14 Basic Human Needs by Virginia Henderson PDF

Preview

Summary

tfn notes...

Description

14 Basic Human Needs by Virginia Henderson

1.

Background of the Theorist

-

Virginia A. Henderson was born on November 30, 1897 She is the fifth of the eight children of Daniel and Lucy Henderson. In her early education she studied at home with her aunt and her uncle, at his uncle's "All-Boys School". She was studying in the US Army School of Nursing in the year 1921, got her bachelor’s in science in the year 1932, Got her master’s degree in Teacher's College, Columbia University. In the year 1921, she started working as a Public Health Nurse at the Henry Street Settlement in Manhattan, New York. She also worked for the Visiting Nurse Association of Washington, D.C. (1921 to 1923). Between year 1924-1925 she was the first full time nursing instructor in Virginia while working at Norfolk Presbyterian Hospital. Henderson taught at a university called Teacher's College in Columbia in the year 19341948.In 1953 at Yale School of nursing She became a research associate then being transitioned to emeritus status in 1971 and until the year 1996. Henderson traveled the world in her whole career not only to help and inspire nurses but other health care provider as well. Henderson died on March 19, 1996, at a hospice in Branford, Connecticut, she was 98. Her remains were interred in her family’s plot of the churchyard of St. Stephen’s Church, Forest, Bedford County, Virginia.

-

-

-

2. Theoretical Sources - Henderson was educated during the empiricist era in medicine and nursing, which focused on patient needs. but she believed that her theoretical ideas grew and matured through her experiences (Henderson, 1991). - Henderson was introduced to physiologic principles during her graduate education, and the understanding of these principles were the basis for her patient care (Henderson, 1965, 1991). The theory presents the patient as a sum of parts with biopsychosocial needs, and the patient is neither client nor consumer. Henderson stated that “Thorndike’s fundamental needs of man” (Henderson, 1991, p. 16) had an influence on her beliefs. Although her major clinical experiences were in medicalsurgical hospitals, she worked as a visiting nurse in New York City. This experience enlarged Henderson’s view to recognize the importance of increasing the patient’s independence so that progress after hospitalization would not be delayed (Henderson, 1991). - Henderson was a nurse educator, and the major thrust of her theory relates to the education of nurses. -

3. Major Assumption - Virginia Henderson’s Need Theory assumptions are: 1. Nurses care for patients until they can care for themselves once again. Although not precisely explained, 2. patients desire to return to health. 3. Nurses are willing to serve, and that “nurses will devote themselves to the patient day and night.” 4. Henderson also believes that the “mind and body are inseparable and are interrelated.”

4. Major Concepts  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” (Henderson, 1991).

5.

How did the theorist describe her Metaparadigm? (Person, Environment, Health, Nursing) 

Person - she defined person as someone who needs basic health component, and someone that requires assistance and known as someone who does not have autonomy. In person she stated that mind and body are connected in any aspect of a human being, this includes components like biological, psychological, sociological, spiritual, etc.



Environment- she defined environment as a setting that would contribute to the person discovering different pattern for living, in short, an influence. It also affects the life and growth development of the person. The environment does not only apply to the literal environment, but it also includes the relationship between person and families. Of course, this has a big impact on her theory because almost all the 14 human needs are affected by environment.



Health- she defined health as the ability of a person to perform task independently relating to her theory "14 Basic Human Needs". She also stated that we should stress out on disease prevention and health promotion of our client. Lastly, achieving good health is a challenge, why? Because there are

tons of factors that hinders us from reaching it, these are age, cultural background, lifestyle, gender, emotional balance etc. 

6.

Nursing- Nursing for Henderson is the assistance to an individual to achieve the 14 basic human needs if they are not able to do it independently. Primary goal would be to nurse them to autonomy or to basically make them independent.

Reflection about the theory: What learning did you obtain from this theory that can be used to make you a better nurse in the future?  Henderson’s Needs Theory can be applied to nursing practice as a way for nurses to set goals based on Henderson’s 14 components. Meeting the goal of achieving the 14 needs of the client can be a great basis to improve one’s performance towards nursing care further. In nursing research, each of her 14 fundamental concepts can serve as a basis for research, although the statements were not written in testable terms....