[Dorothea E. Orem: thoughts on her theory]

Dorothea E. Orem's theory of nursing, based on the key concept of self-care, carries a particular way of viewing the reality of nursing treatments. According to this author, every individual adult has the capacity for self-care; however, when a health problem arises it is possible that this capacity is insufficient to confront the situation, making it then necessary to receive help from other persons who compensate for this deficit.