Nursing Needs Theory And Abraham Maslow's Nursing Theory

In the practice of nursing, needs are an everyday phenomenon and are a common theme among many nursing theories accessible today. These nursing theories help implement care planning of the patient needs for the best possible outcome. Some examples of need theories include Virginia Henderson’s Nursing Needs Theory and Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (McEwen & Wills, 2011).

Using the framework of the Synthesized Method of Theory Evaluation, a critique of the Nursing Needs Theory (NNT) was completed to assess the applicability of this theory within the practice of nursing. The Synthesized Method is divided into three primary parts: theory description, analysis and evaluation. The purpose of these parts is to describe the nursing theory and

She first developed an interest in nursing during World War I because she felt an inner need to help wounded and sick soldiers (“Virginia Avenue Henderson – the mother,” 1996). She started her nursing career in 1918 at the US Army School of Nursing and later became a nursing instructor at the Norfolk Protestant Hospital in Virginia (Smith, 1997). Henderson received her education during the empiricist era of nursing, which focused on needs however, she felt her theoretical ideas developed and advanced throughout her nursing career and experiences in the medical surgical unit. This is where she realized the importance of helping the patient return to independence so that recovery can continue after hospitalization. Henderson became familiar first with physiological principals while obtaining her graduate education. The understanding of these components became the major foundation for her care in nursing practice. (McEwen & Wills,

She was able to identify individual’s needs, which carried forth in to her theory. She wanted to set standards and values that would meet the broad range of human needs, yet be able to recognize individual differences among patients (Anderson, 1999). Because Henderson was primarily a nurse educator, her theory focuses on the education of nurses. Her theory was created from both her education and practice, making her work appealing to both ends of the spectrum (McEwen & Wills, 2011). Her theory is focused on the needs of a patient but in Henderson also emphasizes the importance to continue education and research. She stresses the significance of constantly searching for the best solutions and practices for optimal patient care (Anderson,