Academe

Henderson’s theory of nursing is client-centered and comprehensive. As a nurse educator, it is important to teach nursing students the significance of utilizing nursing theories on their practice. As I teach medical-surgical nursing in class, I always remind my students that we are not treating the disease but we are helping the patients get well and independent again. When I went to England, nurses have numerous extended roles. When I was practicing there, I felt like that I was also playing the role of social worker, counselor and case manager. Coming here to the US made me aware of the different nursing fields or careers that are open to nurses. For instance, when I worked in surgical and medical ICU, there are different nurses in the department such as- Wound specialist nurse, Resource nurse, Nurse case manager and Nurse Informatics.
Nurses practice here in their own special field. The role of nurses in different parts of the world is constantly evolving. I always emphasized to my students that we should not lose tract of the basic role of nursing which is explained by Henderson as helping individuals to meet their fundamental needs. Clinical instructors must also incorporate the concepts explained by Henderson on students’ group work and care planning.


It is unfortunate that many nurses who have been in the field for many years get drained out and fail to keep enthusiasm in their practice. A number of my students observe this kind of behavior whenever they go to the clinical site. I remind them that once you choose this path to become a nurse, you should embrace the fact that nurses’ role is to help individuals in different levels of health. Nurses make their pledge to care for individuals, family and the society, to care for the sick, prevent diseases and to promote health. Based on our module, Henderson has described a person in a holistic manner wherein there are physiological, psychosocial, and spiritual factors. I agree with her theory on how nurses should plan their care for their patients. I reiterate to my students that if we bear Henderson’s theory in mind while practicing, we are on the right path of providing quality nursing care. There are so many basic needs that nurses sometimes overlook while caring for patients. We are in the age of technology wherein we are engulfed with many extended roles as nurses. Here in the US, where the society is very legal conscious, nurses spend a significant amount of their time on nursing documentation in the computer. Nursing students must not focus on documentation alone. I believe that nurse educators are privileged to mold the new generation of nurses. It is very important that nurse educators must inculcate on the minds and heart of their nursing students the holistic care that Henderson explained in her theory. Nurse educators should provide class and clinical activities on how students will utilize Henderson’s theory on their practice. I always ask my students to provide me with their feedback on how they effectively applied the theories learned in their practice. Requiring students to submit reflection papers and individual feedbacks regarding the main concepts of the theory on their practice will help students not only remember but actually “learn” Henderson’s theory of nursing. Once the students are able to understand the essence of holistic care explained by Henderson, it will be more natural for them to plan and implement their care to patients, with concepts of the theory in mind. Therefore, we can look forward to new nurses who are always ready to provide comprehensive and quality nursing care.