Marlon Pandeling

Thinking about nursing is as important as doing nursing. The conceptual structure of the discipline of nursing must be known by those nurses who practice nursing and those who teach nursing. Nurses in practice must be able to identify the phenomena that are of concern to them, and must have a framework for reflecting on their practice. It is very important for us nurses to know the different theories in relation to nursing. Such theory is the self-care deficit theory by Dorothea Orem.

The focus of Orem's model of nursing is to enhance the patient's ability for self-care and extend this ability to care for their dependents .A person's self-care deficits is a result of their environment. Three systems exist within the professional nursing model: the compensatory system, in which the nurse provides total care; the partial compensatory system, in which the nurse and the patients share responsibilities for care; and the educative-development system, in which the patient has the primary responsibility for personal health, with the nurse acting as a consultant. The basic premise of Orem's model is that individuals can take responsibility for their health and the health of others, and in a general sense, individuals have the capacity to care for themselves and their dependents.

In application to my present job, the theory of Dorothea Orem is a very useful tool. It serves as a guideline to maintain my composure as a nurse. At present, I am assigned in a medical-surgical ward, a total care is very much more important in rendering nursing care to my patients.