Dorothea Orem
By: Eddy Fernandez
Biography |
Dorothea Elizabeth Orem was born July 15th 1914 and raised in Baltimore Maryland and went to Seton high school. She then attended Providence Hospital School of Nursing in Washington D.C. in 1934 and went on to the Catholic University of America to get her bachelor's in science in Nursing. She then went on to be a Dean of the School of Nursing at the Catholic University of America as well as a director at Providence Hospital School of Nursing in Detroit, Michigan. She created the self-care deficit nursing theory also known as the Orem model of nursing. She lived on to be 92 and died June 22nd, 2007 in Savannah, Georgia.
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Key points to Orem's Model of Nursing
- People should be self-reliant and be able to help themselves during care as well as having the family take part in the care
- Patients are individuals
- Nursing is an action that occurs between two or more people
- In order to successfully prevent and treat diseases you need to meet universal self-care requisites (such as a healthy life)
- Knowledge of potential health problems is needed to promote self-care behaviors
- Self-care and dependent care are learned within a socio-cultural context
Orem's model explained
This whole model focuses on the patient and how to keep herself/himself in a healthy state. The first bullet refers to the person having to rely on themselves to be able to take care of herself in order to prevent future health issues. The second bullet refers to the patient and reminds health care professionals that they are taking care of an individual and not a person who fits a mold of the ideal "patient". The third bullet refers to nursing as being a social interaction and need to be able to keep interpersonal skills on sharp in order to be able to communicate effectively with the nurse. The fourth bullet refers to the patient's state of health. This is as simple as making sure you take in enough food and water and be able to balance activities and stay well rested for the days needs. Anything that promotes human functioning, falls under this category. The fifth bullet means that if a patient is injured, then they should seek appropriate medical assistance and be aware of certain after effects of the disease. This includes educating themselves to their individual needs. The patient should do all in her power to promote self-care behaviors and that includes recognizing illness and seeking appropriate medical attention. Whether that be a hospital, dentist, or other healthcare provider. The last bullet, the self-care promotion, should be taken into context within different cultures. You should look at your culture and figure out which course of action is acceptable when looking at the patient's culture and health. It is important to create a balance between the two.
Relation to Maslow's Hierarchy of need |
Maslow created a hierarchy of needs that outlines the needs of an individual from the most basic needs to self-actualization. In order to move up the pyramid, one needs to meet the lower rungs. This model focus's on the patients role in staying healthy and seeking the correct medical help. The entire model focuses on this by having the patient meet their physiological needs such as food and water. Then move to the psychological needs of safety, love/belonging, esteem, and eventually, self-actualization. The model push's for the patient to be able to fulfill the physiological need.
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Nurse Aid's and Orem's model
The nurse aid is not exempt from these rules from Orem's model. This especially applies to them in long term care. The nurse aid is the caregiver that comes in contact the most with the patient/resident and thus must be at their best.