NR 393 Week 6 Discussion Reflection on 19th and 20th Century Nursing (Graded)

Sample Answer

The last two centuries, the 19th and 20th, were pivotal to nursing practice because of the events and personalities that shaped the profession as many influential nursing figures, including the pioneer of nursing, Florence Nightingale, emerged (Abdul et al., 2023). Influential nurses like Clara Barton and Virginia Henderson emerged in the last century based on their critical contributions to the profession.

Barton founded the American Red Cross and offered aid and nursing care during wars and disasters. Virginia Henderson developed the nursing need theory which emphasizes the importance of holistic care and focuses on attaining patient independence (Smith, 2020). As such, I would say that Henderson’s contribution as a nurse will best guide my current professional nursing practice.

Henderson developed this grand theory stating that as healthcare increasingly grows complex, nursing care must also evolve with technology and science to meet patient needs (Hosseinzadeh et al., 2023). The theory highlights that people have basic health needs and require assistance to achieve health and independence or a peaceful transition to death.

I chose Virginia Henderson as the best guide to my current professional practice because of the tenets of her theory. Nurses are supposed to guide patients and offer holistic care by integrating their needs and concerns, especially care founded on evidence-based practice as championed by Florence Nightingale (Gligor et al., 2020).

Nursing theories and frameworks create a foundation for clinical practice, research, and professionalism. Based on the 14 basic needs that her theory identifies, Henderson believed that nurses should help patients get their best by assisting them, just like the holistic care model postulates and advances (Butts et al., 2021). As such, I believe that this theory influences my perception of the nursing profession and practice, especially with increasing diversity in the patient population and healthcare providers.

References

• Abdul, M. I., Jivani, K. K., Mughal, F. B., Karim, K., Mistri, N., Shamsher Ali, S., … &
  Carroll, K. (2023). Application of Virginia Henderson’s Theory Within an Intimate Partner Violence Scenario. Nursing Science Quarterly, 36(4) 343-347.
  DOI 10.1177/08943184231187846.
• Butts, J. B., & Rich, K. L. (2021). Philosophies and theories for advanced nursing practice.
  Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• Gligor, L., & Domnariu, C. D. (2020). Patient care approach using nursing theories-comparative
  analysis of Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory and Henderson’s Model. Acta Medica Transilvanica, 25(2), 11-14. DOI 10.2478/amtsb-2020-0019
• Hosseinzadeh, S. F., Behboudi, F., Mohebbi, K., Majidi, S., Yaghobi, Y., & Carroll, K. (2023).
  Virginia Henderson’s Writings on the Nature of Nursing An Exemplar of Nursing Practice. Nursing Science Quarterly, 36(2) 134-138.
  DOI 10.1177/08943184221150255.
• Smith, M. C. (2020). Nursing theories and nursing practice. FA Davis.