RUNNING HEAD: SELF-CARE THEORY ANALYSIS 1
Self-Care Theory Analysis
Emma Larson
Department of Nursing: Liberty University
NURS 502: Nursing Theory and Advanced Practice
Dr. Ann Crawford
15 November 2020
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SELF-CARE THEORY ANALYSIS
Self-Care Theory Analysis
Self-Care Theory History
The Self-Care Theory was created thanks to Dorothea Orem in the year of 1959. Orem’s Self-
Care Model focuses on the patient, themselves, and how the patient cares for themselves,
regardless of them being fully healthy or having multiple health morbidities (American Sentinel
University, 2020). Orem’s theory of self-care shaped so much of nursing today, she even won
awards for this theory.
Concept of Theory
The concept of the self-care model focuses on the patient being able to take care of
themselves and as a nurse, it is their job to help patients get back to taking care of themselves.
Orem believed that it was the nurse’s job to be the patient’s educator and motivator to create a
better quality of life (Borji, et al, 2017). That means the nurse needs to learn the patient’s
baseline for their activities of daily living, their medical history, and how they go about treating
their comorbidities. Once the nurse learns about the patient’s lifestyle, it is up to the nurse to
show the patient their strengths, weaknesses, and ways to improve their quality of life.
Examples
The Self-Care Model Orem created is a model used for patient education in multiple
different diseases. Because of this model, nurses are able to educate patients in ways that work
for them. For example, the self-care model is used often to educate patients on Type II Diabetes
to help improve their quality of life. A study done at the University of Medical Sciences in Ilam,
Iran, showed that self-care programs provided the highest amount of improvement for this
group’s quality of life versus any other type of model used (Borji, et al., 2017).
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SELF-CARE THEORY ANALYSIS
This teaching method is also proven to be helpful for patients that have multiple sclerosis. In
another study done in Iran, a research team assembled by Ardashir Afrasiabifar (2016)
performed a single blind randomized clinical trial that showed patient education regarding
fatigue during multiple sclerosis. Through this study, the results showed the application of the
Self-Care Model ultimately helped reduce the fatigue that occurs in multiple sclerosis.
Theory Analysis: Walker and Avant
Walker and Avant created their methods of theory analysis around 1983. They created a
multiphase analysis that includes seven steps, which are the origins of the theory, meaning of
the theory, logical adequacy of the theory, usefulness of the theory, degree of generalizability,
parsimonious of the theory, and testability of the theory (McEwan & Wills, 2019). Here is the
theory analysis of Orem’s Self-Care Model through the Walker and Avant theory analysis
approach.
Origins, Meaning, and Logical Adequacy
As discussed earlier, the Self-Care Model was created by Dorothea Orem in 1959. With
this creation, she also created different aspects of the Self-Care Model. There are a total of four
aspects to her model: nursing, humans, environment, and health. Each aspect plays a part in
creating the entire self-care model for her.
According to Orem’s model, nursing is an art where caring is specialized from patient to
patient and are there to assist in a patient’s quality of life whenever they need it. Humans, in
this case, are the patients that the nurses work with to help them reach the ultimate goal of
self-care. Environment is the surrounding factors that affect the patient being able to perform
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self-care. This could mean access to transportation, locations of pharmacies, and ability to care
for themselves with the proper conditions.
Health, per Orem’s definition, is “being structurally and functionally whole or sound”
(Gonzalo, 2010). This is the determining factor for nurses to see if patients need help to reach
their full potential to be as self-reliant as they can be. If the patient’s health impairs them, the
nurse can help the patient create a plan where the patient has more resources to get the care
and treatments they need.
Usefulness of the Theory
This theory has helped influence patient education in the world of nursing. Not only do
nurses provide patient education when they are staying in the hospital, but they also use Orem’s
model for outpatient education classes offered to the communities. The ultimate goal for the
patients and nurses to with this model is for them to understand and find ways to become as
self-reliant as possible. If there are certain things patients are not able to do due to disability,
then it is up to the patient and the nurse to work together and figure out the best resources for
them. That way, there are less stressors for the patient to worry about and the patient will still
be able to have everything they need.
Degree of Generalizability & Parsimonious
Overall, Orem’s Self-Care Model is specific enough for both patients and nurses to
understand. The model’s focus is on promoting patients to be self-reliant as much as they can.
With the four different aspects that affect the Self-Care Model and the use of the model, the
nurse is able to clearly show the patient what factors are limiting the patient and can show
them the different resources a patient can use to promote more self-reliance. With that being
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SELF-CARE THEORY ANALYSIS
said, this theory can be stated briefly to patients for them to understand the importance of self-
care and finding ways to have a better quality of life.
Testability of the Theory
As seen earlier, there have been multiple studies that have proven the positive
effectiveness of the Self-Care Model. It was the best form of education for patients when going
over how to treat type II diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Another disease where the self-care
model has shown positive effectiveness is hypertension (Khademian, et al, 2020). Dr Khademian
and her research team performed a quasi-experimental study to show how effective Orem’s
Self-Care Model (2020). According to this study, the quality of life for the patients that were part
of the experimental group that promoted the self-care model improved significantly during the
eight weeks these subjects were in the study (Khademian, et al, 2020).
Conclusion
Overall, Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Model has proven to be one of the most effective
models used in the field of nursing. With multiple studies that have proven the effectiveness of
this model, it is no wonder Orem’s approach with the self-care model is still used by nurses
today. The four different aspects of the Self-Care Model shows the specifics of what can
promote or prevent patients from reaching full self-reliance and self-care.
Nurses play a prominent role in keeping this model as effective as possible. The nurse’s
job is to understand their patients well enough to educate them and show them how they can
reach the goal of the Self-Care Model. This theory may be simple, but it is well specified and
easy for both the nurses and patients to understand, which is why this model is so effective.
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Works Cited
Afrasiafibar, A., Mehri, Z., Sadat, S. J., & Shirazi, H. R. G. (2018). The Effect of Orem’s Self-Care
Model on Fatigue in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: A Single Blind Randomized Clinical
Trial Study. Iran Red Crescent Medical Journal, 18(8). https://doi.org/10.5812/ircmj.31955
Borji, M., Sharifi, A., Otaghi, M., & Kazembeigi, S. (2017). The Impact of Orem’s Self-Care Model
on the Quality of Life in Patients with Type II Diabetes in Ilam. Biomedical and
Pharmacology Journal, 10(1), 213–220. https://doi.org/10.13005/bpj/1100
Dorothea Orem: Pioneer of the Self-Care Nursing Theory. The Sentinel Watch. (2020, July 21).
https://www.americansentinel.edu/blog/2020/07/11/dorothea-orem-pioneer-of-the-self-
care-nursing-theory/.
Gonzalo, A. (2019, August 24). Dorothea Orem: Self Care Deficit Theory Study Guide. Nurseslabs.
https://nurseslabs.com/dorothea-orems-self-care-theory/.
Khademian, Z., Ara, F. K., & Gholamzadeh, S. (2020). The Effect of Self Care Education Based on
Orem’s Nursing Theory on Quality of Life and Self-Efficacy in Patients with Hypertension: A
Quasi-Experimental Study. International Journal of Community Based Nursing-
Midewifery, 8(2), 140–149. https://doi.org/10.30476/IJCBNM.2020.81690.0
McEwen, M., & Wills, E. M. (2019). Theoretical basis for nursing (5th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
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