NUR 330 Module 1 Nurse Theorist Presentation: Virginia Henderson Example

Reviewed by Ingrid Vasterling, MSN, RN Arizona State University Updated October 2026

This NUR 330 Module 1 sample is the Nurse Theorist Presentation in Professional Nurse Attributes, a first-semester course in ASU's prelicensure BSN program. In Module 4, which covers the history of nursing, nursing theories, caring and evidence-based practice, ASU NUR 330 assigns each group a nurse theorist and asks for a presentation that highlights the theorist's career and how the theorist has shaped nursing practice. This group's theorist is Virginia Henderson. Eleven slides with speaker notes trace her path from the Army School of Nursing to Teachers College and Yale, explain her definition of nursing and the 14 basic needs, describe her work indexing nursing research and show how her ideas still shape care planning, ending with a bedside example and a question for the class.

CourseNUR 330 Professional Nurse Attributes
ModuleModule 1
Paper typeGroup presentation slides with speaker notes
LengthAbout 548 words, 4 pages
FormatAPA 7 slide deck with speaker notes
SchoolArizona State University
ProgramBSN in Nursing
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for NUR 330 Module 1

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Fourteen Needs and One Definition: A Group Presentation on Virginia Henderson and Her Influence on Nursing Practice

Student Name

Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University

NUR 330: Professional Nurse Attributes

Instructor Name

Month Day, Year

What this page is doingThe title names the two contributions most associated with Henderson, which the presentation explains and then connects to bedside care.
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Slide 1: Virginia Henderson (1897-1996)

Group title slide with the presenters' names and the theorist's dates.

Speaker notes: Our group was assigned Virginia Henderson, sometimes called the first lady of nursing, whose definition of nursing is still quoted around the world.

Slide 2: Early Career

Born in Kansas City, Missouri; graduated from the Army School of Nursing in 1921; worked in public health nursing; taught nursing in Virginia.

Speaker notes: Henderson said that her time in the Army School and in public health shaped her view that nursing should help people become independent, not only treat illness (Alligood, 2022).

Slide 3: Education and Scholarship

Bachelor's and master's degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University; faculty member there; later a research associate at Yale University School of Nursing.

Slide 4: Her Definition of Nursing

Henderson's definition centers on the nurse filling in for whatever strength, will or knowledge a patient lacks, in illness, recovery or dying, and handing that work back to the patient as soon as possible.

Speaker notes: This definition, published in her book The Nature of Nursing, was adopted widely by the International Council of Nurses and is still taught in many countries (Henderson, 1966).

What this page is doingThe definition slide quotes the theorist's central idea and gives its source, so the audience can see where the rest of the presentation comes from.
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Slide 5: The 14 Basic Needs

Breathe normally; eat and drink adequately; eliminate wastes; move and maintain posture; sleep and rest; select suitable clothing; maintain body temperature; keep clean and protect the skin; avoid dangers; communicate; worship according to one's faith; work with a sense of accomplishment; play or take part in recreation; learn and satisfy curiosity.

Speaker notes: Henderson listed these as the components of basic nursing care; the nurse supports whichever needs a person cannot meet alone (Henderson, 1978).

Slide 6: Assumptions of the Model

People have basic needs; the nurse temporarily substitutes for what the patient lacks in strength, will or knowledge; the goal is independence.

Slide 7: Contributions Beyond the Model

Revised a major nursing textbook, the Textbook of the Principles and Practice of Nursing; led the Nursing Studies Index project at Yale, a guide to nursing literature from 1900 to 1959.

Speaker notes: Her index work helped create the base for nursing research, which links her to the evidence-based practice we study in this module.

Slide 8: Impact on Practice Today

Care plans organized around needs such as nutrition, elimination, mobility and sleep; emphasis on self-care and discharge teaching; attention to spiritual and recreational needs.

Speaker notes: Many admission assessments still move need by need, which is Henderson's structure even when her name is not on the form.

Slide 9: A Bedside Example

A 78-year-old recovering from pneumonia: the nurse supports breathing and nutrition at first, then shifts to teaching and mobility so the patient can bathe and dress independently before discharge.

