Virginia

henderson

Biography of virginia henderson
Virginia Avenel Henderson
( November 30, 1897 – March 19, 1996)
Nurse, Theorist, and Author of Need Theory
• She was born in Kansas City, missouri in
1897, daughter of Lucy Minor Abbot and
Daniel B. Henderson. She was Names before
the place her mother was longing.
• In 1923, early education at Army School of
Nursing at Walter Reed Hospital in
Washington D.C.
2
• In1929, she started teaching nursing at
the norfolk protestant Hospital in Virginia.
• she took her Bachelor’s Degree at teachers
College at Columbia University in 1932, and
took her Master’s Degree in 1934.
• In 1921, after she graduated, Virginia
Henderson worked at Henry Street Visiting
Nurse Service.

• From 1924 – 1929, she worked at
Norfolk Protestant Hospital in
virginia as an instructor. The
following year, she became the
nurse supervisor and clinical
intructor at the outpatient
department of Strong Memorial
Hospital in Rochester, New York.
3
• Since 1953, Henderson was a
research associate at yale
University School of Nursing and
as a research associate emeritus
from 1971 – 1996.

• From 1934 – 1948, 14 years of

her career, she worked as an
intructor and associate professor
at Teachers College and Columbia
University.
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Principle and practice of nursing (5th edition)

• Co- authored the 5th edition in 1955 when Bertha Harmer died.
• Was organized based on the description of nursing
• Most widely adopted until 1975
• This lead to the OBJECTIVE OF GIVINGNURSING CARE :To help the
individual be free of help as rapidly as possible
• Was used uniformly throughout the hospital Nursing Schools in North
America
• Served to standardized nursing practice
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DESCRIPTION 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.”
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Principle and practice of nursing (6TH EDITION)

• Written in 1978
• This book operated in 2 levels: individual and global
• She argued that health care will be reformed by the individual nurses
who will enable their patients to be independent in health care matters
when patients are both educated and encouraged to care for
themselves.
• she removed medical jargons so that it can be used as a reference for
patients who want to take care of themselves.
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BASIC PRINCIPLES OF NURSING

• Resulted from the essay about nursing written by Henderson herself.
• Became one of the landmark books in nursing
• 20th century version of Nightingale’s Notes on Nursing

NURSING RESEARCH: SURVEY AND ASSESSMENT

• Started writing in 1957 with the help of Leo Simmons
• Published in 1964
• Was also used by the authors Nite and Willis in1964 and Dr. Janice
Janken in1687
“In most occupations research on
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the practice of the occupation

would far exceed research on
administration of it or training
for it Nursing has been an
exception.” (Henderson, 1956)
NURSING STUDY INDEX
• Published between 1900 and1960
• Started when she was appointed as research associate in Yale
University of Nursing

Need theory
The Need Theory emphasizes on the importance of increasing the
patient’s independence and focus on the basic human needs so that
progress after hospitalization would not be delayed.
 assumptions
I. Nurses care for patients until they can
care of themselves once again. Although not
precisely explained
II. Patient’s desire to return to health.
III. Nurses are willing to serve and that “nurses
will devote themselves to the patient day
and night.
IV. The mind and body are inseparable and are
interrelated.
Major concept 11

Individual
• Individuals have basic needs
• Her theory presented the
that are component of health
patient as a sum of parts with
and require assistance to
biopsychosocial needs and the
achieve health and independence
mind and body are inseparable
or a peaceful death.
and interrelated.
• achieves wholeness by
maintaining physiological and
emotional balance.
Health 12

• It is equated with • promoting health,

the independence or prevention of illness and
ability to perform being able to cure.
activities without any
aid in the 14 • good health is a
components or basic challenge because it is
human needs. affected by numerous
factors such as age,
• Nurses, on the other cultural background,
hand, are key emotional balance, and
persons in others.
 13
Environment
• maintaining a • Her theory
• society wants and
supportive supports the tasks
expects the nurse’s
environment of the private and
service of acting
conducive for the public health
for individuals who
health is one of sector or agencies
are unable to
the elements of in keeping the
function
her 14 activities people healthy.
independently.
for client
assistance.
 14
Nursing
• The nurse is • the nurse’s role is
expected to carry “to get inside the
• The nurse’s goal is
out a physician’s patient’s skin and
to make the
therapeutic plan, supplement his
patient complete,
but individualized strength, will or
whole, or
care is the result knowledge
independent.
of the nurse’s according to his
creativity in needs.”
planning for care.
 15

DESCRIPTION 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.”
 14 components
1. Breathe normally
2. Eat and drink
adequately
3. Eliminate body
wastes
4. Move and maintain
desirable postures
5. Sleep and rest

6. Select suitable clothes – dress
and undress
7. Maintain body temperature
within normal range by
adjusting clothing and
modifying environment
8. Keep the body clean and well
groomed and protect
the integument
9. Avoid dangers in the
environment and avoid injuring
others
10. Communicate with others in
expressing emotions, needs,
fears, or opinions.
11. Worship according to
one’s faith
12. Work in such a way that there
is sense of accomplishment
13. Play or participate in various
forms of recreation
14. Learn, discover, or satisfy the
curiosity that leads to normal
development and health and
use the available health
facilities.
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Maslows
hierarchy
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analysis
• One cannot say that every individual who has similar needs indicated in
the 14 activities by Virginia Henderson are the only things that human
beings need in attaining health and for survival.

• The 14 Activities was not clearly explained whether the first one is
essential to the other. But still, it is outstanding that Henderson was
able to connect the needs of individuals based on Abraham Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs.

STRENGTHS
Henderson’s concept is widely
practiced even up to this day
The 14 components are simple and
easy to understand
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WEAKNESS
There is an absence of a conceptual
diagram that interconnects the 14
concepts and subconcepts of
Henderson’s theory. On assisting
the individual in the dying process,
there is a little explanation of what
the nurse does to provide “peaceful
death.”
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application
• NEED THEORY can be used by nurses to set goals by doing nursing
practice with the help of the 14 components.

• The 14 fundamental concepts are also capable of being a nursing

research topic even if the statements are not testable.
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Thanks!
Any questions?