Introduction
Among numerous nursing specialists, the legacies of Virginia Henderson and Dorothea Orem seem to be especially vital for the development of current medical practice. In the first place, these two figures focused on the input of the patient care theory, which allowed them to constitute theories of nursing process and self-care deficit, respectively. Huitzi-Egilegor et al. state that Henderson’s model is often applied in empirical research (777), while, according to Alligood, Orem’s theory gained worldwide recognition (206). As a result, their research opened new possibilities for nursing, which last to the present day. The approaches have not only shaped the face of nursing education and practice but also established a base for further studies.
Henderson and Application of Her Works
First, one should state that Virginia Henderson was a “nurse, teacher, author and researcher” (Masters 36), who worked throughout her life in developing the guidelines for the nursing process. She is mainly remembered for the construction of the scheme which is based on the human needs, mentioned in Maslow’s hierarchy. In her works, Henderson insisted that nursing healthcare was to be provided when a person was is not capable of reaching all the natural needs of humans. Hence, she offered nursing workers theoretical instructions about the patients’ functions, which were are to be maintained and normalized during medical care.
The importance of Henderson’s framework includes the following aspects which stem from her theory. Firstly, her model of assessing and satisfying patients’ needs, despite the gradual trend of replacement, is still deployed in the evidence-based research of the medical sphere (Huitzi-Egilegor et al. 777). Secondly, as Masters mentions, Henderson is responsible for “one of the most accurate definitions of nursing”, and the set of terminology accompanying it (36). Thus, one cannot underestimate her input in the theoretical base of nursing activities, which is reflected in the education in medical institutions and during the field practice.
Orem’s Theory and Its Use
As a proficient nurse and researcher, Orem similarly focused on the creation of theories that depend on human needs. According to Alligood, her studies were significantly based on her life-long experience in nursing (199). In the end, the self-care deficit theory emerged as the most notable feature of her research. As per Orem’s ideas, the self-care deficit describes the relationship between the patient and healthcare provider. It exists as a result of a person being unable to maintain independent self-care with their efforts. In such a relationship, nursing staff should develop methods and strategies for aiding the patients in eliminating the deficit or keeping them stable.
The system of nursing care shaped by Orem stands in high regard in medical institutions across the globe. Scientists widely reference Orem’s works, and the nursing advancements in Germany or the USA use Orem’s schemes to improve healthcare quality or the curriculum (Alligood 206). Moreover, Orem’s theory remains applicable in studying specific diseases such as dysmenorrhea, which also allows producing a proper course of treatment (Wong et al. 225).
Conclusion
Due to their proficiency in nursing activity, Henderson and Orem succeeded in developing detailed insight into the theoretical grounds of healthcare. Henderson is renowned for constituting a theory on the nursing process according to basic human needs. Hence, her terminology is applied in theoretical and practical education, as well as in evidence-based studies. Orem, in turn, received her fame for creating the theory of self-care deficit, which accurately describes the relationship in need of care help and the medical personnel which provides it. This theory is not only widely deployed in scientific studies but also for reforming the healthcare curriculum and reforming nursing quality in various countries.
Works Cited
Alligood, Martha Raile. Nursing Theorists and Their Work. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2017.
Huitzi-Egilegor, Joseba Xabier et al. “Implementation of the Nursing Process in a Health Area: Models and Assessment Structures Used.” Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem, vol. 22, no. 5, 2014, pp. 772-777.
Masters, Kathleen. Nursing Theories: A Framework for Professional Practice. Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2014.
Wong, Cho Lee et al. “Examining Self-Care Behaviors and Their Associated Factors Among Adolescent Girls With Dysmenorrhea: An Application of Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory.” Journal of Nursing Scholarship, vol. 47, no. 3, 2015, pp. 219-227.