Nursing Theorists Paper on Dorothea Orem - Essay Example

According to Hanucharumkul (1989), "Orems conceptual model is used to guide nursing practice more than other conceptual models in the United States." In this essay, the implications of the theory with respect to person, health, nursing and environment will be discussed. As Clark (1986) rightly put it: "Nurses who deliver patient care need to apply and evaluate numerous theories and models proposed as guides to nursing practice." As a nursing theorist and educator, Dorotheas first book came out in the year 1959 as a government publication and it was called "Guides for Developing Curricula for the Education of Practical Nurses.

" Dorothea then went on to receive a Doctorate on her theory from the Georgetown University. The book, "Nursing Concepts of Practice" was published in the year 1971 (Comley, 1994). From then on, series of the theory were being published, the last edition being in 1999. The Orems self-care model of Nursing incorporates 3 subtheories: self-care deficit, self-care and nursing systems (Comley, 1994). According to the self-care deficit subtheory, "individuals may experience self-care limitations related to their health state and may benefit from nursing provision of this care or augmentation of their own self-care efforts" (Comley, 1994) The theory considers care of one-self and that of dependents as a type of learned behavior which causes regulation of the structural integrity, development and functioning of the humans.

The nursing system ensues at that point of time when the nurse intervenes with the patient either to prescribe medication or to provide care that is intended to take care of self-care deficit and regulate his or her own capabilities of self-care (Orem, 1985; cited in Comley, 1994). Dorothea Orem considered all human beings as basically biopsychosocial beings with capabilities and willingness to take care of themselves and also be dependent on others. It is through