The goal of nursing: its importance for the assessment of the need for nursing care / The goal of nursing: its importance for the assessment of the need for nursing care/O objetivo da Enfermagem: sua importância para o estabelecimento da necessidade para o cuidado de Enfermagem

ABSTRACT

Assesments of needs involve many difficult methodological issues. One such issue is on the conceptual level. What exactly is it that should be assessed when we are to assess a need or a need for nursing care? My purpose here is to present some fo the results of a philosophical investigation into the concept of need and need for nursing care. This means first of all an outlining of the logical structure of the general concept of need. The mos significant characteristic of this concept is the goal of need. Without a clear understanding of this goal it is pointless to claim that someone has a need. From this theoretical basis the concept of need for nursing care is analysed. It is suggested that satisfied medical needs and satisfied basic human needs of the patients are significant goals of a need for nursing care. Finally, I will end by outlining the basic structure of a model for the assessment of need for nursing care.