Virginia Henderson1897-1996

Kansas City, Missouri

1897

Virginia

CALL FOR NURSES

Washington, D.C.Army Nursing School

1921

New York CityColumbia Teachers College

1926

Bachelor of Science (1932)Master of Arts (1934)

1934-1948 faculty

Textbook on the Principles and Practice of Nursing (1939) with

Bertha Harmer

New Haven, CT

Yale University

1953

cross-reference nursing research 1900-1960

Nursing Research: Survey and Assessment, 1964

Nursing Studies Index, 1972(4 volumes)

Awards, Honorary Doctorates & Lectureships

Christianne Reimann Prize

Yale University, Catholic U. of America, Pace U., Emory U., Boston College, Rush U., Old Dominion U., U. Rochester, U. Western Ontario, Thomas Jefferson U., etc…

Royal College of NursingSorbonneJapanese Nursing Assoc.

Basic Principles of Nursing Care, 1960

The Nature of Nursing, 1966

Principles and Practice of Nursing, 1978

in the process of writing textbooks, Henderson was

forced to define nursing [7]…

Definition of Nursing“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 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.” [5]

“It is my contention that the nurse is, and should be legally,

an independent practitioner [as long as she is not

performing the doctor’s duties.] But the nurse is the authority on basic nursing

care. Perhaps I should explain that by basic nursing care I

mean helping the patient with the following activities…” [6]

14 Fundamental Needs [5]

1. Breathing normally2. Eating and drinking adequately3. Eliminating body wastes4. Moving and maintaining a desirable position5. Sleeping and resting6. Selecting suitable clothes7. Maintaining body temperature… by adjusting cothing

and modifying the environment8. Keeping the body clean and well-groomed…9. Avoiding dangers in the environment and avoiding

injuring others10. Communicating with others in expressing emotions,

needs, fears, or opinions11. Worshipping according to one’s faith12. Working in such a way that one feels a sense of

accomplishment13. Playing or participating in various forms of recreation14. Learning, discovering, or satisfying the curiosity that

leads to normal development and health, and using available health facilities

Nurse’s role

• Substitutive : acting for a person• Supplementary : assisting a person• Complementary : working with the

person

“…with the goal of helping the person become as independent as possible.”[8]

“Today I see the role of nurses as givers of ‘primary health care,’ as those who diagnose and treat when a

doctor is unavailable… Nurses may be the general (medical) practitioners of

tomorrow…” [6]

but what is Henderson’s

theory?

1. Henderson wrote her definition of nursing before the development of theoretical nursing[7]

2. Henderson describes nursing roles in relation to patient needs instead of a general theory of nursing[7]

3. Henderson’s work is useful for and used by nurses in different nations and cultures[1,7], because her work is practical and based on her nursing experience

a critique of the nursing process by Henderson:

the nursing assessment, diagnosis, plan, and

evaluation parallels the doctors’ and general

decision-making processes; therefore, what is uniquely

nursing in the nursing process? [7]

a critique of a 1989 conference on primary care by Henderson: nurses need

more work on basic sciences and scientific method, application of

science to nursing, financial management, policy-

making, being assertive[7]

Question:

Virginia Henderson’s major contributions to the nursing profession included:

(A) creation of the nursing process(B) the promotion of nursing as a research-

based profession(C) arranging Maslow’s need in a 14-step

hierarchy(D) all of the above

[ 2nd question ]

1. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEED71739F931A15750C0A960958260

2. http://www.unc.edu/~ehallora/henderson.htm3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Henderson4. http://www.nursinglibrary.org/Portal/Main.aspx?PageID

=40175. Blais et al. (2002). Professional nursing practice:

Concepts and perspectives (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

6. D’Antonio et al. (eds.). (2007). Nurses’ work: Issues across time and place. New York: Springer Publishing.

7. George, J.B. (ed.). (1995). Nursing theories: The base for professional nursing practice (4th ed.). Norwalk, CT: Appleton & Lange.

8. http://www.enursescribe.com/Henderson.htm9. Harmer, B., & Henderson, V. (1939). Textbook of the

principles and practice of nursing (4th ed.). New York: Macmillan.