INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE RELATIVE TO OREM GENERAL THEORY

Objective: analysis and characterization of articles about Orem General Theory used between 1992 to 2001. Methodology and Materials: documental study about 108 articles recorded in Medline, Ovid, Proquest databases and in the National Colective Catalogue of Periodicals Colombian newspapers library. Seventy four articles using some Orem’s General Theory were selected.  Results: Orem’s General Theory has been applied in four continents. Thirty eight studies (51.3%) use it in the institutional environment and 21 (28.4%) in the community. Adults and senior citizens are the age groups more reported (47.3%). Quantitative research methods are the most common. Conclusions: sixty nine studies explore or correlate concepts from Orem’s General Theory, the development of tools or the validation of theoretical constructs.: Empirical evidence about Orem’s General Theory application shows its importance for the development of nursing knowledge and its convenience for nursing research and practice.