As a nurse who is dedicated to her duty, the care and the wellbeing of the patients is the primary objective of every nurse. The fact of wanting to contribute to their well-being has made some of the concerned nurses come up with theories that are meant to develop relevant and reliable knowledge aimed at improving the care for the patients. Therefore, nursing theory is the creative way of structuring ideas critically with the aim of projecting a systematic view of phenomena. Despite the nursing theory development being a forgettable part of the nursing profession and education experience, it can be used in either research or practice in nursing (Ahtisham, & Jacoline, 2015). It is essential for the nurses to realize that everything they do in the nursing field is based on the theory of what they know and right for the area they are practicing. Therefore the purpose of this report is to provide the reasons as well as the descriptions of how the Need Nursing Theory was developed including the properties pertained in the nursing profession.
Stage 1: Theorizing
As a health care provider, it was clear that addressing the needs of the patients contributed positively to their overall health and vice versa. Having that fact in mind, it came to my attention that I had to put myself in the place of Dr. Henderson and act in her place in the development of the theory. So it came to my knowledge that the needs of the patients were the main concern that I should be focusing on as a nurse. That is when I discovered that I needed a theory to be able to address these growing needs of the patients daily. The feeling of wanting to address the needs of the patients was the reason as to why the Need Theory was developed. This is a theory that is based on the belief that it is essential to improve the state of health of the patient for them to achieve an independent state (Henderson, 1978). This state will make the patient recover quickly and get back to their normal life. The Need Nursing Theory entails that nursing is all about helping patients to achieve an independent state and perform the activities that contribute to their overall health on their own. This definition is the one that distinguishes nursing from the field of medicine. In simple terms, it is focused on helping the person to perform activities that will positively contribute to their overall health.
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Stage 2: Syntax
The first term that has well been defined in this theory is the person. A person is some who bears the needs that are components of health. The theory entails that the person is the one who requires assistance in order for his or her state of being independent and be able to perform all the 14 concepts in accordance with the Need Theory (Henderson, 1978). It also entails that the mind and the body are not separable and that they are interrelated. Another term is the environment which is defined as the settings in which a patient is given a chance to learn unique ways for a living (Henderson, 1978 p 118). The theory has also provided a different meaning and definition of health. The Needs Theory entails that the quality of life as well as the basis for a person to perform all the 14 concepts of the need theory on an independent state, is achieved when all the patients' needs have been critically addressed. Nurses can well perform their duties toward health through health education.
Stage 3: Theory testing
For me to prove that the theory was credible and reliable, the research "Do patients in the intensive care unit receive recommended total daily calories with enteral feedings using a rate based protocol?" (Schaefer, 2015) was conducted in order to test the theory regarding patients in the ICU unit. The setting involved patients who cannot be able to feed themselves, where they were divided into two groups. One group was well taken care of, and the other one was less taken care of meaning that their needs were not adequately addressed. The findings of this study proved that those whose needs were taken care of recovered quickly, and their stay in the hospital was shortened (Schaefer, 2015). Schaefer uses the Need Theory to conduct the research and the outcomes were positive that indeed the needs were the key issues in ensuring a quick recovery process. On the other hand, the one whose needs were not fully addressed stayed longer in the hospital with their recovery being in a slow process. This proves that the need theory is indeed credible and it should be practiced by every nurse to make sure that the patients get to their self-being again.
Stage 4: Evaluation
The testing and findings of the patients in ICU research indicated that the theory's main objective is to fully address the patient's needs (Schaefer, 2015). After the needs have been fully addressed the patients achieved self-dependent state and they were able to go back to normal and to their homes. Also, the hospitalization process was not delayed. This theory has been used in different fields consisting of a diverse population. One of the examples where the Need Theory has been used is in the ICU unit where its success was achieved. Those patients whose needs were addressed achieved their recovery state in a short period of time. This theory has also been applied in hospice house where those ailing from deadly diseases went through the process of a peaceful death that they would have wished for if they had the strength (Thielemann, 2000). The Need theory has also been successful in home care fields where the patients who address the needs of those recovering at home have been seen to achieve their recovery states through the help of the nurses (Thielemann, 2000 p 256). Another example is that the Need Theory when applied in hospitals, it has been seen to improve the nurse-patient relationship in a big way (McQueen, 2000 p 726). This is because of the fact that the nurse is always available and ready to assist the patient.
Conclusion
The need theory has been well utilized and offers its own definition of nursing in accordance with Henderson. The Need Theory has provided a different belief about nursing as well as a clear picture of its functions. Developing a nursing theory was not the primary motive at the beginning but it was intended to focus more on nursing and the well-being of the patients, but the need theory was developed in the process. The idea of the need theory and its basics are all centered on human living as well as the focus in today's nursing practice. The 14 concepts that describe the need theory are today used by nurses in explaining and predicting their daily experiences. This is a theory that has been proved to be effective and reliable not only in nursing but also in a rehabilitation setting where the goal of every patient is centered on the 14 concepts of achieving maximum potential.
Reference
Ahtisham, Y., & Jacoline, S. (2015). Integrating nursing theory and process into practice; Virginia's Henderson Need Theory. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 8 (2), 443-450.
Henderson, V. (1978). The concept of nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 3 (2), 113-130.
McQueen, A. (2000). Nurse-patient relationships and partnership in hospital care. Journal of clinical nursing, 9 (5), 723-731.
Schaefer, K. A. (2015). Do patients in the intensive care unit receive recommended total daily calories with enteral feedings using a rate based protocol? (Master's Thesis). Rhode Island College, Providence, RI, USA. https://digitalcommons.ric.edu/etd/125/
Thielemann, P. (2000). Educational needs of home caregivers of terminally ill patients: a literature review. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, 17 (4), 253-257.
