O impacto da investigação-ação no desenvolvimento da enfermagem: mapeamento das teses de doutoramento em Portugal

Background: Action-research encompasses a set of processes and techniques that contribute to a cycle of change and reflection, proving challenging in nursing research. Objective: to map nursing doctoral theses with a methodological approach to action-research in Portugal. Materials and methods: Documentary research, with access to 275 doctoral theses, carried out until 2021, available in the open digital repositories of Portuguese universities, with the action-research method identified as the method used. Results: 21 doctoral theses were identified with research studies with a research-action methodological approach, and the analysis performed considered: a) participants - mostly adults and elderly, b) level of participation - mostly collaborative, c) area of health care – mostly the medical-surgical nursing area, d) context – primarily hospital, e) model used – most studies do not specify a model, and f) data collection techniques – the use of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews stands out. Conclusion: Research using the action-research method, still in a small percentage, allows reflection on action and change in real contexts, becoming of great relevance for nursing, in the evolution of knowledge as a discipline, as well as for improving the quality of care.