Virginia Henderson’s Nursing Need Theory

Nursing as a profession is complex as requires the application and use of varying theories, concepts, models, and skills in the provision of healthcare services to the clients. Unlike previously when nursing was widely considered a voluntary work with people having fewer skills and knowledge requirements, current nursing practice requires the application of evidence in the delivery of services. Nurses must at all times ensure that their decisions and actions are backed by clinical and theoretical evidence when caring for patients. Virginia Henderson’s Nursing Need Theoryis one of the guiding tools for nursing practice as it helps define the unique focus of nursing practice (Ahtisham& Jacoline, 2015, p.443). Even though the theory was not primarily developed as a theory of nursing, it is one of the most important and comprehensive in defining the human needs that make up the nursing activities. In applying the theory in practice, advanced nurses should understand how nursing is conceptualized in the nursing needs theory, the context of its development, the authoritative sources for information on the theory’s development, evaluation and use, and the overall significance of the theory in practice.

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