Theoretical Foundation Nursing

Jessica Nguyen (Lin), Brian Eresmas

Sir Bayeta
05/09/16
Dorothea Orems Self-care Deficit Theory
Dorothea Orem (1914-2007), a nurse, received the honorary Doctor of
Science degree in 1976. Her theory was first published in Nursing: Concepts
of Practice in 1971. Major assumptions of the theory include: people should
be self-reliant for their own care their own families, people are distinct
individuals, nursing is a form of action/interaction between two or more
persons, meeting universal and development self-care requisites is important
in primary care and prevention of illness, a persons knowledge of potential
health problems is necesarry for promoting self-care behaviors, and that
self/dependent care are behaviors learned within a socio-cultural context.
Orems general theory has three parts: Theory of self care (self), Theory of
self care deficit (You and Me), and Theory of nursing system (persons of
community). Theory of self care states that individuals should practice
maintaining their own lives, health, and well-being, but the persons ability to
supply self care is conditioned by many factors, such as age, gender, health,
and so on. To maintain health, you need a steady supply of necesarry
requisites that maintain life, such as water, food, air, rest, and so on. Theory
of self care deficit states that nursing help should be needed when the
patient is unable to meet self care requisites. Nurses should use 5 methods,
which are: Serving, guiding, providing physical/mental support, help support
personal development, and teaching, in order to help patients reach the selfcare stage again. Theory of nursing system is the product of a series of

relations between persons. It describes how the patients self-care needs

should be met by the nurse or the patient. It is Orems idea of the general
and specific roles of nurses and patients. In the end, nurses must assess
persons ability to provide his/her own self care before they are to be nursed.