Dorotea Orem’s Theory: The Self-Care Deficit

Dorotea Orem’s Theory: “Self-Care Deficit Theory of Nursing

Read chapter 14 about Dorotea Orem’s Theory: “Self-Care Deficit Theory of Nursing” and look for at least one article online about her theory. Give your own Opinion about her theory, provide your own definitions for: Self-Care, Dependent-Care, Self-care deficit and Dependent-Care deficit. Use APA7 format in your Word document. Provide at least two references, one of them must be your textbook. Minimum 300 words

Description
Self-Care Deficit Theory, developed by Dorothea Orem, defined nursing as “the act of assisting others in providing and managing self-care in order to maintain or improve human functioning at the home level of effectiveness.” It emphasizes an individual’s capacity for self-care, which is defined as “the practice of activities that individuals initiate and carry out on their own behalf in order to maintain their own life, health, and well-being.”

“The absence of the ability to maintain the amount and quality of self-care necessary to sustain life and health, to recover from disease or injury, or to cope with their effects validates the existence of a nursing requirement in an adult. With children, the condition is the parent’s (or guardian’s) inability to provide the child with the necessary amount and quality of care.” (1991, Orem)

 

The Self-Care Deficit Theory’s Assumptions

Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Theory presupposes the following: (1) To remain alive and functional, humans must maintain constant communication and connection with one another and with their environment. (2) The capacity for deliberate action is exercised in order to identify needs and make necessary judgments. (3) Mature human beings encounter privations in the form of self- and other-care actions that require them to perform life-sustaining and function-regulating functions. (4) Human agency is exercised through the discovery, development, and transmission to others of methods and means for identifying and meeting the needs of oneself and others. (5) Human groups with structured relationships organize tasks and assign responsibilities for caring for group members.

 

The Self-Care Deficit Theory’s Central Concepts

This section defines the following key concepts from Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory:

 

Nursing

Nursing is an art form in which the nurse practitioner provides specialized assistance to individuals with disabilities who require more than routine assistance to meet self-care needs. Additionally, the nurse participates intelligently in the medical care provided by the physician.

 

Humans

Humans are defined as “men, women, and children who are cared for individually or in social groups” and are the “material object” of nurses and other caregivers.

 

Environment

Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics define the environment. It encompasses the individual, the family, the culture, and the community.

 

Health

“Structurally and functionally whole or sound” is defined as “health.” Additionally, health is a state that encompasses both individual and group health, and human health is defined as the capacity to reflect on oneself, symbolize experiences, and communicate with others.

 

Self-Care

Self-care is the act or practice of initiating and carrying out activities on one’s own behalf in order to maintain one’s life, health, and well-being.