THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Dorothea Orems Theory of Self-care

Orems theory focuses on each individuals ability to perform self-care, defined as the The
practice of the individuals initiate and perform on their own behalf in maintaining life, health, and wellbeing.
Each individual is viewed as a self-care agent who possesses capabilities termed self-care agency
that is essential o performing self-care action. Deliberate action is undertaken to meet the therapeutic selfcare demand but known needs for care. This varies throughout life. If the demand is not met, a self-care
deficit exists, which notes the need for nursing. This is a joint decision between the nurse and the patient.
The role of the nurse is to facilitate and increase the self-care abilities of the individual.
Problems identification consists of:
1. Assessing the care demands of the individual patient and,
2. The ability of the patient to independently meet the self-care demand.
Orem has identified three classification of nursing system to meet the self-care requisites of the
patient. These systems are the wholly compensatory system, the partly compensatory system, and the
supportive educative system.
The wholly compensatory nursing system is represented by a situation in which the individual is
unable to engage in those self-care actions requiring self-directed and controlled ambulation and
manipulative movement or the medical prescription to refrain from such activity. (Orem, 1991, p.289)
The partly compensatory nursing system is represented by a situation in which both patient and
nurse perform care measure or other actions involving manipulative tasks or ambulation. The patient or
the nurse may have the major role in the performance of care measures.
The third nursing system is the supportive educative system. In this system, the person is able to
perform or can and should lean to perform required measures of externally or internally oriented
therapeutic self-care but cannot do so without assistance. This is also known as a supportive-

development system. In this system, the patient is doing all of the self-care. The patients requirements for
help are confined to decision making, behavior control, and acquiring knowledge and skills the nurses
role then, is to promote the patient as a self-care agent.

Dorothea Orems Theory of Self-care