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.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Action Research (AR) approach in nursing.
METHODS
Participants were 64 perioperative nurses recruited from C hospital in Gwangju, Korea. The nurses were engaged in the project through 2 cycles of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. A mixed-methods design was used to examine changes in participants and their knowledge management practice. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 program and qualitative reflection data underwent content analysis.
RESULTS
During the project, participants developed standardized pre-operative checklists and opened an Internet Cafe to better manage their perioperative nursing information. At the end of the project, there was a significant increase in nurses' knowledge management (p=.015) and the rate of surgical material prescription errors decreased from 8.0% to 2.9%. Core AR project team members' teamwork skills and organizational commitment increased significantly (p=.040, p=.301, respectively). The main themes that emerged from the qualitative data were learning how to solve problems in practice, facilitating team activities through motivation, barriers of large participation, and rewarded efforts and inflated expectations.
CONCLUSION
The AR project contributed to empowering participants to solve local problems. AR is a useful methodology to promote changes in practices and research participants.

Citations

• Exploring Nursing Research Culture in Clinical Practice: Qualitative Ethnographic Study
  Hyeyoung Hwang, Jennie C De Gagne, Leeho Yoo, Miji Lee, Hye Kyung Jo, Ju-eun Kim
  Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal.2024; 8: e50703.     CrossRef
• Nursing Students’ Experience of Action Learning in Clinical Practice of Nursing Management
  Yong Sook EO, Hae Ok KIM
  JOURNAL OF FISHRIES AND MARINE SCIENCES EDUCATION.2021; 33(5): 1114.     CrossRef
• Establishing a Clinical Ladder System for Nurses in a Small and Medium-sized Hospital
  Heeyoung Kim, Younghee Han, Okkyung Kim
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration.2018; 24(5): 466.     CrossRef
• Action Research in Hospital Settings: A Literature Review of International Nursing Journals
  Jeong Eun Moon, Mi-Ok Song, Hee Young Kim, Hyun Young Park, Eun A Kim, Yun Min Kim, Keum Seong Jang
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration.2016; 22(1): 46.     CrossRef