Historical Perspective Essay

Historical Perspective Essay

Nursing research is systematic inquiry designed to develop trustworthy evidence about issues of importance to the nursing profession, including nursing practice, education, administration, and informatics (Polit & Beck, 2012). The ultimate goal of research is to develop, refine, and expand knowledge. This paper will discuss Virginia Henderson, her contribution to the nursing profession, and her metaparadigm in nursing.

Virginia Henderson

Henderson's Need Theory emphasizes the importance of patient independence so that the patient will continue to progress after being released from the hospital (George, 2011). Henderson described the role of the nurse as one of the following: substitutive, which is doing something for the patient; supplementary, which is helping the patient do something; or complementary, which is working with the patient to do something (George, 2011). All of these roles are to help the patient become as independent as possible.

As a patient receives treatment and is on the road to recovery, it's important that the patient is able to take care of him or herself after being released from medical care. Therefore nurses should be caring for the patient while, at the same time, help the patient become more independent and reach goals and milestones on the road to health. Virginia Henderson's Need Theory addresses this issue and helps nurses help patients so that they can care for themselves when they leave the healthcare facility.

Metaparadigm in Nursing

PERSON - Virginia Henderson referred to a person as a patient, an individual who requires assistance to achieve health and independence or in some cases, a peaceful death.

HEALTH - Henderson viewed health as a quality of life and is very basic for a person to function fully.

ENVIRONMENT - Henderson believes it is important for a healthy individual to control the environment, but as illness occurs, this ability is diminished or affected. In caring for the sick it is important for the nurse to help the patient manage his surroundings to protect him from harm or any mechanical injury.

NURSING - Virginia Henderson asserted that nurses function independently from the physician, but they must promote the treatment plan prescribed by the physician. Another special role of the nurse is to help both the sick and well individual.

Conclusion

Henderson believed nursing should supply the patient what he or she may need in knowledge, will or strength to do activities of daily living. She strongly believed in getting inside the skin of her patients to find out what they need. Henderson said the nurse is temporarily the consciousness of the unconscious, the leg of the amputee, the eyes of the newly blind, and a means of locomotion