Speaker notes: The example shows how the nurse's role shrinks as the patient's independence grows, exactly as her definition describes.

Slide 10: Strengths and Limits

Strengths: clear, practical and easy to apply. Limits: less guidance on the nurse-patient relationship or on families and communities.

Slide 11: Question for the Class

Which of the 14 needs do you think nurses most often overlook in the hospital?

Speaker notes: We think the needs for worship, work and recreation are the ones most easily lost on a busy unit, and we would like to hear your view.

What this page is doingEnding with a question invites the class into the discussion, which suits an in-class presentation and tests whether the audience can apply the model.
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References

Alligood, M. R. (Ed.). (2022). Nursing theorists and their work (10th ed.). Elsevier.

Henderson, V. (1966). The nature of nursing: A definition and its implications for practice, research, and education. Macmillan.

Henderson, V. (1978). The concept of nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 3(2), 113-130. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.1978.tb00837.x

NUR 330 Module 1 instructions, in plain terms

In Module 4 of NUR 330, the class studies the history of nursing, nursing theories, the concept of caring and evidence-based practice, and the Nurse Theorist Presentation is one of three graded in-class activities. The syllabus explains that students learn about nursing theorists and how they have impacted nursing practice, and that in groups they prepare a presentation highlighting the career of an assigned nurse theorist. It is worth 3 points, and the same module includes the Nursing Theory and EBP quiz and the BSN Success Plan. Because it is presented in class, plan for a short talk with slides that the whole group can deliver, and focus on both the person's career and the difference the theory makes to patient care.

How the NUR 330 Module 1 example is put together

The deck runs to eleven slides, each with notes. It starts with Henderson's training, degrees and posts, giving dates and places. The central slides quote her definition of nursing with its source, list the 14 basic needs and state the assumptions behind them. A slide on contributions beyond the model covers her textbook revision and her index of nursing literature, linking her to evidence-based practice. Two slides show the theory's influence on care planning today and apply it to a patient recovering from pneumonia. A balanced slide on strengths and limits and a closing question for the class complete the deck. Margin notes mark the definition and the closing question.

Reading the NUR 330 Module 1 grading rubric

In-class activities in NUR 330 are graded on the criteria faculty post for each one, and the theorist presentation is worth 3 points. Presentations like this one are usually judged on accurate information about the theorist's career and theory, a clear explanation of the theory's main concepts, a specific link to nursing practice, organization and participation by all group members. Groups lose credit for presentations that only list biographical facts, for misquoting the theory, for skipping the practice connection and for slides crowded with text. Since the module quiz covers nursing theory, the preparation also supports the quiz grade. Format your citations in APA, which the course introduces in Module 1.

NUR 330 Module 1 help from the desk

Groups often fill the time with the theorist's life story. Spend at least half your time on what the theorist proposed and how it changes what a nurse does. Another is quoting a definition without a source; cite the theorist's own book or article. Give one patient example that a classmate could picture. Limit every slide to a handful of words and talk through the rest. Divide the parts among group members and rehearse. Use a recognized theory text and the theorist's primary work rather than general websites. Share your assigned theorist with the desk if your group wants help choosing which ideas to feature. A short timeline of the theorist's career can sit on one slide and save space for the theory itself.

Write yours, or have the desk draft it

This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.

More NUR 330 and BSN in Nursing sample papers

NUR 330 Module 1 questions, answered

Where can I find a free NUR 330 Module 1 sample paper?

The NUR 330 Module 1 sample on this page is a full eleven-slide nurse theorist presentation on Virginia Henderson, with speaker notes and references.

What is Virginia Henderson's definition of nursing?

Henderson saw the nurse as supplying what a patient temporarily lacks, in strength, will or knowledge, and as working to make that help unnecessary as soon as possible.

What are Henderson's 14 basic needs?

Needs from breathing, eating, elimination, movement, sleep, clothing, temperature and hygiene to safety, communication, worship, work, recreation and learning.

What does the NUR 330 nurse theorist presentation require?

In groups, students prepare a presentation that highlights the career of an assigned nurse theorist and the theorist's impact on nursing practice.

How much is the NUR 330 theorist presentation worth?

It is one of three graded in-class activities and is worth 3 points of the course total.