Orem's Theory Research Articles

The Influence of Social Environmental Factors on Rehospitalization Among Patients Receiving Home Health Care Services

Guided by Orem's theory, this study examined the influence of social environmental factors on rehospitalization among home health care patients. Living arrangement, frequency of caregiving, and type of primary informal care were found to be related to functional ability. Measurable differences in clinical status and functional ability were related to the duration that patients received home health care services until rehospitalization, with the likelihood of rehospitalization increasing proportionately to the magnitude of the differences. Social environmental factors contributed to rehospitalization (self-care deficit) through functional ability (self-care agency) by altering the balance between self-care demand (clinical status) and self-care agency.

GRUPO TERAPÊUTICO EDUCAÇÃO EM SAÚDE: SUBSÍDIOS PARA A PROMOÇÃO DO AUTOCUIDADO DE USUÁRIOS DE SUBSTÂNCIAS PSICOATIVAS

Estudo descritivo e exploratório com abordagem qualitativa objetivou compreender as contribuições do Grupo Terapêutico Educação em Saúde na Promoção do Autocuidado de 8 usuários de substâncias psicoativas em tratamento, na modalidade intensiva, num Centro de Atenção Psicossocial para Álcool e outras Drogas (CAPSad) do Município de Recife, Pernambuco. Os dados foram coletados entre julho e agosto de 2011 por consulta em prontuário e entrevistas que foram gravadas e submetidas à análise temática do conteúdo; o tratamento e interpretação dos dados foram organizados considerando constructos da Teoria do Autocuidado de Dorothea Orem. As contribuições do Grupo Terapêutico foram identificadas como motivação para a vida, suporte para identificação das demandas terapêuticas e construção de competências para o autocuidado. Esse Grupo proporciona, sob a ótica dos usuários, um ambiente terapêutico de educação em saúde por meio da troca de saberes entre os participantes e de suporte para aquisição de hábitos saudáveis.

Self-care management of menstrual pain among Chinese adolescents

The aim of this study was to investigate the self-care management for menstrual pain among Chinese adolescent girls. 531 girls reported menstrual pain in their past 3 cycles were asked to recall the pain severity and their self-care behaviors by rating the Visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Adolescent Dysmenorrhic Self-Care Scale (ADSCS). Any pharmacological self-management was recorded using an open-ended question. The ADSCS was developed in Taiwan based upon Orem's self-care deficit theory. It consists of 40 items rated on a 1-6 Likert scale that measure six aspects of self-care behavior with higher values indicating a higher level of self-care behavior being practiced.

Development of a shared theory in palliative care to enhance nursing competence

This discussion article focuses on the theoretical development of a shared theory in the field of palliative care nursing through a process of comparison between Bandura's social cognitive theory and Orem's conceptual model. In many countries, nurses are little prepared to provide care to patients with life-limiting illness. Bandura's theory provides an appropriate framework for evaluating the impact of training programmes aimed at improving nursing competence in palliative care. However, this borrowed psychological theory is not specific to nursing contexts. Orem's self-care deficit theory seems to be an appropriate nursing model to guide the use of Bandura's theory in palliative care nursing situations. A review of the literature published between 1987 and 2011 was conducted to evaluate how Bandura's social cognitive theory and Orem's conceptual model have been linked at a theoretical level in the past. Bandura's theory has been linked with Orem's model essentially at the patient level. A new shared theory that combines Bandura's social cognitive theory and Orem's conceptual model at the nursing level is thus proposed. Palliative care nursing self-competence is hypothesized to influence the quality of nursing interventions in palliative care situations. To further demonstrate the relevance of this proposed shared theory in palliative care nursing contexts, empirical studies are recommended. This shared theory has the potential to provide a solid theoretical framework for evaluating nursing training programmes and, eventually, to improve quality of care and quality of life for patients with life-limiting illness.

