Self-Care Deficit Theory

Dorothea Orem: Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory
Chamberlain College of Nursing
NR 501: Theoretical Basis for Advanced Nursing Practice
September 2015

Dorothea Orem: Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory

The art of nursing has been around many years. Like professional medicine, nursing is an ever-changing field in health care. What we?who learn in school is just a basic foundation of this exciting field in health care. Yet, where did the basic theories of nursing come from? What is nursing theory? I will discuss what nursing theory is, along with its importance to and influence on the nursing field today. I will discuss briefly Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit nursing theory and its importance to nursing today. Nursing theory can be traced back to the days of Florence Nightingale, in a time where conditions in field hospitals were austere at best, and life expectancy was nothing like it is today. Nursing theory is considered the basis for the care that we provide today. As medicine is constantly changing, nursing also follows by evaluating theory and implementing change. What is nursing theory? To me, nursing theory is the researched, proven methods of nursing care that allow for us to provide the best nursing care possible for our patients. Yet, nursing theory isn’tis not just about nursing. As defined in medical dictionary, theory is defined as beliefs or procedures that support a particular action (Medical Dictionary, 2015). Further, it goes on to say that theory has been confirmed with supportive evidence from independent experimentation (Medical Dictionary, 2015). Nursing theory branches off of this definition, specifically looking at that research and concepts that are created and designed to guide nursing practice (Hartweg, 1991). They?who explain and describe nursing care, guide nursing practice and provide a foundation for clinical decision making in the nursing field (The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga School of Nursing

References: Hartweg, D. L. (1991). Dorothea Orem: Self-cCare dDeficit tTheory. (C. Metzger-McQuiston, & A. A. Webb, Eds.) London, England: Sage Publications, Ltd. Hanucharurnkul, S. (2009). Comparative analysis of Orem 's and King 's theories. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 24(5), 365-372 Medical Dictionary. (2015). Retrieved from A Medical Dictionary of Medical Terminology: medical-dictionary.com Orem, D Petiprin, A. (2015). Dorothea Orem-Nursing Theorist. Retrieved from Nursing Theory: http://nursing-theory.org/nursing-theorists/Dorothea-E-Orem.phpThis is not a scholarly source Taylor, S Wagner, J. (1986). Nurse scholar’s perceptions of nursing’s metaparadigm. Dissertation, Ohio State University.