Nursing Theory: Compare/Contrast Two Theories

Theory is an arrangement of thoughts meant to describe something. These thoughts and ideas usually have basic principles that validate the purpose of the proposed theory. Nursing theory is a well thought out scholarly structure of concepts. These concepts are created to help guide nursing practice. They explain the fundamentals of nursing care. Multiple clinical decisions are based upon nursing theories. There are many different types of nursing theories developed primarily by nurses. Nursing theorist’s main goal is to examine nursing practice and explain the working or non-working parts

Dorothea Orem’s theory accepts and describes the premise of self-directed personal care (Alligood et al., 2010). Orem’s theory also explains and predicts when the nurse will be needed once the illness has challenged an individual's functional capacity. The purpose of the theory is to focus on individual’s being able to care for themselves on their own, identify when nurses are needed to help individuals progress to better health. Besides, self-health care is put in place to acknowledge that nurses can aid individuals to get back to their functional baseline abilities on time. (Alligood et al.,

The nursing profession entails core values and commonalities that link those in the profession. A comprehensive study of the literature identifies key components of the profession as the provision of technical care, defending the vulnerable, taking care of the ill, as well as establishing systems for the delivery of care. Different models have been developed which describes and guides the nursing profession. The two nursing theories: the Theory of Nursing as Caring by Boykin and Schoenhofer and the Transition Theory of Afaf Ibrahim Meleis are constructive theories and serviceable in the nursing field. This paper gives an analysis of two nursing theories, comparing and contrasting their values.

The wanted poster I created was a way of introducing the general concepts of Orem’s model on self-care, supported by her education and status in nursing. It gave a brief synopsis of her elite standing’s in the nursing profession and an introduction to the reader on some aspects of her theory of self-care. Orem had a very distinguished career in nursing, and early on she knew nurses need to provide the assistance necessary to meet daily self-care needs (Taylor, 2011). She received her Master’s in Education and served on the curriculum subcommittee at Catholic University where she once attended, here she recognized a need to continue developing a conceptualization of nursing (Marso, 2012). This Poster introduces some of Orem’s beliefs which align with here metaparadigm. Orem’s

Self-care requisites are actions directed towards maintaining self-care which include universal, developmental and health deviation. These requisites are the driving force for both the individual and the nurse. Eight requisites create the universal self-care requisites, which focus on the basic qualities of life that every individual must maintain in order to function. These universal self-care requisites include air, water, food, elimination, rest, prevention of potential hazards to health, interaction with others and promotion of human development. Developmental self-care requisites are any actions required in order to develop appropriately. Health deviation requisites require a higher level of attention as a health deviation exists as a result of an illness, chronic disease or injury. This deviation requires the patient to seek medical attention as well as to carry out specific measures prescribed by the physician. Health deviation demands that in order to

Although the principles stated by Porter-O'Grady & Malloch (2015) and O’Brien (2011) share plenty of similarities, they differ in substantial aspects. The principles differ in that they cannot all be applied in similar nursing theories because the details ingrained are specific to selected nursing theories which guide the nurse and nurse leaders in executing their routine roles. O’Brien’s nurse leadership behavioral themes, for instance, seem most suitable for the interpersonal nursing theory which emphasizes nursing as an interpersonal process whereby nurses and patients can interact and communicate (Nursing-Theory.org, n.d.). Porter-O'Grady & Malloch ten spiritual rules of the road seem most applicable in transcultural nursing theory. The theory emphasizes on the knowledge and understanding of different cultures with due regard for health-illness and nursing practices, values, and beliefs with the aim of the provision of efficacious and meaningful nursing care services to the patient according to their backgrounds (Nursing-Theory.org, n.d.).

In the article written by Kuo, Liu, and Ma, uses multiple theories to enhance practice with mobile electronic health medical records (Kuo, Liu, & Ma, 2013). One theory that is mentioned throughout the article is technology acceptance model (Kuo et al., 2013, p. 2). Another theory that is used is technology readiness index, which includes traits that describe the nurse involved in the process (Kuo et al., 2013, p. 2). With implementing these two nursing theories in practice when discussing the implementation of mobile electronic medical records increase the understanding of the topic.

