1. Orem’s Theory & Nursing’s Metaparadigm - PERSON
 The recipient of nursing care
 A being who functions biologically, symbolically, and socially
 Has the potential for learning & development
 Is subject to the forces of nature
 Has a capacity for self-knowledge
 Can engage in deliberate actions, interpret experiences, and perform beneficial
actions
 Can learn to meet self-care needs (requisites)
 Human beings are distinguished from other living beings by their capacity to:
– Reflect upon themselves and their environment
– Symbolize what they experience
– Use symbolic creations (ideas, words) in thinking, communicating, and guiding
efforts to make things that are beneficial for themselves and/or for others
Orem’s Theory & Nursing’s Metaparadigm - ENVIRONMENT
 Environmental Conditions - external physical & psychosocial surroundings
 Developmental Environment - promotion of personal development through
motivation to establish appropriate goals & to adjust behavior to meet those goals
 Can positively or negatively impact a person’s ability to provide self-care
Components of NURSING
 NURSING ART: the theoretical base of nursing and other disciplines such as
sciences, art, humanities
 NURSING PRUDENCE: the quality that enables the nurse to seek advice in new
or difficult situations, to make correct judgements, to decide to act in a particular manner,
and/or to act
 NURSING SERVICE: a helping service
 NURSING AGENCY: the ability of the RN
Orem’s Theory & Nursing’s Metaparadigm - NURSING
 ROLE THEORY: the role of the nurse & patient are complementary as they
work together to achieve self-care
 SPECIAL TECHNOLOGIES:
– Social & Interpersonal technologies - communicating, coordinating,
establishing & maintaining therapeutic relations, rendering assistance
– Regulatory technologies - maintaining and promoting life processes,
growth/development, and psycho-physiologic modes of functioning
Orem’s Theory & Nursing’s Metaparadigm - HEALTH
 Supports health promotion and health maintenance
 Supports the premises of holistic health in that both RN and patient promote the
individual’s responsibility for self care
Orem’s Key Contribution To Nursing

2.  The continued evolution of original ideas to further delineate nursing practice,
functions, self-care needs, and nursing systems based on research.
Orem’s Definition of Nursing
 Nursing is the provision of self-care which is therapeutic in sustaining life and
health, in recovering from disease or injury, or coping with their effects.
 Nursing is a service to people, not a derivative of medicine.
 Nursing promotes the goal of patient self-care.