Background on the theorist/overview

Miss Virginia A. Henderson is the embodiment of Modern Day Nursing. Her contributions to Nursing profession are most invaluable and has crossed borders, cultures, and language barriers largely due to the recentness of her views.


She was born on November 30, 1897 to Lucy Abbot Henderson and Daniel B. Henderson as fifth of eight siblings. Although she was born at Kansas City Missouri, she had spent most of her childhood at Virginia.


Her life as a nurse started when she joined the Army School of Nursing in Washington, D. C. In 1923, she had worked as a teacher at Norfolk Protestant School of Nursing. She had advanced her education at Teachers College at Columbia University where she had been conferred with Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. She had later joined the Yale School of Nursing in 1953.

Miss Henderson pursued knowledge in education and research and had become one of the most respected Nursing Theorist of all time. One of her written and co-edited book was The Principles and Practice of Nursing.

Miss Henderson died on March 19, 1996 leaving behind a legacy of a whole new view of a noble profession, Nursing.