Nursing Theories: Florence Nightingale and Virginia Henderson

Nursing Theories and Definitions

• Florence Nightingale is known as the "Lady with the Lamp" and is the founder of modern nursing.
• Virginia Henderson is known as the "1st Lady of Nursing" and is the most famous nurse of the 20th century.
• Virginia Henderson's theory categorizes 14 Basic Human Needs into three sections: Physiological, Spiritual, and Sociological/Psychological needs.

Virginia Henderson's 14 Basic Human Needs

• Physiological Needs:
  • Breathe normally
  • Eat and drink adequately
  • Eliminate body wastes
  • Move and maintain postures
  • Sleep and rest
  • Select suitable clothes
  • Maintain body temperature
  • Keep the body clean and well-groomed
  • Avoid dangers in the environment
  • Communicate with others
• Spiritual Needs:
  • Worship according to one's faith
• Sociological/Psychological needs:
  • Work in a way that achieves a sense of accomplishment
  • Play or participate in various forms of recreation
  • Learn, discover, or satisfy curiosity

Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Definition of Nursing

• A dynamic, caring, helping relationship in which the nurse assists the client to achieve and maintain optimal health.

Primary Health Care (PHC) Principles

• Comprehensive: All necessary services must be covered
• Universality: All residents of Canada are entitled to services
• Portability: Persons remain eligible for insured services while temporarily out of the province
• Accessibility: Ability to receive insured services without impediment
• Public Administration: Health plans and services must be managed by a non-profit public authority

Nursing Skills

• Cognitive: Mental knowledge and understanding
• Technical: Hands-on application
• Interpersonal: Ability to establish and maintain relationships
• Legal/Ethical: Encompass rights, values, and morals

Nursing Roles

• Caregiver
• Communicator
• Teacher/Educator
• Counselor
• Leader
• Researcher
• Advocate

PEI Conceptual Model of Nursing

• The practical nursing program bases its curriculum on the 16 assumptions of the PEI Conceptual Model of Nursing

Principles of Primary Health Care (PHC)

• Accessibility
• Appropriate Technology
• Public Participation
• Wellness Promotion/Illness Prevention
• Intersectoral Collaboration

Key Terms

• Maslow's Hierarchy of Basic Needs: Developed a hierarchy of human needs
• Basic Human Needs: The absence results in illness, meeting it restores health
• Physiologic Needs: Biological needs for human survival
• Safety and Security Needs: Physical safety, protection from actual or potential harm
• Love and Belonging Needs: Feeling of belonging, to be loved and accepted
• Self-Esteem Needs: Feeling good about oneself, feeling a sense of accomplishment
• Self-Actualization Needs: Highest level of hierarchy, personal success and achievement
• Holism: Treating a whole person
• Human Sexuality: The way people feel and express themselves sexually
• Family: Physical maintenance, protection, nurturance, socialization, education, and reproduction
• Nuclear Family: Two parents and kids
• Extended Family: Whole family
• Blended Family: Two families (e.g., step kids and stepdad)
• Lone-Parent Family: Single parents
• Community: A group of people living in the same geographic area with common values, interests, and needs
• Cultural Diversity: Diverse groups in society with varying race, national origin, religion, size, gender, age, ability

Nursing Process

• A systematic, organized, problem-solving method to assist clients in meeting their needs
• Often called the "blueprint" or plan for care

Steps of the Nursing Process

• ADPIE:
  • Assessment: Collection and verification of data (subjective and objective)
  • Diagnosis: Clients' actual or potential response to a health problem
  • Planning: Set client-centered goals
  • Implementation: Plan in action
  • Evaluation: Did we meet the goal?

Nursing Diagnosis

• Describes a patient problem within the domain of nursing
• Differs from a medical diagnosis, which is physician-directed and involves diagnostic testing

Formulating a Nursing Diagnosis

• Diagnostic label: Is it a risk or an actual problem?
• Etiology and related factors: Signs and symptoms to support the diagnostic statement
• Actual Nursing Diagnosis: 3 components (problem, etiology, and signs and symptoms)

Goal Characteristics

• Client-centered
• Short-term and long-term goals
• "SMART" goals: Specific, Measurable, Agreed upon, Realistic, and Time-based