WGU C304 Task 1
There have been many nurses throughout history that have influenced the importance of nursing. These women helped to elevate the nursing profession and have developed theories and practices that help guide today's nurses.
Virginia Anderson developed the Need for Nursing theory. She used her experience and education to develop this theory. The concept concentrates on the significance of boosting the independence of the patient while in the hospital to facilitate a speedier progression to healing and thus discharge. There were a few assumptions included within the theory. The first of these assumptions is that it is important that the nurse provides care to the patient until he is able to care for himself. The second note is that not only should the nurses caring for patients be educated, but they should also have satisfactory skill training necessary for patient care. Also, the theory assumes that the patient wants to be well and return to independence. Finally, the theory assumes that nurses need to be devoted to caring for the patient at all hours of the day.
Excellent nursing practices are the cornerstone of this theory. The Need Nursing theory plainly defines, rationalizes, and forecasts exceptional nursing methods. There are 14 components that focus on instilling the patient with the skills to be independent and tend to their own needs once able. Being devoted to the patient and providing excellent care, while focusing on patient education that aims at independence upon discharge, is an essential idea of the theory (Gonzalo, 2014).
Nurses use planning and goals in their everyday environment to apply this theory to their practice. The Need Nursing theory is incorporated into my nursing career practice in multiple ways. I focus on helping each of my patients to gain the independence he needs to care for themselves in my absence. This starts on admission or when I first assume care of the patient. Begin with the end in mind. Similar to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, I use this theory to care for the most essential aspects of personal needs. I used the knowledge that I have learned from school, as well as the real-world experience and skills I have obtained through practice, the educate and instill in my patient the skills and confidence he will need to function independently (Gonzalo, 2014).
There have been many influential nurses throughout time. There are two women whose actions speak the loudest to me: Clara Barton, and Dorothea Dix.
Dorothea Dix was a nurse in the 19th century. She was assigned the title of superintendent of the army nurses for the Union Army during the Civil War. She was noted to set exceedingly high standards of practice for nursing. The nurses under her leadership were enormously effective and vital in progressing the position of nurses in the war and in the medical field. She is also well known for not only caring for injured Union soldiers but also injured Confeder...
