Self-care deficit theory was proposed by:

Self-care deficit theory was proposed by:

• A. Virginia Henderson
• B. Betty Neuman
• C. Imogene King
• D. Dorothea Orem

Answer: (D)

Self-care deficit theory centers on the person’s ability to perform self-care and the nurse’s role in supporting that self-care when deficits arise. Dorothea Orem developed this theory, outlining three interrelated components: the theory of self-care (what people can do for themselves), the theory of self-care deficit (when deficits occur and who is responsible to meet them), and the theory of nursing systems (how nurses intervene to meet those deficits). In practice, a nurse assesses the patient’s self-care requisites—universal, developmental, and health-deviation—and determines the level of self-care deficit. The chosen nursing system—wholly compensatory, partly compensatory, or supportive-educative—guides how care is delivered. The framework emphasizes empowering patients to perform self-care as much as possible, with the nurse providing assistance, teaching, or direct care as needed. Dorothea Orem is the theorist associated with this approach; the other listed theorists proposed different frameworks that focus on distinct concepts (need theory, systems models addressing stress, and goal attainment through nurse-patient interaction), not the self-care deficit perspective.

Self-care deficit theory centers on the person’s ability to perform self-care and the nurse’s role in supporting that self-care when deficits arise. Dorothea Orem developed this theory, outlining three interrelated components: the theory of self-care (what people can do for themselves), the theory of self-care deficit (when deficits occur and who is responsible to meet them), and the theory of nursing systems (how nurses intervene to meet those deficits). In practice, a nurse assesses the patient’s self-care requisites—universal, developmental, and health-deviation—and determines the level of self-care deficit. The chosen nursing system—wholly compensatory, partly compensatory, or supportive-educative—guides how care is delivered. The framework emphasizes empowering patients to perform self-care as much as possible, with the nurse providing assistance, teaching, or direct care as needed. Dorothea Orem is the theorist associated with this approach; the other listed theorists proposed different frameworks that focus on distinct concepts (need theory, systems models addressing stress, and goal attainment through nurse-patient interaction), not the self-care deficit perspective.