Nursing Theory and Early Conceptualizations

It is difficult to overestimate the role that early conceptualizations of nursing theory played in the historical development of nursing theory and practice. Among the most influential nursing concepts, there are theories developed in the second half of the twentieth century by Ernestine Wiedenbach, Virginia Henderson, and Lydia Hall. This paper will discuss that the early conceptualizations of nursing theory have established the base for nursing practice, and their ideas remain relevant.

Wiedenbach (1964) discusses four main elements in clinical nursing: philosophy, purpose, practice, and art. Thus, she establishes a philosophy-based, conscious approach to nursing practice. She states that all nurses should respect the dignity and individuality of each human being, setting the ethical ground for the profession (Wiedenbach, 1964). Hall developed the care, cure, and core theory of nursing, where care is the function of nurses and requires the establishment of interpersonal relations with the patients (as cited in Zerwekh & Garneau, 2020). Henderson (1991) created the nursing need theory, describing the fourteen needs of patients, which is often compared to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. She also emphasized the patient’s independence as crucial for successful treatment (Henderson, 1991). This idea became especially influential and remains so at present. For example, Jones and Beauvais (2022) emphasize that the patient is an “active participant” in nursing care, and nurses aim to facilitate and promote increasing patient independence.

Thus, it may be stated that the early concepts in nursing theory still play a considerable role in nursing. As Roy (2018) discusses, at present, in nursing, “we face the situation some call the ‘profession at the crossroads’… threatened by an imbalance among philosophical, conceptual/theoretical, and empirical inquiry” (p. 18). In these circumstances, the basic principles of Wiedenbach, Henderson, and Hall serve as a solid basis for nursing theory and practice (Mudd, Feo, Conroy, & Kitson, 2020). It is under no doubt that these theories will continue to inspire further development of nursing through the ideas of humanity, dignity, and high professional standards.

References

Jones, J. S., Beauvais, A. M. (2022). Psychiatric mental health nursing: An interpersonal approach. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Henderson, V. (1991). The nature of nursing: A definition and its implications for practice, research, and education: Reflections after 25 years. National League For Nursing Press.

Mudd, A., Feo, R., Conroy, T., & Kitson, A. (2020). Where and how does fundamental care fit within seminal nursing theories: A narrative review and synthesis of key nursing concepts. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29, 3652–3666.

Roy, C. (2018). Key issues in nursing theory. Nursing Research, 67(2), 81–92.

Wiedenbach, E. (1964). Clinical nursing, a helping art. Springer publishing company.

Zerwekh, J. A., & Garneau, A. Z. (2020). Nursing today: Transition and trends. Elsevier Health Sciences.