Orem's Self Care Model

Self-care denotes those activities that can be performed independently by the client. While, Orem’s self-care deficit theory posits how people who are experiencing a deficit in self-care can be helped. Therefore, nurses must not only understand but they must also employ the five core principles in the of nursing care; these principles are; acting or doing, guiding, supporting, teaching and providing an environment that promotes health (Boyd, 2007). Reynolds and Cormack (1990) stated that mental illness can severely impair an individual's cognitive ability resulting in limitations in their judgement and decision making. In fact, this affects the client's ability to care for themselves. However, they explained that Orem’s self-care model is exceptionally effective in managing mentally ill client, because it allows the nurse to focus not only on the client’s inability but also on their ability. In fact, the nurse is specifically concerned with the client’s ability to meet their requisite self-care needs for daily living.