Introduction
Attention to patients’ interests and characteristics is one of the key responsibilities of nursing staff. Among the many theories of care, Virginia Henderson’s concept called the nursing need theory is among the main ones. With its help, junior medical specialists can control and address the targeted needs of patients, taking into account various factors, thereby enhancing the quality of planning. This paper is aimed at assessing the origin of this theory, its key concepts, and their intersection.
Origins of the Theory
The nursing need theory has existed and successfully applied for more than half a century. According to Henderson (1991) herself, for the first time, she compiled her patient care work in 1966. The main emphasis was on addressing patients’ needs, relating not only to physiological but also psychological, social, and other characteristics. As Henderson (1978) noted, the emotional challenges some patients experienced were barriers to normal care because they prevented people from fully trusting nurses and lowered morale. As a result, the theory emerged as an essential model to address the needs of target patients across a broad spectrum but not only from the perspective of a single health issue.
Major Concepts of the Theory
The theory under consideration includes 14 needs that directly relate to patients and determine their general condition. At the same time, as the author of the model explains there are four major concepts engaged, namely the individual, health, environment, and nursing (Henderson, 1991). Their intersection analysis is the key to comprehensive and effective care. For instance, when evaluating the individual characteristics of a patient, nurses should take into account where a particular person lives because this factor is important to consider to select the optimal mode of interaction. By addressing basic health needs, medical specialists fulfill the corresponding obligations that form the basis of nursing, and this ratio is also part of the model under consideration.
Two Concepts’ Definitions
One of the two main concepts of Henderson’s theory is the individual. From the author’s standpoint, the human body and mind are inseparable and shape the overall appearance of the individual, which turns this concept into a difficult criterion to address (Henderson, 1991). As a result, the concept of the individual can be characterized as a set of needs associated with both psychological and physiological needs. This complex set of components is an integral attribute of the model under consideration.
Another crucial concept is the environment, which also shapes Henderson’s theory. According to the definition, the environment is a setting in which the individual communicates and acquires the social skills necessary for life (Henderson, 1991). By evaluating these conditions, nurses can tailor an individual approach to each patient, depending on specific behavioral or cultural patterns formed under the influence of the environment. As a result, this concept is also a significant component of the model in question.
Conclusion
Virginia Henderson’s nursing need theory is an essential and sought-after concept that has given rise to many other nursing models. The theory has been applied for more than half a century as a convenient framework for assessing patients’ conditions based on a large set of needs that each experience. The four major concepts that form this model intersect with each other. They make it possible to address the distinctive factors necessary for recovery, for instance, through the analysis of the environment in which patients live or individual psychological factors and barriers.
References
Henderson, V. (1978). The concept of nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 3(2), 113-130.
Henderson, V. (1991). The nature of nursing: A definition and its implications for practice, research, and education: Reflections after 25 years. National League for Nursing Press.