Self-care science, nursing theory, and evidence-based practice

This is an excellent review of the development of self-care deficit theory and the use of self-care in nursing practice. Explanations of the various theories and theory terms are well done and written at a level that novice theorists can relate to. The authors demonstrate how self-care science can be fiscally and effectively applied to the care of patients/clients.--Doody's Medical Reviews Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Theory has been used as a foundation for nursing practice in healthcare institutions and as the basis of curricula in nursing schools for decades. This book explores the high-level theory of the application of Orem's Self-Care Theory, and how it can improve patient outcomes as well as cost-effectiveness of nursing care delivery. Written for nursing theorists, researchers, administrators, and graduate students, the text addresses the relationship of self-care theory and evidence-based care in nursing, and provides a solution to improving contemporary healthcare outcomes. The book is divided into three sections. Section one discusses the reason for the existence of the nursing profession, and identifies the performance of self-care. Section two covers three nursing practice sciences-wholly compensatory nursing, partly compensatory nursing, and supportive educative nursing. Section three offer suggestions on how health care organizations can incorporate this broadened perspective of what constitutes evidence based practice and on-going research methodology into every-day delivery of nursing services. Key Features: Includes case examples to illustrate the application of theory to nursing practice Provides a current, cost-effective resource for implementing Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory for effective evidence-based practice Builds the link between the application of Orem's Self Care Theory and improved patient and fiscal healthcare outcomes

Development and evaluation of self-care agency promoting programme for prostatectomy patients

The quasi-experimentation was conducted to develop a self-care agency promoting program on prostate-cancer patients' self-care activities and quality of life and evaluate its effectiveness. The self-care agency promoting program for prostatectomy patients was developed from the analysis of self-care problems of prostatectomy patients and involved the nursing strategies focused on the four principal sources of information that were used in the Orem's self-care theory. This experimentation was designed for a non-equivalent control group before and after design. 69 subjects who had prostatectomy at a leading hospital in Seoul were examined: 35 subjects for the experimental group and 34 for the control group. Data was collected right before treatments and 8 weeks after prostatectomy and analyzed with descriptive statistics, χ2 test, t-test and Analysis of covariance. The study showed that there is a significant difference between the experimental group and the control group in both self-care agency and quality of life. However, there was no significant difference in self-care activities between the experimental and the control groups. Taken together, the Self-care Agency Promoting Program for Prostatectomy patients was proved to be an effective nursing enhancement program for prostatectomy patients. This program can be applied in nursing field to promote self-care agency and can also contribute to patients' quality of life.

Orem-Based Nursing Education in Germany

The purpose of this column is to present a model for nursing education in Germany based on Orem's theory. The Orem-based educational model for teaching is a theory-based curriculum. The revised German Nursing Act requires an integrated nursing education curriculum, which means that students should be taught together in courses with general nursing knowledge, and then acquire specialized knowledge in pediatric, adult, or geriatric nursing.

Hemodialysis Arteriovenous Fistula Self-cannulation

This article discusses how Orem's theory was applied to the revision of supporting documents in the patient-teaching process and subsequently the nurse's role in the patient's learning experience. Teaching based on didactic, provider-focused objectives is ineffective in meeting patient's learning needs. There is a lack of conclusive research on the development of appropriate patient-teaching endeavors for the acquisition of knowledge and skills related to the performance of hemodialysis arteriovenous fistula self-cannulation. To prepare patients for home hemodialysis, Orem's self-care-deficit nursing theory was used to guide the revisions of a patient assessment and learning documentation template, the development of a self-cannulation teaching resource and to foster a renewed sense of the nurse's role in the teaching process. The application of self-care-deficit nursing theory to the update and development of patient-teaching documentation and resources for self-cannulation provides the nurse with a theoretical approach to assess, plan, evaluate, and document teaching from a patient-focused perspective. Theory in practice provides a means to support and highlight the role of nurses in the patient-learning process. The utilization of practical activities to introduce theory into teaching provides a means to structure care processes and to enhance nurse's adoption of theory in practice. Orem's theory provides a relevant, useful framework to guide nurses in teaching patients self-care. Research on the exploration of nurse's attitudes related to the benefit of adopting theory when teaching patients to perform hemodialysis self-care is needed.

Intervention strategies that support self-care activities: an integrative study across disease/impairment groupings.

