M.

Sc DEGREE COURSE IN NURSING

ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE

UNIT – VI
Philosophy and Theories of Nursing

Virginia Henderson’s Theory

DR. T.JAYADEEPA
VICE PRINCIPAL
 OBJECTIVES

• The students will be able to,

• Know about the theorist
• Evolution of the theory
• Concepts of theory
• Assumption of theory
• Application of theory in to practice
 INTRODUCTION
Nursing theories mirror different realities throughout their
development they reflected the interests of nurses of that
time.

Virginia Henderson
1897-1996
 BACKGROUND OF THE THEORIST

 She was born in Kansa city, Missouri-1897 and is the 5th child
of family.
 Henderson’s extensive experiences as a student, teacher,
practitioner, author and participant in the nurse’s function
contribute to the development of definition of nursing.
 1921- received a diploma in nursing from the army school of
nursing Washington
 1923- she accepted a position of teaching nursing at the
Norflok
 1927- she joined Teacher’s college at Columbia and she
completed her B.sc & M.A. in nursing education.
 1929- she served as a teaching supervisor in clinics, New
York.
 1930-1948- Rewrote “Bertha Harmer’s” Text book of
principles practice of nursing.
 1964- National survey nursing was published.
• 1964- National survey nursing was published.
• 1966- Nature of nursing was published.
 1978- principles & practice of nursing was published.

 1980- received Sigma Theta Tall International’s Mary Tolle

Wright Founders Award for Leadership”
 1996- died.
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.
 She examined the earlier statements of the nursing
functions and viewed these
by American Nurses Association
statements as non specific and unsatisfactory
definition of nursing practice. In 1966, Henderson’s
first definition of nursing was published in Bertha
harmer’s revised nursing text book.

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.”
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 CONCEPTS
Nursing definition-
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 that, he would perform
an aided if he had the necessary strength the will or
knowledge and to do this in such a way to help him gain
independence as rapidly as possible.
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.
• Nursing: In1966, Henderson ultimate statements in the
definition of nursing were published of her ideas it reads
• ENVIRONMENT: The aggregate of all the external
conditions and influences affecting the life and development
of an organism.
• Health: The patients ability to perform unaided the 14
components of nursing care, prevention and nurses need to
stress promotion of health & cure of disease.
 CHARACTERISTICS
Theories must be logical in nature.
Theories should be relatively simple yet generable.
Base for the hypothesis that can be tested for theory to be
explained.
Contribute to and assist increasing body of knowledge with
in discipline through research.
Used by practitioner to guide & improve their practice.
 ASSUMPTION
NURSING:
 The nurse has a unique function to help well or sick individuals.
 The nurse function on a member of
a medical team.
 The nurse functions independently.
 The nurse is knowledgeable in both biological & social science and
assess basic human needs.
 The person must maintain physiological and emotional balance.
 The patient requires help toward independence.
 The patient and his family are a unit.
 FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS OF HUMAN ACCORDING TO
VIRGINIA HENDERSON- 14 BASIC NEEDS

Sleep and rest

Selecting suitable
clothes.
Maintaining body
Breathing normally temperature
Eating and drinking Clean and gloomy
adequately Avoid dangers
Eliminating body
wastes Proper communication
Moving and Work in faith
maintaining Work sense
desirable accomplishment
position Participate in recreation
Learn , discover, satisfy
the curiosity
FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS OF HUMAN
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Play or participate in various forms of recreation.

Learn, discover, or
satisfy curiosity
the leads to
that
development
normal and
health and use the
available health

facilities.
 MATAPARADIGM OF HENDERSON’S THEORY

INDIVIDUAL:

Have basic needs that are component of health.

Requiring assistance to achieve health and independence
or a peaceful death.
Mind and body are inseparable and interrelated.
Considers the biological, psychological, sociological, and
spiritual components.
The theory presents the patient as a sum of parts with
biopsychosocial needs.

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 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.
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 Health
 Definition based on individual’s ability to function
independently as outlined in the 14 components.

 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.

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 Nursing:
 Temporarily assisting an individual who lacks the necessary
strength, will and knowledge to satisfy 1 or more of 14 basic
needs.
 Assists and supports the individual in life activities and the
attainment of independence.
 Nurse serves to make patient “complete” “whole", or
"independent."
 The nurse is expected to carry out physician’s therapeutic plan.
Individualized care is the result of the nurse’s creativity in planning
for care.
 “Nurse should have knowledge to practice individualized and
human care and should be a scientific problem solver.”
 In the Nature of Nursing Nurse role is,” to get inside the
patient’s skin and supplement his strength will or knowledge
according to his needs.”
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 THEORETICAL ASSESSIONS

 Nurse- patient relationship

 Nurse-physician relationship
 Nurse as a member of the health care
team.
 Nurse –Patient relationship
 The nurse as a substitute for the patient.
 The nurse as a helper to the patient.
 The nurse as a partner with patient.
 The nurse must be able to assess conditions and
pathological states.
NURSE-PHYSICIAN RELATIONSHIP

Nurses has a unique function distinct

from physician.
The care plan formulated by nurse
must be implemented.
 When physicians are unavailable the
nurse must help patients with health
management.
 NURSE AS A HEALTH TEAM MEMBER

• She states “no one of the team should

make such heavy demands on another
member that anyone of them is unable to
perform their unique function.
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

 Nursing Plan: Document how the nurse can assist the

individual, sick or well.

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 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.
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 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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 ACCEPTANCE BY THE NURSING COMMUNITY
PRACTICE:
 The nurse have make every effort to understand the patient when
he lacks will, knowledge or strength.
 The nurse can help the patient move to an independent state by
assessing, planning, implementing, education.
EDUCATION:
 The nurse needs the kinds of education available only in colleges
and university.
 Nursing is a universal occupation.
RESEARCH:
 Nurses need to acquire the habit of looking for research upon
which to base their practice.
• How to apply this theory in to practice?
VIRGINIA HENDERSON’S
THEORY

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 STRENGTHS

 The concept of nursing formulated by

Henderson in her definition of nursing and the
14 components of basic nursing is uncomplicated and
self-explanatory. Therefore, it can be used without
difficulty as a guide for nursing practice by most nurses.
Henderson’s work is relatively simple yet generalizable
with some limitations.
 Her work can be applied to health of
individuals
the of all ages.
Each of the14 activities can be thebasis for
research.
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 WEAKNESS

 A major shortcoming in her work is

the lack of a conceptual linkage
between physiological and other
human characteristics.
 No concept of the holisticnature of human being.
 Lacks inter-relate of factors and the influence of
nursing care.
 CONCLUSION

Henderson’s definition of the

unique function of nursing, she did
not intend to develop a theory of
nursing but rather she attempted to
define the unique focus of nursing.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Basavanthappa BT. Nursing theories. 1st ed. New Delhi:

Jaypee Brothers Medical Publisher; 2007.p. 61-65.
• Basavanthappa BT. Fundamentals of nursing. 2nd ed. New
Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publisher; 2007.p. 52.
• Kozier and erb’s. Fundamental of nursing. 8th ed.
New Delhi: Pearson; 2009. p. 43-44.
• Sr. Nancy. Principles and practice of nursing. 6th ed.
Indore: N.R. Brothers; 2007.p. 602-603.
• http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Henderson.html

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