Orem focuses on nursing as a deliberate human action and notes that all individuals can benefit from nursing when they have health-derived or health-related limitations for engaging in self-care or the care of dependent others (Gunther, 2016). The nurse chooses deliberate actions from nursing systems to bring about desirable conditions in persons. The goal of nursing is to move a patient toward responsible self care or to meet existing healthcare needs of those who have health care deficits (Gunther, 2016). Orem expects people to be responsible for themselves and to seek help when they cannot maintain therapeutic self-care or dependent-care (Fawcett, 2003).

Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit theory is based upon the idea that individual’s require a set of actions to maintain self-care and independence. When an individual is unable to perform an action required for daily care then that individual has a deficit. In order for the person to regain or acquire the skills needed to overcome this deficit they must first be willing to seek help and take the steps and measure needed (Orem, 1991). Nurse’s play a key role is this process by evaluating what the deficit is, formulating the steps needed, implementing the process and evaluating the results. Some of the concepts to this theory are that of, dependency, nursing, health, person, environment,

Dorothea Orem created the self-care theory in 1959 and continued to build upon her theory until 2001. The purpose of Orem’s theory was to define nursing, discuss the relationship among the nurse and the patient, and to promote a clear understanding of the scope of nursing (Taylor, Self-Care Deficit Theory of Nursing, 2006). Today, Orem’s theory is widely known and is utilized in nursing curriculum, as well as continuing education topics for healthcare providers.

In Orem’s theory, nursing care is necessary when self-care deficit exists. The nurse can analyze the reason for the inability to meet self-care need, set a goal and implement necessary nursing intervention. Individuals have the ability to think, learn and function by themselves independently or through others. According to Orem, health is a state of physical, social well being, mental health and not only the lack of diseases. Individuals interact with their environment (George, 2011). The role of nursing in society is to allow individuals to mature and use their self-care capabilities to the extent that they can look after themselves.

Dorothea Orem’s Self Care theory of nursing is made up of three specific ideas. The three ideas are the theory of self-care, the self-care deficit theory, and the theory of nursing systems (Peterson, Bredow 2013). Several of the major ideas within the theory include that people distinct individuals are responsible for their own care. The person’s own base of knowledge is very important when it comes to maintaining health and preventing illness. The role of the advanced practice nurse is one of action, which allows and encourages patients to feel empowered to develop self care health skills in order to be autonomous. A major strength of Orem’s theory is that it is applicable for nursing by the beginning practitioner as well as the advanced clinicians (Peterson, Bredow 2013).

Orem’s theory is about self care. It was developed by Dorothea Orem with the hopes to improve the quality of care of individuals who were lacking the ability to care for themselves. The theory takes place when it is noted that a patient is struggling to care for themselves or could not complete tasks or care for themselves as they normally could. A baseline of a patient is needed to compare the patient’s deficits. Activities of daily living are a way of assessing the patient’s abilities to function on a regular basis. An assumption of Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory is that a person’s knowledge of potential health problems is needed for promoting self- care behaviors (Nursingtheory.org, 2013).

Today, nursing profession had advanced to the highest degree, shifting from dependence on total medical direction in delivering basic care, into an independent practice by using nursing theories, models and nursing interventions. Nursing practice must be based on nursing theories and this is what makes nursing as a profession. Nursing theories gives a direction and acts as a guide for structured professional nursing practice, education and research. Effective and efficient nursing care is based on prompt assessment, intervention and evaluation, and nursing theories is used as a guide for nurses to deliver high quality of care. In order to have an effective decision making and implementation, nursing theories would be able to provide a rational for collection of data that is reliable and valid regarding the patient’s health status. Nursing theories also helps to institute criteria to measure the quality of nursing care. Nursing theories is known to enhance the autonomy of nursing and build a common nursing terminology that is used in communicating with other healthcare providers.

Nursing is a profession within health care. It not only focuses on the care of individuals but it also focuses on the care of families and communities so that they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nursing is an art. In nursing, the nurse or provider gives, assist, or specializes in helping people with disabilities as well as people whose health may be deteriorating. People who suffer from disabilities need more than the ordinary assistance necessary used by a healthy individual to meet the needs for self-care. The nurse also participates in the medical care the individual receives from the physician both during their time of stay in a facility or during visits to the health care provider. With that being said, a nurse is an important factor in the medical community and very significant in helping a patient reach the optimal level of health. Along with maintaining the optimal level of health, one of the main goals in nursing is to help clients achieve the ability to care for themselves. This is called self-care. There are many theories that contribute to this goal of nursing as well as nursing as a whole. One of the main theories is Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory. This theory was founded between 1959 and 2001 by Dorothea Elizabeth Orem.