Nursing Theories: Self-Care Deficit Theory by Dorothea Orem (Essay Sample)

Self-Care Deficit Theory by Dorothea Orem
Dorothea Orem is a nursing theorist who came up with the theory of self-care. This theory includes those activities that individuals undertake and do on their own behalf in keeping life, health and wellbeing. It deals with rehabilitating and encouraging patients to be as independent as possible. The safe care deficit theory is interrelated into three theories namely: the theory of safe care, safe care deficit theory and the theory if nursing systems. Meleis (2012) suggests that Orem’s opinions about persons with self-care deficits are dependent on themselves socially; the potential to participate in self-care and to satisfy self-care needs characterize a more integrated development.
The Factors That Lead To the Development of the Theory
Masters (2012) Argues that Dorothea Orem’s self-care model development was led by basic conditioning factors which include: age of the patient, gender either male or female, developmental state of the patient, health state of the individual, patterns of living of the patients, healthcare systems factors and so on.
Orem wanted patients to be self-independent and take care of themselves and family members who are in need of care. Nursing care focuses mainly on the patient, according to Boyd (2016) psychiatric –mental hospitals use Orems model because it encourages patients to be independent on self-care activities. On personal experience when caring for a patient who has a similar illness or with similar self-care needs enhances the quality of care for the patient. Misconstruction, lack of knowledge and education in self-care, leads to inadequate self-care. When a patient masters self-care, he or she becomes an expert of self-care management because self-care management is not complex.
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