Which theory is summarized by emphasizing nursing as helping the patient achieve independence and is linked to meeting needs?

Which theory is summarized by emphasizing nursing as helping the patient achieve independence and is linked to meeting needs?

• A. Henderson's Nursing Need Theory
• B. Orem's Self-Care Theory
• C. Peplau's Goal Attainment Theory
• D. Kolcaba's Comfort Theory

Answer: (A)

Nursing as helping the patient achieve independence by meeting needs is the central idea. Henderson's Nursing Need Theory centers on fourteen basic needs and defines nursing as assisting the patient in meeting those needs so they can function independently. The nurse helps with activities the patient cannot yet perform, with the goal of restoring self-care and autonomy. Meeting these essential needs—physiological, psychological, and social—drives the nursing actions and outcome. This focus on independence linked to fulfilling needs is what makes Henderson's theory the best fit.

Nursing as helping the patient achieve independence by meeting needs is the central idea. Henderson's Nursing Need Theory centers on fourteen basic needs and defines nursing as assisting the patient in meeting those needs so they can function independently. The nurse helps with activities the patient cannot yet perform, with the goal of restoring self-care and autonomy. Meeting these essential needs—physiological, psychological, and social—drives the nursing actions and outcome. This focus on independence linked to fulfilling needs is what makes Henderson's theory the best fit.