Orem's nursing self-care deficit theory: A theoretical analysis focusing on its philosophical and sociological...

The self-care deficit nursing theory (SCDNT) advocated by Dorothea E. Orem is widely known and used in nursing practice worldwide. However, its broader philosophical and sociological context is often ignored.

The theoretical analysis of Orem's SCDNT reported in this article focuses on four aspects of the theory: its essential structure/core values, affirmation of nursing as a practical science, philosophical foundations, and the sociological context surrounding its development.

By interpreting the SCDNT from a philosophical and sociological viewpoint, it can be concluded that Orem established human-to-human nursing as a science premised on the existence of human beings as the central value of the theory. Moreover, Orem emphasized that the human-to-human relationship necessarily precedes the nurse-patient interface.

The new interpretation and evaluation perspectives presented in this report may further the understanding of Orem's SCDNT. Moreover, they highlight the multifaceted aspects of nursing practice and role of person-to-person relationships as the basis of the SCDNT.