Theoretical Foundation in Nursing

Chapter 9
Dorothea Orem’s Self – Care Deficit Nursing Theory
Theoretical Sources
 The primary source for Orem’s ideas of nursing was her
experiences in nursing along with her knowledge in
contemporary nursing literature and thought.
 She recognized that if nursing was to advance as a field of
knowledge and as a field of practice, a structured,
organized body of nursing knowledge was needed.
 Orem’s familiarity with literature in other disciplines also
reflects her ideas and positions.
 Fundamental to Orem’s SCDNT is the philosophical system
of moderate realism. The position of moderate realism
states that there is a world that exists independent of the
thoughts of the knower. The nature of the world is not
determined by the thoughts of the knower, although it is
possible to obtain knowledge about the world.
 Orem’s statements and phrase reflect a moderate realist
position, such as (1) person in space-time localizations, (2)
attribute or properties of these persons, (3) motion of
change, (4) products brought into being.