APPLICATION

I. NURSING PRACTICE

The Self-Care Deficit of Dorothea Orem focuses on the people's self-care that they cannot fulfill due to their situation at the moment, so they might have to ask for assistance from their family, friends, or from the nurse. Until then, when they can finally be able to provide their own self-care, they will no longer need assistance from others to fulfill their needs for their own self-care. This nursing theory can be easily applied to many nursing situations and patients because the concept and principles of this theory make it easily adaptable to many different settings, and nurses and patients can work together to ensure that the patients receive the best care possible while also taking care of themselves. This theory is particularly used in rehabilitation, primary care, and other settings in which patients are encouraged to be independent. Thanks to Dorothea Orem’s dedication to nursing as well as her hard work in the field, nurses can use her theory today to care for patients and make their transition from the hospital or full-time care facility to their own home much smoother (Petiprin, 2020).

II. NURSING EDUCATION

The Self-Care Deficit Theory developed as a result of Dorothea E. Orem working     toward her goal of improving the quality of nursing in general hospitals in her state. The model interrelated concepts in such a way as to create a different way of looking at a particular phenomenon. The theory is relatively simple, but generalizable to apply to a wide variety of patients. It can be used by nurses to guide and improve practice, but it must be consistent with other validated theories, laws and principles (Petiprin, 2022).

The Self-Care Nursing Theory developed by Dorothea Orem provides guidance for the practitioner in an ambulatory surgery setting. In this model, the nurse supports clients by serving as an advocate, educator, mentor, supporter, and provider of a nurturing atmosphere. 

III. NURSING RESEARCH

Based on Orem's theory of nursing, self-care is viewed as activities that people do to maintain, restore, or improve their health. It is rooted in the concept of self-care when chronically ill patients need the motivation, experience, and skills to perform the behaviors necessary to maintain and improve their health and quality of life. Orem's nursing theory focuses primarily on this notion. Therefore, this theory can provide a suitable framework for many studies. For instance, it has been studied within the DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) program because it suggests that patients recover better when they maintain a degree of independence in their own self-care. That is why it is often used in nursing care.

STRENGTH & LIMITATIONS

STRENGTH

The concepts of self-care, self-care deficit, and nursing system are distinctly defined in the theory of Orem, which even a student, novice nurse, or advanced practitioner can easily understand and put to practical use in nursing practice. As a result, it becomes the foundation for the use of nursing practice because it specifies when nursing is needed in the care of the patient. It also highlighted the step-by-step process nurses should perform to fully assess the needs of their patients to attain wellness.

Self-care approaches are generalized to apply to a variety of patients with the concept of rehabilitation and primary care or other settings where patients are encouraged to be independent.

LIMITATIONS

Although the theory straightforwardly detailed the terms in self-care, it introduces many terms associated with it that are too complex without expounding its definition (basic conditioning factors, normalcy, and technologies). Moreover, the variety of the terms used are limited. Orem utilizes the use of "self-care" multiple times (self-care, self-care deficit, self-care requirement, self-care demand, and self-care agency), which might cause perplexity to readers. In addition, the theory mainly focuses on assisting the physiological needs of the patient and limited acknowledgment of the individual’s emotional needs.