Nursing Theory, and Evidence-Based Practice - Essay Example

"Nursing Theory, and Evidence-Based Practice" is a great example of a paper on care. Dolores Wellborn, a 29-year-old attorney living in Portland, Oregon is in her second trimester of pregnancy. Though her pregnancy has progressed without any incidences, she recently noticed that she tires easily and has shortness of breath. Additionally, she experiences periods of light-headedness as though she would faint. Other changes include cramping legs, desires to crunch ice, and sore tongue. She is concerned by the relationships between these symptoms, and she seeks physician advice. Orem (2001), notes that nursing places immensely focus on humans that helps in distinguishing nursing from other services that target humans (Basavanthappa, 2007). In this case, the role of physicians and nursing in society involves enabling individuals to achieve development. Additionally, nursing enables society to exercise self-care to the point that they have the capabilities of providing care for themselves. This means that society has the capabilities to meet the quality and amount of care required.

Orem’s theory requires individuals to understand their healthcare requirements. Therefore, individuals whose healthcare requirements exceed their capacity for engaging in healthcare experience deficits in self-care. The presence of potentials or evident self-care deficits helps in identifying the nursing needs of these individuals. The theory crucially identifies instances of requirements for nursing. The theory occurs as a general nursing theory, which is applicable in all practical situations, which require nursing care (Taylor, & Renpenning, 2011). Therefore, the theory explains and describes the main concepts of practical nursing situations. The theory has four crucial concepts that address the applications of nursing care. The comprehensive development of the concepts in the theory enhances the applications and usefulness of the theory as a tool for guiding nursing practice.

This case employs assumptions based on Orem’s theory. For instance, Wellborn has the capabilities to identify her medical state and outline them as required. This shows self-reliance and responsibility for her healthcare and other individuals, in the family, requiring healthcare. In this case, she knows of her pregnancy and doubts the relationship of the identified symptoms to each other. It is indispensable to note that Wellborn shows care for her unborn child through the growing concerns that drove her to seek medical care from a physician (Meleis, 2011). In addition, Wellborn identifies herself as a distinct individual at risk of symptoms and signs that may contradict or relate to her medical state. Additionally, Wellborn recognizes nursing as an active discipline that involves interactions between different people.

According to Orem (2001), the achievement of developed and universal self-care is a requisite for crucial components of ill health and care prevention (Meleis, 2011).  Therefore, an individual’s knowledge of probable health problems is crucial in advancing self-care behaviors. Additionally, dependent and self-care occur as behaviors that develop in a social-cultural context. This means that Wellborn learnt the importance of self-care from her cultural context, which emphasizes on preventive care.

Conclusion

In this case, the theory of self-care takes a central role. Wellborn identifies that she is pregnant and responsible for her unborn child’s health. As a result, she initiated activities that aim at maintaining their health and well-being. Additionally, therapeutic self-care requirements play a fundamental role in this case because of Wellborn’s self-care actions, performed during this duration to achieve care for herself and the child. In my opinion, her decision to seek physician help was motivated by her knowledge that adults require nursing care in case they can no longer provide effective self-care. This means that she identified her incapability to provide continuous self-care.

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