Situation-Specific Theory for Health Management in Heart Failure

Abstract

This situation-specific theory was developed by linking concepts from Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory and standardized nursing languages with the purpose of explaining and describing the health management of outpatients with heart failure. This theory suggests that the health management of these patients is influenced by basic conditioning factors, which may affect individuals’ health management capability and may interfere with the ability to present health management behaviors. Knowing the ability of these patients to manage their health will allow nurses to plan their interventions, which will reflect directly on a patient’s quality of life, and reduce the chances of hospitalization and health costs.