Virginia Henderson's nursing need theory, developed in the early 20th century, focuses on enhancing patient independence through the fulfillment of 14 basic human needs. This theory emphasizes the inseparable connection between mind and body, as well as the role of nurses in assisting patients until they can care for themselves. While widely accepted and applicable in nursing practice, the theory lacks a comprehensive conceptual diagram and explanations regarding end-of-life care.

1. Virginia Henderson’s nursing
need theory

2. • Virginia Henderson was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1897.
• During the World War 1, Henderson developed an interest in
nursing. So in 1918 she entered the Army school of Nursing in
Washington D.C. Henderson graduated in 1921 and accepted
a position as a staff nurse with the Henry Street Visiting
Nurse Service in New York.
• After 2 years, in 1923, she started teaching nursing at the
Norfolk Protestant Hospital in Virginia
• She is known as, “The Nightingale of Modern Nursing” &
“The 20th century Florence Nightingale."

3. Evolution of theory
• She called her definition of nursing her
“concept” (Henderson1991)
• She emphasized the importance of increasing
the patient’s independence so that progress
after hospitalization would not be delayed.
• She categorized nursing activities into 14
components, based on human needs.

4. 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"
(Henderson, 1966).

5. • focuses on the importance of increasing the
patient's independence to hasten their
progress in the hospital.
• Henderson's theory emphasizes the basic
human needs and how nurses can meet those
needs

6. Virginia Henderson’s Need Theory
assumptions
• Nurses care for patients until they can care for
themselves once again. Although not precisely
explained,
• Patients desire to return to health.
• Nurses are willing to serve, and “nurses will
devote themselves to the patient day and night.”
• Henderson also believes that the “mind and
body are inseparable and are interrelated.”

7. The four major concepts
• Individual
• Environment
• Health
• Nursing.

8. Individual
• Have basic needs that are component of health.
• Requiring assistance to achieve health and
independence or a peaceful death.
• Mind and body are inseparable and interrelated.
• Considers the biological, psychological,
sociological, and spiritual components.
• The theory presents the patient as a sum of
parts with biopsychosocial needs.

9. Environment
• Settings in which an individual learns unique pattern
for living.
• All external conditions and influences that affect life
and development.
• Individuals in relation to families
• Minimally discusses the impact of the community on
the individual and family.
• Basic nursing care involves providing conditions under
which the patient can perform the 14 activities
unaided

10. Health
• Definition based on individual’s ability to function
independently as outlined in the 14 components.
• Nurses need to stress promotion of health and
prevention and cure of disease.
• Good health is a challenge -affected by age,
cultural background, physical, and intellectual
capacities, and emotional balance Is the
individual’s ability to meet these needs
independently.

11. Nursing
• Temporarily assisting an individual who lacks
the necessary strength, will and knowledge to
satisfy 1 or more of 14 basic needs.
• Assists and supports the individual in life
activities and the attainment of independence.
• “Nurse should have knowledge to practice
individualized and human care and should be a
scientific problem solver.”

12. • Basic nursing care involves providing
conditions in which the patient can
independently perform the fourteen
components explained in the model.

15. Strengths
• Widely accepted in nursing practice today.
• Her theory and 14 components are relatively
simple, logical, and applied to individuals of all
ages.

16. Weakness
• There is an absence of a conceptual diagram
that interconnects Henderson’s theory’s 14
concepts and sub concepts.
• On assisting the individual in the dying
process, there is little explanation of what the
nurse does to provide “peaceful death”

17. Application of the Need Theory
• Needs Theory can be applied to nursing practice as
a way for nurses to set goals based on Henderson’s
14 components.
• Meeting the goal of achieving the 14 needs of the
client can be a great basis to further improve one’s
performance towards nursing care.
• In nursing research, each of her 14 fundamental
concepts can serve as a basis for research, although
the statements were not written in testable terms.