Integrating Nursing Theory into Practice: Orem Self-Care Deficit Theory

Abstract

Nurses base their practice on their experience, intuition or the way they have been taught. Such approaches lead to role and stereotypical practice. The knowledge for the science of nursing can be provided through testable theories. Theory provides professional autonomy by guiding the practice, education and research functions of the profession. Orem’s general theory is composed of three interrelated theories which include: (1) the theory of self-care (describes and explains self-care), (2) the theory of self-care deficit (describes and explains why people can be helped through nursing and (3) the theory of nursing systems (describes and explains relationships that must be brought about and maintained for nursing to be produced). This paper elaborates the utilization of Orem’s self-care deficit theory into clinical practice.


Keywords: nursing systems, Orem’s general theory, self-care, self-care deficit