The incidence of chronic disease and people with complex chronic medical needs is increasing worldwide. Self-care is an important element for these individuals and can pose challenges both to the recipients and providers of care. Health care professionals seeking evidence on how best to support self-care face challenges finding this research. As a care concept it is typically dealt with clinically and studied relative to specific conditions. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews reports on research across 52 different disease/impairment groupings, with many systematic reviews presenting inconclusive results. Although individual reviews may not offer as much evidence as hoped, it is possible that by synthesizing evidence from multiple reviews that further knowledge and direction about the supportive care professionals can provide for self-care can be found and made available to inform practice. To explore and evaluate the evidence on self-care interventions through a cross-cutting, integrative study. Types of studies: All systematic reviews contained within the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Participants who were either recently diagnosed with, or currently living with, a disease, disability or impairment. No age stipulation was applied.Types of interventions: Interventions focused on initiating, supporting or enhancing self-care activities.Types of outcomes: The successful engagement of the individual in self-care activities; the sustainment of self-care activities; health outcomes or health care services utilization. The search strategy was designed to find all systematic reviews contained within the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews that addressed interventions to initiate or enhance self-care. The Cochrane Library was searched directly though Wiley and through the OVID interface. Keywords and index terms were harvested from key reviews and a second round of searching was performed. Inclusion criteria: Inclusion criteria were guided by Orem's Theory of Self-Care. Reviews were included that addressed health deviation self-care requisites which refer to changes in self-care activities to regulate the effects of deviation from normal structure or function. Interventions were examined within the context of knowledge translation, using the Knowledge-to-Action framework by Graham and colleagues. Interventions were grouped into one of two sections in the framework: a) the adaptation to a specific population, or b) the sustainment of knowledge use. Outcomes were classified according to the Knowledge Use and Impact framework by Graham and colleagues. This framework categorizes outcomes in terms of what is being measured (knowledge; use of knowledge) as well as the impact of the use of that knowledge (patient/ individual; provider or system outcomes).Assessment of methodological quality: Methodological quality was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Systematic Reviews. A cut-off point of 7/10 was established. Data were extracted from the systematic reviews using an adaptation of the standardized data extraction form, the JBI Data Extraction Form for Systematic Review of experimental/ Observational Studies. Study results were synthesized and discussed in narrative form. Thirty reviews were included in the analysis spanning 16 different disease/impairment groupings and representing a total of 91,170 participants. The most commonly reported intervention strategies were educational sessions (26 reviews) and self-care management plans (11 reviews), and 27 reviews assessed multiple intervention strategies. Twenty-one reviews reported statistically significant results. There is an emerging body of evidence for effective self-care. This study identified two strategies (educational sessions and self-care management plans) that could be used generically as supportive care by professionals as they assist individuals with self-care. The use of multiple strategies, including educational sessions and self-care management plans have been identified as options that may be effective to support adoption and sustainment of self-care activities. This study highlighted the pervasive problem of heterogeneous data at the primary research level preventing the effective synthesis of current evidence. Further research to standardize the type of outcome measured and the method of measurement would advance our ability to determine 'best practices' with self-care. Cochrane systematic review authors reported their systematic review methodologies in varying degrees of detail. Also of note was the range of different methods to assess risk of bias.

Intervention strategies that support self-care activities: an integrative study across disease/impairment groupings

