NURSING THEORIES

• Dorothea Orem “Self Care Theory”

• Virginia Henderson “Nature of Nursing Theory”

Dorothea Orem
Self Care Theory

Dorothea Elizabeth Orem (1914 – June 22, 2007), born in Baltimore, Maryland, was a
nursing theorist and founder of the Orem model of nursing, or Self Care Deficit Nursing Theory.
In simplest terms, this theory states that nurses have to supply care when the patients cannot
provide care to themselves. By measuring the client’s deficit relative to self care needs.

Orem’s self care theory the practice of activities that individual initiates and performs on their
own behalf in maintaining life, health, and well being and focus on each individual ability to
perform self care the goal of this theory is to help our patient to meet his own therapeutic self
care demands.

Identified 3 related concepts:

1. Self-care- activities an individual performs independently throughout life to promote and

maintain personal well being.
2. Self-care deficit- results when self care agency is not adequate to meet the known self
care needs.
3. Nursing system- nursing intervention needed when individual is unable to perform the
necessary self care activities.

Giving care is the most effective way to facilitate early recovery of the patient. As a nurse we
nurture our patient by giving what they need like providing care such as maintaining of
proper intake and elimination of air, preventing hazards to life like putting side rails up. We
also include action such as carrying out prescribe therapies such as giving proper medication
and implementing the proper intervention.

On this theory self care deficit is applicable in our client because she cannot take care of
herself because she is weak and she need the assistance of her son to clean her wound and to
do her daily activities.

Virginia Henderson
Nature of nursing

Virginia Avenel Henderson (November 30, 1897 – March 19, 1996) was an
American nurse, researcher, theorist and author.

She was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the fifth of eight children of Lucy Abbot Henderson and
Daniel B. Henderson. She graduated from the Army School of Nursing, Washington, D.C. in
1921. She graduated from Teachers College, Columbia with a M.A. degree in nursing education.
Henderson is famous for a definition of nursing: "The unique function of the nurse is to assist the
individual, sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its
recovery (or to peaceful death) that he would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength,
will or knowledge".

14 Fundamentals Needs
•breathing normally
•eating and drinking adequately
•eliminating body waste
•moving and maintaining a desirable position
•sleeping and resting
•selecting suitable clothes
•maintaining normal body temperature by adjusting clothing and modifying the environment
•keeping the body clean and well groomed to promote integument
•avoiding dangers in the environment and avoiding injuring others
•communicating w/others in expressing emotions, needs, fears or opinions
•worshipping according to one's faith
•working in such a way that one feels a sense of accomplishment
•playing or participating in various forms of recreation
•learning, discovering or satisfying the curiosity that leads to normal development and health,
and using available health facilities

Our client has been lacking some of the fundamental needs namely
•breathing normally
•eliminating body waste
•moving and maintaining a desirable position
•selecting suitable clothes
•maintaining normal body temperature by adjusting clothing and modifying the environment
•keeping the body clean and well groomed to promote integument
•communicating w/others in expressing emotions, needs, fears or opinions
•worshipping according to one's faith
•working in such a way that one feels a sense of accomplishment
•playing or participating in various forms of recreation
•learning, discovering or satisfying the curiosity that leads to normal development and health,
and using available health facilities
As nurses, we can do certain procedures for the client to achieve these needs. Our client has
abnormal breathing pattern this administration oxygen therapy is given. She also cannot move
freely by herself thus she can’t maintain her desirable position, we nurses can move the client by
turning her side to side. Altered communication is also present to our client she can only
communicate with groans. Mainly our client can’t maintain care and clean herself, these can be
accomplished by her son and nurses.