UNJ December 2002

Urinary incontinence (UI) is considered a significant social problem affecting many individuals’ quality of life. Studies estimate more than 13 million Americans suffer from involuntary urine loss (Agency for Health Care Policy and Research [AHCPR], 1996). Since the late 1980s, there has been an increase in the number of continence centers providing conservative management for incontinent clients. Those who present to these centers should expect a well-educated continence nurse who creates a secure and confidential environment and offers support, empathy, education, and a therapeutic rehabilitative program. Within the continence centers, clients will have evaluations of present and past health histories including surgical interventions, activities of daily life, and continence symptomatology. While trying to identify the cause of incontinence, the continence nurse and the client will create an individualized therapeutic plan to diminUrinary incontinence is considered a significant social problem affecting many individuals’ quality of life. Nursing theory is a set of concepts or propositions derived from philosophical beliefs about the phenomena of interest to the discipline. The ability to use theory to guide nursing practice brings reasoning and logic to professional nursing practice. Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory of Nursing gets to the heart of what nursing is and how continence nursing care can be offered and delivered as a broadly inclusive professional, rather than narrowly procedural, practice offering individual care targeting the self-care agent (client) rather than the medical diagnosis