Background The incidence of chronic disease and people with complex chronic medical needs is increasing worldwide. Self-care is an important element for these individuals and can pose challenges both to the recipients and providers of care. Health care professionals seeking evidence on how best to support self-care face challenges finding this research. As a care concept it is typically dealt with clinically and studied relative to specific conditions. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews reports on research across 52 different disease/impairment groupings, with many systematic reviews presenting inconclusive results. Although individual reviews may not offer as much evidence as hoped, it is possible that by synthesizing evidence from multiple reviews that further knowledge and direction about the supportive care professionals can provide for self-care can be found and made available to inform practice. Objective To explore and evaluate the evidence on self-care interventions through a cross-cutting, integrative study. Inclusion criteria Types of studies: All systematic reviews contained within the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Types of participants: Participants who were either recently diagnosed with, or currently living with, a disease, disability or impairment. No age stipulation was applied. Types of interventions: Interventions focused on initiating, supporting or enhancing self-care activities. Types of outcomes: The successful engagement of the individual in self-care activities; the sustainment of self-care activities; health outcomes or health care services utilization. Search strategies The search strategy was designed to find all systematic reviews contained within the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews that addressed interventions to initiate or enhance self-care. The Cochrane Library was searched directly though Wiley and through the OVID interface. Keywords and index terms were harvested from key reviews and a second round of searching was performed. Methods of the review Inclusion criteria: Inclusion criteria were guided by Orem's Theory of Self-Care. Reviews were included that addressed health deviation self-care requisites which refer to changes in self-care activities to regulate the effects of deviation from normal structure or function. Interventions: Interventions were examined within the context of knowledge translation, using the Knowledge-to-Action framework by Graham and colleagues. Interventions were grouped into one of two sections in the framework: a) the adaptation to a specific population, or b) the sustainment of knowledge use. Outcomes: Outcomes were classified according to the Knowledge Use and Impact framework by Graham and colleagues. This framework categorizes outcomes in terms of what is being measured (knowledge; use of knowledge) as well as the impact of the use of that knowledge (patient/ individual; provider or system outcomes). Assessment of methodological quality: Methodological quality was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Systematic Reviews. A cut-off point of 7/10 was established. Data extraction: Data were extracted from the systematic reviews using an adaptation of the standardized data extraction form, the JBI Data Extraction Form for Systematic Review of experimental/ Observational Studies. Data synthesis: Study results were synthesized and discussed in narrative form. Results Thirty reviews were included in the analysis spanning 16 different disease/impairment groupings and representing a total of 91,170 participants. The most commonly reported intervention strategies were educational sessions (26 reviews) and self-care management plans (11 reviews), and 27 reviews assessed multiple intervention strategies. Twenty-one reviews reported statistically significant results. Conclusion There is an emerging body of evidence for effective self-care. This study identified two strategies (educational sessions and self-care management plans) that could be used generically as supportive care by professionals as they assist individuals with self-care. Implications for practice The use of multiple strategies, including educational sessions and self-care management plans have been identified as options that may be effective to support adoption and sustainment of self-care activities. Implications for research This study highlighted the pervasive problem of heterogeneous data at the primary research level preventing the effective synthesis of current evidence. Further research to standardize the type of outcome measured and the method of measurement would advance our ability to determine 'best practices' with self-care. Cochrane systematic review authors reported their systematic review methodologies in varying degrees of detail. Also of note was the range of different methods to assess risk of bias.

Effect of Orem's self-nursing theory in lightening side effect of chemotherapy for patients with tumor

Objective To discuss the significance of Orem ' s self-care theory of nursing on the prevention of side effect after chemotherapy in tumorous patients. Methods 100 tumorous patients in chemotherapy were randomly divided into the control group adopted the conventional nursing method and the test group adopted Orem's self-care theory of nursing, with each group having 50 patients. We carried out EORTC QLO-C30 ( European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer) Chinese version to evaluate the nursing efficacy. Results The score of overall health status in the test group was obviously higher than that in the control group. The scores of physical function, cognitive function, emotional function and social function in the test group were significantly higher than those in the control group. The scores of fatigue, nausea and vomit in the test group were significantly lower than those in the control group. In special items, sleeping disturbance and constipation in the test group were significantly lower than those in the control group; and appetite in the test group was better than that in the control group. All the diffirences had a statistical meaning. Conclusions The application of Orem' s self-care theory of nursing greatly contributes to lessening the side effect of chemotherapy and improving the quality of life of tumorous patients. Key words: Neoplasms; Models; nursing; Drug therapy of chemotherapy; Side effects; Nursing

The Application of Orem’s Self-Care Model to Burn Care

Although many studies from burn nurses are present in the literature, very little information is found that indicates a theory-based approach to care. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the deficiency of nursing theory in the specialty of burn nursing and to suggest Orem's Self-Care Model as a valid basis for delivering care and increasing the level of professionalism in this specialty area. The correlation of Orem's three systems (ie, wholly compensatory system, partially compensatory system, and supportive/educative system) to the unique care needs of burn patients with varying levels of acuity are the keys to understanding the application of this theory to the practice of burn care. In applying theory to practice, clinicians discover that no single theory addresses each aspect of care precisely. Because of this characteristic, gaps in theory exist. Consideration of various components of alternate theories is appropriate as integration of theory and practice is developed. Although Orem's theory is quite applicable to burn care, certain components of Watson's Caring Theory and Roy's Adaptation Model is also applicable to those aspects of burn care not addressed by Orem. Those in the field of burn nursing should begin looking forward and adapting a specific theory to this specialty practice. Orem's Self-Care Model is the most applicable to burn care and provides a beginning point for theory usage in burn nursing care.

