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Moon, Song, Kim, Park, Kim, Kim, and Jang: Action Research in Hospital Settings: A Literature Review of International Nursing Journals
Original Article

Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration 2016; 22(1): 46-56.

Published online: 31 January 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.11111/jkana.2016.22.1.46

Action Research in Hospital Settings: A Literature Review of International Nursing Journals

Jeong Eun Moon1, Mi-Ok Song1, Hee Young Kim2, Hyun Young Park3, Eun A Kim3, Yun Min Kim4, Keum Seong Jang5

1Chosun Nursing College, Korea.

2Department of Nursing, Dongsin University, Korea.

3Department of Nursing, Honam University, Korea.

4Department of Nursing, Gwangju Health University, Korea.

5College of Nursing, Chonnam National University · Chonnam Research Institute of Nursing Science, Korea.

Corresponding author: Song, Mi-Ok. Chosun Nursing College, 309-2 Pilmun-daero, Dong-gu, Gwangju 61453, Korea. Tel: +82-62-231-7336, Fax: +82-62-232-9072, coffeesong@cnc.ac.kr

Received 9 November 2015       Revised 29 December 2015       Accepted 4 January 2016

Copyright © 2016 Korean Academy of Nursing Administration

(open-access):

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

Purpose of this study was to identify major trends of action research from 2006 to 2013 and suggest directions for activating and advancing domestic action research in nursing.

Methods

A review was made of 118 action research studies in hospital settings reported in international journals. Search from PubMed, Ovid, and CINHAL was done using analysis criteria developed by the researchers. General and methodological characteristics and focus on changing outcomes of action research were analyzed.

Results

The major group of researchers belonged to colleges/universities (40.7%). Methods included use of qualitative methods (61.0%), research questions (24.6%), and use of theoretical models (35.6%). Prevalent data collection methods were interviews (20.2%), and 48.3% showed more than a 1-cycle process including spiral circulation structure. Focus of changing outcomes of the 56 papers including more than 1-cycle were practice (66.1%), environment (8.9%), client-nurse (7.1%).

Conclusion

Trends in action research in nursing were identified providing necessary reasons to increase action research in nursing as follows: needs of various researchers including stakeholders as well as healthcare providers, various research designs including unconstrained reflection and writing, specific presentation of adapted theoretical models and action strategies, and quality assurance for validity and reliability of research processes and outcomes.

Keywords: Action research, Hospital, Review, Research trend

Figures and Tables

Figure 1

Literature selection process in this study.

jkana-22-46-g001
Table 1

General Characteristics of the Literature (N=118)

jkana-22-46-i001

*Top 5 countries; †Multiple responses; NHS=National health service; UK=United Kingdom; USA=United States of America.

Table 2

Methodological Characteristics of the Action Research (N=118)

jkana-22-46-i002

*Lewin K. Action research and minority problems. The Journal of Social Issues 1946;2(4):34-46; †Rigour and quality. In: Koch T, Kralik D, editors. Participatory action research in health care. Oxford; Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub.; 2006. pp. 137~149; ‡participatory action research; §Kemmis S, McTaggart R. The action research planner.3rd ed. Waurn Ponds, Vic.: Deakin University: Distributed by Deakin University Press; 1988; ∥Coghlan D, Casey M. Action research from the inside: issues and challenges in doing action research in your own hospital. Journal of Advanced Nursing 2001;35 (5):674~682. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365~2648.2001.01899.x; Wadsworth Y. Everyday evaluation on the run. 2nd ed. St. Leonards NSW, Australia: Allen & Unwin; 1997; **for example, it included that just stated AR, PAR, or Emancipatory AR; ††Multiple responses; ‡‡nurse & nurse manager, nursing students, nursing professors, & other healthcare professionals; §§adults patients, ped-adolescents patients; ∥∥family guardians, caregivers, & other well participants; ¶¶the most frequent top 5 strategy.

Table 3

Focus of Research Outcomes of the Action Research with a Cyclic Process (N=56)

jkana-22-46-i003

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