Dorothea Orem was an influential American nurse theorist born in 1914. She developed the Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory, which has three major concepts: self-care, self-care deficits, and nursing systems. Orem defined nursing as assisting individuals with meeting their healthcare needs when they are unable to independently care for themselves. Her theory focuses on promoting patient independence through addressing universal, developmental, and health-deviation self-care requisites.

1. Dorothea OremNursing theory

2. Brief biography

3. 1914- June 22, 2007One of America’s foremost nursing theoriesBorn in Baltimore, MarylandHer father was a construction workerHer mother was a homemakerOrem began her nursing career at Providence School of Nursing, Washington D.C. Early 1930’s – AD from Providence School of Nursing, Washington, D.C.1939 – BSN completed

4. 1945- MS in nursing education1958 – consultant to the Office of Education where she began working on Self-Care Theory1959- first published her theory in “ Guides for Developing Curricula for the Education of Practical Nurses “ (a government publication)1976 – honorary Doctorate of Science from Georgetown University1999 – last edition of her theory was published.

6. Orem’s Definition of NursingNursing 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.

7. Nursing Metaparadigm

8. PersonThe recipient of nursing care.A being who functions biologically, symbolically, and sociallyHas the potential for learning and developmentIs subject to the forces of natureHas a capacity for self-knowledgeCan engage in deliberate actions, interpret experiences, and perform beneficial actionsCan learn to meet self-care needs (requisites)

9. 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 thers.

10. EnvironmentEnvironmental conditions – external physical and psychosocial surroundingsDevelopmental environment – promotion of personal development through motivation to establish appropriate goals and to adjust behaviour to meet those goals. Can positively or negatively impact a person’s ability to provide self-care.

11. NursingA service geared towards helping the self and othersIs required when self-care demands exceed a patient’s self-care ability (agency)Promotes the patient as a self-care agentHas several components

12. Components of NursingNursing 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 serviceNursing Agency: the ability of RN.

13. Role theory: the role of the nurse and patient are complementary as they work together to achieve self-care.Special technologies:Social and Interpersonal technologies communicating, coordinating, establishing and maintaining therapeutic relations, rendering assistance.Regulatory Technologies maintaining and promoting life processes, growth/development, and psycho-physiologic modes of functioning

14. HealthSupports health promotion and health maintenanceSupports the premises of holistic health in that both RN and patient promote the individual’s responsibility for self-care.

15. Conceptual Framework

16. Self-careRRRSelf-careAgencySelf-caredemandDeficitRRNursing Agency

17. Orem’s Self-Care theoryBased on the concept of:SELF-CARESELF-CARE AGENCYSELF-CARE REQUISITESTHERAPEUTIC SELF-CARE DEMAND

18. SELF-CARE definitionSelf-care comprises those activities performed independently by an individual to promote and maintain personal well-being throughout life.It is the practice of activities that maturing and mature persons perform and initiate within the time frames, on their own behalf , and in the interest of maintaining life and healthful functioning.

19. Orem’s Self Care AgencyDefinition: the individual’s ability to perform self-care activitiesConsists of two agents:Self-care Agent Person who provides the self-careDependent Care Agent Person other than the individual who provides the care (such as a parent)

20. Orem’s Self-care requisites (also called Self-Care Needs)Definition: the actions or measures used to provide self-careConsist of three categories: Universal- requisites/needs that are common to all individualsDevelopmental- needs resulting from maturation or develop due to a condition or event Health Deviation- needs resulting from illness, injury and disease or its treatment.

21. Orem’s Self-Care Deficit TheoryIs the central focus of Orem’s Grand Theory of NursingExplains when nursing is neededDescribes and explains how people can be helped through nursingResults when the self-care agency (patient) can’t meet her/his self-care needs or administer self-careNursing meets these self-care needs through five methods of help

22. Five Methods of Nursing HelpActing or doing forGuidingTeachingSupportingProviding an environment to promote the patient’s ability to meet current or future demands