Nursing theory is best described as a conceptualization of certain aspects of nursing care communicated for the purpose of describing, explaining, predicting, and/or prescribing nursing care (Potter & Perry , 2009 ). One of the world's most renowned nursing theorists, Dorothea Orem, believed in self-care theory, which directs its attention to the aspect of the client's self-care needs (2009). As a professional nurse, among many other accomplishments, she began to develop her own theory which has guided many nursing schools/institutions in their curriculum. As a nurse, she felt it was necessary to do things for patients that they could not do for themselves (Tiaki, 2008). Tiaki believes that Orem's theory is effective because it will help patients learn from nurses the tasks they are unable to perform, teaching them how to take care of themselves (2008). The purpose of this article is to describe Orem's historical background, describe his theory of self-care, and describe how his theory can be applied to nursing today. The infamous nursing pioneer, Dorothea Elizabeth Orem, set the standard for nurses around the world. She was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, where she graduated from high school in 1931. While in college, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education and also earned a Master of Science in Nursing Education. When he began practicing, he worked at Providence Hospital in Washington DC. He then continued his career at St. John's in the administration position. Once she earned her master's degree, she became director of the Providence Hospital School of Nursing from 1945 to 1948 in Detroit, Michigan. While running this particular nursing school, Orem also taught biological sciences… halfway through the article… have a basis for their practices. Works Cited Fawcett, J. (2001). Nurse Theorists: 21st Century Updates - - Dorothea E. Orem. Journal of Nursing Science Quarterly, 14(1), 34-38. doi: 10.1177/08943180122108021.Feely, Sally. "Proud of the profession." Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand 14.8 (2008): 4. Academic OneFile. Network. June 14, 2011.Potter, P. & Perry, A. (2009). Fundamentals of Nursing (7th ed.) St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier, 1029-1084. Reed, A. (2011, June 17). Theories of nursing education. Retrieved from http://connected.waldenu.edu/learning-and-perception/learning-models/item/1290-theories-of-nursing-education.The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (n.d.). Dorothea Orem Collection. In the Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Retrieved from http://www.medicalarchives.jhmi.edu/papers/orem.html.