?Virginia Henderson’s Nursing Theory: Mr. Smith’s Patient Care Virginia Henderson’s Nursing Theory: Mr. Smith’s Patient Care Virginia Henderson’s Nursing Theory Explained Nursing Theory Nursing is a profession were nurse’s care for people until they can care for themselves again. As nurse’s we constantly teach our patients so that there informed on how to be as independent as possible with their care. Caring for a patient so that a level of independence is reached is a key element in Virginia Henderson’s nursing theory. Blais and Hayes (2011) described the definition of Virginia Henderson’s Nursing Theory as follows: The unique function of the nurse is to assist the individual, sick, or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery that he would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength, will, knowledge, and to do this in such a way as to help him gain independence as rapidly as possible. (p.101) As Blais and Hayes (2011) noted Virginia Henderson’s theory focused on the “individual’s physiological and emotional balance, achieving independence, and the strength or need to achieve or maintain health” (p.100). Virginia Henderson’s theory empathized the importance of patient independence so that the patient will continue to progress after being released from the hospital. An important factor in the patient reaching independence is the nurse’s role. According to Blais and Hayes (2011) Henderson described the nurse’s role as “substitutive, which is doing for the patient; supplementary, which is helping the patient do something’ or complementary, which is working with the patient to do something” (pp. 100-101). Virginia Henderson’s Nursing Theory has four major concepts which focused on the individual, environment, health, and nursing. These concepts of individual, and environment, along with the 14 components of human basic needs are what I apply to the care of my patients as a Rehabilitation Nurse. Henderson’s nursing theory goes hand in hand with Rehabilitation Nursing because we help our patients achieve their optimal level of functioning or their highest level of wellness. As a Rehabilitation Nurse we strive to make our patients as independent as possible. Individual Theory Virginia Henderson described the concept of individual as someone who needs nursing care. Henderson (2006) noted the function of a nurse is to help the patient achieve health and independence or a peaceful death. She stated that the body and mind are inseparable. For a person to function to the utmost, the person must be able to maintain physiological, psychological, spiritual, and sociological balance. Henderson also described the 14 components of the basic needs in relation to the concept of the individual. The 14 components of the basic needs focuses on the concepts of physiological, psychological, spiritual, and sociological balance of the person. An example of the physiological aspect would be to breathe normally. An example of the psychological aspect would be to communicate with others in expressing emotions, needs, fears, or opinions. An example of the spiritual aspect is to worship according to one’s faith. An example o