The Relationship between Hemoglobin A1c Values and Healing Time for Lower Extremity Ulcers in Individuals with Diabetes

The diabetic population is at an increased risk, up to 15% over a lifetime, to develop leg and foot ulcers due to such factors as neuropathy, ischemia, and infection. The tight control of glucose levels as possible is necessary to prevent the diabetic complications by preventing microvascular changes that predispose the patient to neuropathy, ischemia, and infection. Although it is clear from the literature review that tight glucose control prevents complications, the relationship between HgbA1c values and healing times of ulcers is less well defined. This study explored the relationship between HgbA1c values and healing times of leg and foot ulcers. THEORETICAL/CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: The theoretical framework used was Orem's self-care deficit theory of nursing, which focuses on self-care of patients and nursing intervention if self-care is inadequate. Forty-one male and 22 female patients having either type 1 or type 2 diabetes were considered in this study. Of these 63 patients, 9 had type 1 and 54 had type 2 diabetes. Ages ranged from 33 to 94 years (mean, 67.7 years [SD, 14.98 years]). Weight ranged from 122 to 402 lb (mean, 221.84 lb [SD, 58.79 lb]). As part of a larger study, a retrospective chart review was performed on 63 patients with diabetes served by a Midwestern outpatient wound care clinic from July 2001 to July 2004. Approval for this study was granted through the local institutional review board. No data collected required the consent of the individual or included any identifying data, thus protecting the privacy of the individuals whose charts were reviewed. A tool was developed by the researchers through literature review to gather needed information. The data collection tool included demographics, medical diagnoses, wound size at presentation, and most recent wound size, as well as the HgbA1c results closest to admission and closest to time of wound closure. Statistics were generated using the SPSS program. Of the 63 ulcers, 36 healed, 26 did not heal, and it was not possible to determine if healing occurred for 1 ulcer. Admission HgbA1c values ranged from 4.5 to 15.4 (mean, 8.05 [SD, 2.29]). HgbA1c values closest to ulcer closure ranged from 5.3 to 12.3 (mean, 7.68 [SD, 1.81]). It was found that patients with higher HgbA1c levels did experience wound healing, but in a significantly longer period than those with lower HgbA1c. Individuals with type 1 diabetes had a higher healing rate (77.8%) than individuals with type 2 diabetes (53.7%), whereas 40% of all closed ulcers reopened. A significant correlation was also noted between a history of smoking and increased HgbA1c levels. Healing times were decreased in those individuals who had lower HgbA1c values. Decreased healing times result in lower cost for the patient, decreased chance of infection due to lack of portal of entry, and increased quality of life. Patient education may increase self-care practices in the diabetic population regarding better glucose control.

Nursing consultation applied to hypertensive clients: application of orem's self-care theory

The objective was to implant the Nursing Consultation for hypertensive patients, using Orem's Self-Care Theory and to systematize nursing care. Thirty-six patients were interviewed. Of these, 58.9% were women, 75.0% of them ranging from 50 to 80 years of age, 76.4% were married, 42.9% were housewives, 47.2% were retired, and 67.3% completed elementary education. Patients were interviewed with a structured instrument addressing the requirements for universal, developmental, and health deviations self-care. Data analysis made it possible to assess the altered self-care requirements. In patient care planning, support-education actions were our top priority. Orem's self-care theory permitted identifying important aspects, which need to be developed by the nurses.

Orem's theory as applied to psychiatric nursing.

