly, but it was understood to indicate a state of equilibrium in all aspects of human existence. Concerning 14 fundamental human requirements, it is defined as the degree of independence or ability to carry out tasks without any assistance from others. Nurses play an essential role in promoting health, preventing illness, and treating disease to counterbalance this. As Henderson explains, maintaining good health is a struggle since it is impacted by various factors, including age, ethnic heritage, mental health.
While the nurse is required to follow out a physician’s therapeutic plan, the nurse’s ingenuity in preparing for care results in customized care; ideally, the nurse is an autonomous practitioner who can make independent judgments. Assessment, assistance with health requirements, and provision of an environment in which the patient may conduct unassisted activities are all responsibilities of the nurse.
Application
Studies That Used the Theory
A nurse’s goal-setting can be guided by Henderson’s 14 components using her Needs theory. Meeting the client’s 14 requirements can be an excellent way of improving care for patients. Each of her 14 essential principles may be used as a research base in nursing, even if they were not expressed in words that could be empirically tested.
Area of Practice
This theory should be used universally in the field of nursing services.
Conclusion
Growing lifespans and chronic sickness rates, the advent of day surgery, the increase in inpatient healthcare, and the decline in hospitalization have contributed to the system’s altering demand and supply patterns. They have led to the establishment of innovative patient care techniques and a shift in the nursing staff’s professional obligations, in particular. As far as nursing is concerned, Henderson’s Need Theory is one of her most significant achievements. Prioritizing core human needs and expanding therapy options are crucial for patients’ rehabilitation after hospitalization. As a method of accelerating the hospitalization procedure, this approach emphasizes treatment choices.
References
Gligor, L., Carmen D. D. (2020). Patient care approach using nursing theories-comparative analysis of Orem’s self-care deficit theory and Henderson’s model. Acta Medica Transilvanica 25.2: 11-14.
Nurselabs. (2021). Fourteen components of Virginia Henderson’s need theory [diagram]. 14 Components of Virginia Henderson’s Need Theory.
Rose, K. (2017). Virginia Henderson’s Need-Based Theory and Implications.
Wallace, A., & Jones, M. (2020). An evaluation of Henderson’s nursing needs model and how it can be adapted for use in veterinary nursing. The Veterinary Nurse, 11(8), 340-347.