• Throughout her career, she received numerous awards as well: the Linda Richards Award from the National League for Nursing in 1991, the Catholic University of America Alumni Achievement Award for Nursing Theory in 1980, and an honorary Fellowship of the American Academy of Nursing in 1992.

Dorothea E. Orem’s Contribution to Nursing Theory: Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory (SCDNT)

• Dorothea Orem developed the Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory, also known as the Orem Model of Nursing, from 1959 to 2001. Since it is regarded as a grand nursing theory, the theory encompasses a wide range of general ideas that are applicable to all aspects of nursing.
• The Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory’s central tenet is that all patients want to take care of themselves and can recover more quickly and holistically by taking care of themselves as much as they can. This theory is especially used in primary care, rehabilitation, and other settings that encourage patients to be independent.
• Dorothea Orem classified the requirements for self-care into one of three categories. The first is universal self-care requirements, which are requirements shared by all individuals. Things like air, water, food, activity, rest, and avoiding hazards are among these. There are two subcategories of developmental self-care requisites: situational, which prevents adverse effects from occurring during development, or maturational, which moves the patient to a higher level of maturity. Health deviation requisites, or requirements that arise as a result of the patient’s condition, make up the third category. A “self-care deficit” occurs when a patient is unable to meet their self-care requirements. In this instance, the patient’s nurse provides support in the form of education and support, partial compensation, or total compensation.
• It is simple to apply Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory to a wide range of nursing situations and patients, which is one of its advantages. Its general principles and concepts make it easy to use in a variety of settings, and nurses and patients can collaborate to ensure that patients receive the best possible care while also being able to take care of themselves. Nurses can use Dorothea Orem’s theory today to care for patients and make their transition from the hospital or full-time care facility to their own home much smoother thanks to her dedication to nursing and hard work in the field.