VIRGINIA

HENDERSON
VIRGINIA HENDERSON

 “The Nightingale of Modern Nursing”

 “Modern-Day Mother of Nursing.”
 "The 20th century Florence Nightingale."
 Born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1897.
 Diploma in Nursing from the Army School of Nursing at Walter Reed
Hospital, Washington, D.C. in 1921.
 Worked at the Henry Street Visiting Nurse Service for 2 years after
graduation.
 In 1923, started teaching nursing at the Norfolk Protestant
Hospital in Virginia
 In 1929, entered Teachers College at Columbia University
for Bachelor’s Degree in 1932, Master’s Degree in 1934.
 Joined Columbia as a member of the faculty, remained until
1948.
 Since 1953, a research associate at Yale University School of
Nursing.
 Recipient of numerous recognitions.
 Honorary doctoral degrees from the Catholic University of
America, Pace University, University of Rochester,
University of Western Ontario, Yale University
 In 1985, honored at the Annual Meeting of the Nursing
and Allied Health Section of the Medical Library
Association.
 Died: March 19, 1996.
 In 1939, she revised: Harmer’s classic textbook of nursing
for its 4th edition, and later wrote the 5th; edition,
incorporating her personal definition of nursing
(Henderson,1991)
NURSING NEED THEORY

 to define the unique focus of nursing practice. The

theory focuses on the importance of increasing the
patient’s independence to hasten their progress in the
hospital. Henderson’s theory emphasizes on the basic
human needs and how nurses can assist in meeting
those needs.
CONCEPTS
HUMAN OR INDIVIDUAL

 Henderson considers the biological, psychological,

sociological, and spiritual components.

She defined the patient as someone who needs

nursing care, but did not limit nursing to illness care.
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
HEALTH
 Definition based on individual’s 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 individual’s ability to meet
these needs independently.
NURSING
 Henderson believed that “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 to a 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.”
THE 14 COMPONENTS
The 14 components of the need theory show a holistic approach to
nursing that covers the physiological, psychological, spiritual and
social needs.
CONTRIBUTION TO
SPIRITUAL CARE
 Virginia Henderson, writing with Harmer in 1955, observed that
“sickness may threaten the patient’s faith in the ultimate
‘goodness’ of life. He cannot believe in a God that lets terrible
things happen; or he may fear he has lost favor in the sight of
God, considering illness a punishment for real or imagined sins”.
In her later work, Henderson (1966) identified as one of 14
“Components of Basic Nursing Care” provision for “Worship
according to one’s faith”; she did not, however, explore this
precept in any detail.
REFERENCE:

 http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/henderson.html
 https://nurseslabs.com/virginia-hendersons-need-theory/
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