Has the theory been tested empirically? Is it supported by research? Does it appear to be accurate/valid? Explain.

Has the theory been tested empirically? Is it supported by research? Does it appear to be accurate/valid? Explain.

The Need Theory has never been tested. Virginia Henderson “did not intend to develop a nursing theory, she did not develop the interrelated theoretical statements or operational definitions necessary to provide theory testability (Masters, 2015, p. 360). The Need Theory was “not written in testable terms, however, they may be reformulated into researchable questions” (McEwen & Wills, 2018, p.138). However, Henderson utilized the scientific method, deductive reasoning, to come up with the Need Theory (Rose, 2017). The Need Theory was formulated from Henderson’s personal experiences from going hospital to hospital observing the needs of the patient. Henderson’s theory is not supported by research; however, the Need Theory supported other researchers work.

            Henderson did not state her theory in testable terms, which is a major weakness of her theory. “In nursing research, each of her fourteen fundamental concepts can serve as a basis for research although the statements were not written in testable terms” (Vera, 2014, p.7). While she did use deductive reasoning to formulate her theory, this does not help distinguish the validity of the Need Theory. The one positive aspect of the Need Theory is that it has helped other researchers validate their own research.