Running head: DOROTHEA OREM’S SELF CARE THEORY

Dorothea Orem’s Self Care Theory

Carmen Sigley

West Virginia University

Abstract

When a patient needs to decrease the potential problem that prevents him from reaching his optimal health, nurses can use Orem’s Self-care Model as a tool to identify when and how much they can influence the patient care. This theory is the key of nursing care if it is used optimal and in a period of time when patient’s development can be discover and manipulated. The purpose of this paper is to prove that Orem’s Theory can be used efficiently if is done in an ongoing manner and using actions of individuals directed to self care. The environment is an important aspect and regulates the factors or
The theory looks at the patient as a whole and his interaction with the environment. Self-care in Orem’s Theory is an ever changing process throughout the continuum of life and requires constant reassessment of the patient. After establishing a plan of care that is a comprehensive assessment process health care provider make decisions using evidence based practice in order to achieve the goal. Using this theory nurses are able to discuss every aspect of the patient well-being, character traits, social situation, environmental living, head to toe physical assessment using self-care requisites, behavioral characteristics and past medical history. Orem focuses on the patient’s needs for nursing care established by the patients self-care deficits found during the assessment process. The time consuming of the process for the nurse and staffing ratios do not allow for such an extensive initial plan of care in cases of a short term patient care. When nurses receive several admissions per twelve hour shifts; to scrutinize a patient thoroughly Orem’s Self Care theory is almost impossible if nurses are not familiarized with the steps of the theory. Takes several days to know a patient as well as Orem suggests and when the patient is admitted short length of stay the luxury of time does not exist. Complexity, a very long and detailed plan, the wording difficult to understand