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.
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.”
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 patient’s 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.”
- 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.”
CHARACTERISTICS OF HENDERSON’S THEORY
- There is interrelation of concepts.
- Concepts of fundamental human needs are borrowed from other discipline e.g. Maslow’s 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 all ages.
- 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.
Henderson’s Theory and Nursing Process
Nursing Assessment: Assess needs of human being based in the 14 components of basic nursing care.
Nursing Diagnosis: Identify individual’s 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.
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.
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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