Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Virginia Henderson's Nursing Need Theory centers on the idea of assisting individuals to reach a state of independence in meeting their fundamental health needs.
Historical Background
Historical Background
Origins: Born in eighteen ninety-seven, Henderson's early exposure to nursing occurred during World War One. While training at the Army School of Nursing, she began questioning the "regimented nature" of patient care and nursing's subservient role to medicine.
Education: She earned her Baccalaureate degree in nineteen thirty-two and Master's degree in nineteen thirty-four from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she later served as a faculty member for twenty years.
Influences: She was deeply influenced by Annie W. Goodrich, who emphasized the ethical significance of nursing, and by student experiences that prioritized building relationships with patients over performing repetitive tasks.
Legacy: A staunch advocate for nursing literature, the Virginia Henderson International Nursing Library was named in her honor by Sigma Theta Tau International in nineteen ninety.