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Virginia Henderson--nursing philosophy

Virginia Henderson’s nursing philosophy is known for its simplicity and inclusiveness. It centers around the patient with the nurse making him whole or complete. She says that the nurse is “a substitute for what the patient lacks” (1966, p. 21). In other words, the nurse is eyes for the blind and legs for the amputee. Her famous summary encapsulates well nursing’s breadth of function.
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 a 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. (p.21)
Henderson delineated 14 patient activities that contribute to health or its recovery by which she felt the nurse could even evaluate her progress towards making the patient independent. These points include such things as number one, ...

Posted by: Asare Mabel

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