summary of bio and ideas of nursing theorist Virginia Henderson

1. Virginia Henderson 1897-1996

3. Kansas City, Missouri

4. 1897

6. Virginia

10. CALL FOR NURSES

13. Washington, D.C. Army Nursing School

14. 1921

17. New York City Columbia Teachers College

18. 1926

19. Bachelor of Science (1932) Master of Arts (1934) 1934-1948 faculty

20. Textbook on the Principles and Practice of Nursing (1939) with Bertha Harmer

26. New Haven, CT Yale University

27. 1953

29. cross-reference nursing research 1900-1960 Nursing Research: Survey and Assessment, 1964 Nursing Studies Index, 1972 (4 volumes)

32. Basic Principles of Nursing Care, 1960 The Nature of Nursing, 1966 Principles and Practice of Nursing, 1978

33. in the process of writing textbooks, Henderson was forced to define nursing [7] …

34. 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]

35. “ 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]

38. “ 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]

39. but what is Henderson’s theory?

41. 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]

42. 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]

44. 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

45. [ 2 nd question ]