Perspectives in Psychiatric CareVolume 22, Issue 1 p. 36-38 Orem's Theory as Applied to Psychiatric Nursing Andrea O'Brien Moscovitz, Andrea O'Brien MoscovitzSearch for more papers by this author Andrea O'Brien Moscovitz, Andrea O'Brien MoscovitzSearch for more papers by this author First published: January 1984 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6163.1984.tb00202.xCitations: 3AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume22, Issue1January 1984Pages 36-38 RelatedInformation

The using on Orem self-care theory in cerebral apoplexy hemiplegic paralysis nursing

Objective To study the effect of Orem self-care theory. Methods 208 apoplexy patients were randomly divided into two groupa: the normal nursing group and serf-nursing group. In the normal nursing group there are 104 patients, aged 39～77, 63 of whom were male and 41 of whom were female. They were nursed in the normal way. In the self-nursing group, there are 104 patients, aged 17～83, 65 of whom were male and 39 of whom were female. They were nursed according to the Orem's self-nursing theory besides the normal nursing. Results ADL is obviously better in the self-nursing group. Conclusion Self-nursing system helps to meet the patients need of self-nursing and makes the best use of patients'self-nursing ability, which improves the pafient's ability of daily activities. In the meantime, the self-nursing system stresses and enriches the nurses professional competence. Key words: Nurse; Self-nursing; Stroke; Hemiplegia

Diagnósticos de enfermagem em pacientes diabéticos em uso de insulina

Trata-se de um estudo descritivo exploratório que tem como objetivo identificar os diagnósticos de enfermagem em pacientes diabéticos em uso de insulina, através de estudo de casos múltiplos. Os dados foram obtidos pelo pesquisador por meio de exame físico e a técnica de entrevista dirigida baseada na Teoria de Autocuidado de Orem. Após a coleta de dados, procedeu-se a identificação dos diagnósticos de enfermagem nomeados de acordo com a Taxonomia II da NANDA, utilizando o processo de raciocínio diagnóstico de Risner. Identificou-se seis diagnósticos com freqüência superior a 50%: integridade da pele prejudicada (100%), risco para infecção (100%), comportamento de busca de saúde (57,2%), padrão do sono perturbado (57,2%), dor crônica (57,2%) e risco para disfunção neurovascular periférica (57,2%). Destaca-se a pertinência da aplicabilidade do processo de enfermagem baseado em Orem para identificação dos requisitos de autocuidado com maior demanda e a importância do planejamento do cuiadado de enfermagem prestado a essa clientela.

Nursing care to an ostomy patient: application of the Orem´s theory

OBJECTIVE: To apply the "Orem's Self-care Theory" in ostomy patient care. METHODS: This is a clinical study with an intestinal ostomy patient, whose illness is a consequence of the "Chagas disease". Data collection was performed during the home visits, using a form with questions referred to the Orem's presuppositions. The data were analyzed and presented according to the determining factors in self-care development. RESULTS: Some self-care requirements were modified, such as: "Balance between loneliness and social interaction" and "Self-care in health disorders". The home care delivered based on the supporteducation system allowed for the promotion of health and the patient's perception regarding the importance of self-care. CONCLUSION: The self-care theory allowed for appropriate care and therapeutic communication adjusted to the patient's situation.

Breast Reconstruction Using Tissue Expanders

Breast cancer is the most common diagnosed cancer in women. One out of 8 women is diagnosed with this disease (). Today many women are candidates for breast reconstruction and opt for reconstructive surgery at the time of mastectomy. Plastic surgical nurses provide a vital link in assessing and assisting patients to acquire and assimilate the necessary information required to make informed decisions regarding reconstruction. Although there are a variety of options in breast reconstruction, the purpose of this article is to discuss tissue expansion after mastectomy for breast restoration. The article identifies the needs women may have both preoperatively and postoperatively. Orem's self-care theory model is used to describe roles nurses may assume to assist patients in decision making and performance of self-care activities during the reconstructive process.

Application of Orem's Self‐Care Deficit Theory and Standardized Nursing Languages in a Case Study of a Woman with Diabetes

This paper aims to illustrate the process of theory-based nursing practice by presenting a case study of a clinical nurse specialist's assessment and care of a woman with type 2 diabetes. Orem's self-care deficit theory and standardized nursing language, NANDA, NIC (Nursing Interventions Classification), and NOC (Nursing Outcomes Classification), guided assessment and the identification of outcomes and interventions related to the client's management of diabetes. Theory-based nursing care and standardized nursing language enhanced the client's ability to self-manage the chronic illness: diabetes. Nursing theory and standardized nursing language enhance communication among nurses and support a client's ability to self-manage a chronic illness.