1. Dorothea Orem’s General Theory of Nursing Theory of self care
Theory of self care deficit
Theory of nursing system

2. Dorothea Orem (1914-2007) Born in Baltimore, Maryland

3. Education
Earned her diploma at Providence Hospital School of Nursing in 1930’s
Earned her BSN at Catholic University of America in 1939
Earned her MSN at Catholic University of America in 1945
Received an honorary Doctor of Science degree
from Georgetown University in 1976
Doctor of Nursing Honoris Causae from the
University of Missouri in 1998

4. A Brief Timeline of Accomplishments
 Early Experience included nursing in the operating room, private duty nursing, pediatric and adult med/surg nursing, evening supervisor in the emergency department, and biological science technician
  Dorothea Orem held directorship of both nursing school and department of nursing at Providence Hospital in Detroit
  Dorothea Orem worked at the Indiana State Board of Health where her goal was to upgrade the quality of nursing care throughout the state. It was during this time she began working on her definitions of nursing and related concepts
 1959 Dorothea Orem worked for the US Department of Health where she helped publish Guidelines for Developing Curricula for the Education of Practical Nurses
 1971 Her theory was first published in Nursing: Concepts of Practice. The theory was revised in 1980, 1985, 1991, 1995, and 2001

5. The Core Beliefs of Dorothea Orem
People should be self-reliant and responsible for their own care and others in their family needing care
People are distinct individuals
Nursing is a form of action
Successfully meeting universal and development self-care requisites is an important component of primary care prevention and ill health
A person’s knowledge of potential health problems is necessary for promoting self-care behaviors
Self-care and dependent-care are behaviors learned within a socio-cultural context

6. The Core Beliefs of Dorothea Orem
People should be self-reliant and responsible for
their own care and others in their family needing care
People are distinct individuals
Nursing is a form of action
Successfully meeting universal and development
self-care requisites is an important component of
primary care prevention and ill health
A person’s knowledge of potential health problems
is necessary for promoting self-care behaviors
Self-care and dependent-care are behaviors learned
within a socio-cultural context

7. Dorothea Orem’s Nursing Metaparadigm (Person/Environment/Nursing/Health)
The recipient of nursing care
Someone that functions biologically, symbolically, and socially
Has the potential for learning & development
Is subject to the forces of nature
Has a capacity for self-knowledge
Can engage in deliberate actions, interpret experiences, and perform beneficial actions
Can learn to meet self-care needs (requisites)
Human beings are distinguished from other living beings by their capacity to:
Reflect upon themselves and their environment
Symbolize what they experience
Use symbolic creations in thinking, communicating, and guiding efforts to make things that are beneficial for themselves and for others

8. Orem’s Nursing Metaparadigm: ENVIRONMENT
Environmental conditions can be external and/or psychosocial surroundings
Developmental environments promote goal achievement
The quality of an environment can positively or negatively impact a person’s ability to provide self-care

9. Orem’s Nursing Metaparadigm: NURSING
 A service geared towards helping the self and others
Is required when self-care demands exceed a patient’s self-care ability (agency)
Promotes the patient as a
self-care agent
Comprised of several components

10. Components of NURSING
NURSING ART: The theoretical base of nursing. Describes what it “ought” to do.
NURSING PRUDENCE: Enables the nurse to seek advice in new or difficult situations, to make correct judgments, and to decide to act in a particular manner.
NURSING SERVICE: An assistive service
NURSING AGENCY: The competency of the RN
ROLE THEORY: The role of the nurse & patient are complementary as they work together to achieve self-care
SPECIAL TECHNOLOGIES:
Social & Interpersonal technologies: Involve communicating, coordinating, establishing & maintaining therapeutic relations and providing help
Regulatory technologies: Involve maintaining and promoting life processes, growth/development, and psycho-physiological modes of functioning