Using Orem's theory to generate nursing diagnoses for electronic documentation

If nursing practice is guided by nursing theory, then decision-making processes should be filtered through the theory in such a way that makes the outcomes of the process both unique and useful to nursing. This article presents a discussion of the formulation of a decision-making process based on Orem's self-care deficit nursing theory that produces specific diagnostic statements about the relationship between individuals' therapeutic self-care demand and their self-care agency.