VIRGINIA HENDERSON 1
Virginia Henderson
Author
Institution
, VIRGINIA HENDERSON 2
Virginia Henderson
The nursing theorist selected for this study paper is Virginia Henderson who popularly
referred to as the first lady of nursing. Virginia Henderson defined nursing and the unique
function of aiding individuals who are sick or well and by doing so contributing to health
recovery or peaceful death that the person would perform unaided if he or she had the will,
knowledge, and strength.
History
Henderson was a modern nursing legend who was not only influential in nursing but was
also an author, a researcher and a theorist. Among her many works, Henderson is particularly
recognized because of her needs theory which emphasized on the significance of increasing the
independence of the patient and concentrating on the basic needs of a human being so as to
assure that the progress after hospitalization is not delayed. In this theory, Henderson describes
the role of the nurse as substantive meaning doing for the client, complementary which means
working with the individual supplementary meaning helping the person the main goal being to
help the person to become independent (Goudreau & Smolenski, 2013).
While developing the theory, Henderson identified 14 needs needed by human, while
addressing these needs the theorist identified three assumptions that nurses ought to care for the
patient until the patient is in a position to care for him or her until the patient is able to care for
himself or herself. The other assumption is that nurses serve and devotes themselves day and
night. Lastly, nurses need to be educated in the science and arts at the college level.
Scientific paradigm
Virginia Henderson
Author
Institution
, VIRGINIA HENDERSON 2
Virginia Henderson
The nursing theorist selected for this study paper is Virginia Henderson who popularly
referred to as the first lady of nursing. Virginia Henderson defined nursing and the unique
function of aiding individuals who are sick or well and by doing so contributing to health
recovery or peaceful death that the person would perform unaided if he or she had the will,
knowledge, and strength.
History
Henderson was a modern nursing legend who was not only influential in nursing but was
also an author, a researcher and a theorist. Among her many works, Henderson is particularly
recognized because of her needs theory which emphasized on the significance of increasing the
independence of the patient and concentrating on the basic needs of a human being so as to
assure that the progress after hospitalization is not delayed. In this theory, Henderson describes
the role of the nurse as substantive meaning doing for the client, complementary which means
working with the individual supplementary meaning helping the person the main goal being to
help the person to become independent (Goudreau & Smolenski, 2013).
While developing the theory, Henderson identified 14 needs needed by human, while
addressing these needs the theorist identified three assumptions that nurses ought to care for the
patient until the patient is in a position to care for him or her until the patient is able to care for
himself or herself. The other assumption is that nurses serve and devotes themselves day and
night. Lastly, nurses need to be educated in the science and arts at the college level.
Scientific paradigm
