The self-care deficit nursing theory is a grand nursing theory that was developed between 1959 and 2001 by Dorothea Orem. The theory is also referred to as the Orem's Model of Nursing. It is particularly used in rehabilitation and primary care settings, where the patient is encouraged to be as independent as possible.
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Central philosophy
The nursing theory is based upon the philosophy that all "patients wish to care for themselves". They can recover more quickly and holistically if they are allowed to perform their own self-cares to the best of their ability.
Self-care requisites
Self-care requisites are groups of needs or requirements that Orem identified. They are classified as either:
Self-care deficits
When an individual is unable to meet their own self-care requisites, a "self-care deficit" occurs. It is the job of the Registered Nurse to determine these deficits, and define a support modality.
Support modalities
Nurses are encouraged to rate their patient's dependencies or each of the self-care deficits on the following scale:
Universal Self-Care Requisites (SCRs)
The Universal Self-Care Requisites that are needed for health are:
The nurse is encouraged to assign a support modality to each of the self-care requisites.