Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Theory In Nursing Practice

Nursing practice mostly is based on nursing theories which makes the nursing discipline a profession. The nursing theories have differentiates focus of nursing from other profession. Nursing theories provide direction and guidance for structuring professional nursing practice, education and research. Besides, nursing theories serve to guide on assessment, intervention and evaluation of nursing care in order to provide effective decision making and implementation quality of nursing care. Hence, I would like to implement Dorothea Orem’s self-care theory in my clinical area of practice.

Dorothea Elizabeth Orem was one of the America’s foremost nursing theorists who developed the Self-care Nursing Theories. Dorothea E.Orem was born in 15 July

The four metaparadigms are person, environment, health and nursing. According to Dorothea Orem, person as men, women and children cared for either singly or as social units, and are the material object of nurses and others who provide direct care. All individuals have self-care needs, and that they have the right and ability to meet these needs themselves except when their ability is in some way compromised. Dorothea Orem states that, the person who meets the self-care needs is a self-care agent. For example, parents are the self-care agent for their newborn whereas a nurse is a self-care agent for an unconscious patient. According to Pearson et al (2005) as cited by Joseph (1980), there are six basic premises for self-care model, such

Patient’s self-care deficits are eliminated and self-care demand level is reducing to a level.

2. Patient able to increase their ability to meet the self-care demand and thus eliminating any self-care deficits.

3. Patient’s close relative or partners able to give dependent care when self-care is impossible and self-care deficit is eliminated.

4. When none of above can be achieved, nursing have to meet the individual’s self-care needs directly.

According to Dorothea Orem, the four metapardigm concepts are interrelated. The person is the central focus of nursing care, whereas a person’s health is mediated by his/her environment. Therefore, if a person who is healthy is capable of self-care. On the others hand, when there is illness in the person’s health state, the person will be unable to complete all self-cae requisites. In this situation occurs, nursing care is needed to assist the person in completing his/her self-care. As nurses, must assess the person’s ability to provide his/her self-care and the environmental context of the person in order to overcome health associated