VIRGINIA HENDERSON (LESSON 4)

VIRGINIA HENDERSON

Born in Missouri

1921- Diploma in Nursing

1923- teach nursing at Norfolk Protestant Hospital

1932- Bachelor’s degree

1934- Master’s degree

1996- died at the age of 98

Nursing

• Published in1955

• 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 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

THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF NURSING

“I believe that the function the nurse performs is primarily

an independent one – that of acting for the patient when he

lacks knowledge , physical strength, or the will to act for

himself as he would ordinarily act in health, or in carrying

out prescribed therapy. This function is seen as complex and

creative, as offering unlimited opportunity for the

application of the physical, biological, and social sciences

and the development of skills based on them.” (Henderson,

1960)

“The Nightingale of Modern Nursing”

Others named her as the “First Lady of Nursing” and “Modern-Day Mother of Nursing”

Henderson’s Major Concepts

Person, Health, Environment & Nursing

Person

An individual who requires

assistance to achieve health

and independence or in some

cases, peaceful death.

For a person to function to the

utmost, he must be able to

maintain physiological and

emotional balance

Health

Requires independence and

interdependence

Influenced by both internal and

external factors which play

independent and interdependent

roles in achieving health.

Emphasis in prioritizing health

promotion as more important

than care of the sick.

Environment

It is the responsibility of the nurse to help the patient manage his surroundings to protect him from harm or any mechanical injury.

The physician uses the nurse’s observations and

judgment regarding safety needs as the basis in

prescribing protective devices

Nursing

Nurses must promote the treatment plan prescribed by the physician and the nurse must act

independently but in coordination with the therapeutic plan developed by the team.

To help both the sick and well individual and must include people from all walks of life from the

newborn to the dying.

Henderson’s definition of nursing was considered as the “signature” of the profession.

Physiological

Psychological Aspects of Communicating and Learning

Spiritual and Moral

Sociologically Oriented to Occupation and Recreation

14 Activities for Client Assistance

THE NURSE-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

Three Levels of Relationship:

1. Nurse as a substitute for the

patient

2. Nurse as a helper to the

patient

3. Nurse as a partner with the

patient

nurse

The _____ “is temporarily the consciousness of the

unconscious, the love of life for the suicidal, the leg of

the amputee, the eyes of the newly blind, a means of

locomotion for the infant, knowledge and confidence for

the young mother, the ‘mouthpiece’ for those too weak

or withdrawn to speak and so on.”

Nurse

must be able to assess not only the patient’s needs

but the condition and pathological states that alters them.

Nurses

can alter the environment whenever necessary.

“as normal as possible”

One goal of the nurse is to keep the patient’s days

promotion of health

Another goal is _____________. “ There is more to be

gained by helping every man learn how to be healthy than

be preparing the most skilled therapists for service to

those in crises.”

NURSE-PHYSICIAN RELATIONSHIP

Unique distinction from the Physician’s function

Nursing Care Plan

– promotes the physician’s therapeutic plan.

NURSE AS A MEMBER OF THE HEALTH CARE TEAM

• Works in interdependence with other healthcare

professionals.

• “No one of the team should make such heavy demands

on another members that any one of them is unable to

perform his or her unique functions.”

Nursing Process

is the problem-solving

process and is not peculiar to nursing.

ASSESSMENT PHASE

– assess pt. in

14 components of nursing care. Use

observation, smell, feeling and

hearing. Analyze collected data and

differentiate normal from abnormal

PLANNING PHASE

– Must fit individual’s needs,

updating the plan as necessary on the basis of the changes

and depending on physician’s prescribed plan.

IMPLEMENTATION PHASE

– Individualized

interventions depending on factors.

EVALUATION PHASE

– evaluate according to the degree

in which he or she performs independently.

EDUCATION

“ In order for a nurse to

practice as an expert in her own right and to use a scientific approach to the improvement of practice, the nurse needs the kind of education

available only in colleges and universities.

3 Phases of Curriculum Development

1. Fundamental needs of the patient, the planning of nursing care, and the unique function of the nurse to assist in pt.’s activities of daily living.

2. Helping patients meet their needs during body disturbances or pathological states that demand modifications in the nurse’s plan of

care.

3. Patient and family-centered. Complete study of patient and patient’s nee

RESEARCH

Supported developing nurses at baccalaureate level, and

advocated the use of library for research purposes.

It is nurse’s responsibility to identify problems,

continuously validate her practice, improving the methods

used, and reassuring the effectiveness of her care