Modern nurses have to deal with different patients and make sure their services and knowledge are accurate and helpful. There are many models to be applied to real-world nursing, and the need theory developed by Virginia Henderson is one of the methods for analysis.
In this paper, the conceptual model analysis of Henderson’s work is developed to clarify its origins, focus, and content. Her theory represents the idea of a nursing role as an assistant to patients in their intention to learn medical terms and conditions. As well as any nursing theory, the need theory is based on four major concepts, health, individual, environment, and nursing.
Virginia Henderson is known as one of the most influential contributors, whose theory of need is based on a perfect combination of education, practice, and extensive research. She was an author of a unique function of nursing and the identification of patients’ needs.
Henderson explained that a nurse has to complement the patient by “supplying what he needs in knowledge, will, or strength to perform his daily activities” and follow the treatment prescribed.
In her work, Henderson addressed several theorists and authors to show what was known about nursing. She was fascinated by the work of Florence Nightingale, who underlined the development of best conditions for patients, or Effie Taylor, who said about the importance of adapting to therapy and treatment.
In the theory of need, the philosophy of patient independence in health care was reflected. This world view encouraged people to learn about their responsibilities and use nurses as one of the credible sources of information and motivation. Supported by a properly chosen medical terms and definitions, the offered model was positively accepted by the nursing community.
The goal of the nursing need theory is to introduce a unique focus of nursing and prove its appropriateness. A patient is defined as an individual with a need to achieve autonomy in personal care, and a nurse as a person for professional assistance.
In terms of the chosen model, all the fourteen needs of patients may be divided into four groups, including biological or physiological, moral or spiritual, psychological, and social.
As a rule, patients do not have enough knowledge about all these needs, and a nurse must help in recognizing and understanding these issues and make sure high-quality care is offered. According to Carper, there are four main categories of nursing knowledge that has to be identified, including empiric, ethic, aesthetic, and person.
The theory of needs properly reflects each of the categories, proving that systematically organized data is as important as each patient’s personal information, interests, obligations, and judgments.
As well as any theory or nursing model, Henderson’s need theory is characterized by well-defined concepts and propositions. It is not enough for nurses to care for patients and educate them. Nurses must understand how to devote themselves to patients and improve the quality of care to promote wellbeing every day and night.
Ndiok and Ncama (2018) specify that Henderson focused on individual care through the prism of 14 components that explain the nursing role and preferred actions to preserve health. In the following table, the metaparadigm of Henderson’s need theory is introduced.
The model introduced by Henderson is one of the most successful attempts to determine the role of nurses and explain the major aspects of nursing care that has to be offered to a patient.
Its philosophical claims are explicit and serve as a good foundation for other theories and approaches. Every patient is unique and possesses a number of personal interests, demands, and expectations.
Therefore, it is correct to admit that Henderson chose to focus on individual care, where the role of a nurse is to assist with activities. The achievements that had been made by the American Nurses’ Association, Nightingale, and Taylor before Henderson’s work were accurately defined and explained.
Therefore, the origins of the theory remain clear and thoughtful to prove its urgency and appropriateness for the century.
In a nursing setting, I find Henderson’s model helpful due to the possibility to help patients and underline the role of nurses in practice. I believe that nurses should be properly aware of how to assist ordinary people and use their communicative skills in dealing with a disease.
For example, after surgery, a patient and his or her family must learn the basics of a healthy lifestyle to predict complications or recurrence. Attention to patient’s needs is a good and clear plan to be followed for the control and prevention of diseases.
In general, I find the model developed by Henderson more than a century ago a credible source of information for modern practice. Nurses understand the impact of their actions on human health and improve their skills to make sure their help and recommendations are accurate and effective.
The chosen theorist changed the quality of nursing care, and I want to believe that her viewpoints, like my own position, are correct for people to be strong, healthy, and ready for treatment.
