Changing Practice Through Action Research: An Interview With Rachel Stevenson  

Abstract
Nurses and midwives in Aotearoa/New Zealand use a broad range of research methodologies to explore aspects of practice. This is the second article in a series based on interviews with nursing and midwifery researchers, designed to offer the beginning researcher a first-hand account of the experience of using particular methodologies. This article focuses on action research. After describing briefly the key elements of this methodology, the article presents an interview with Rachel Stevenson (RGON, MA) who used action research to explore the experience of nurses and people with asthma in the secondary care setting.  

Keywords
Research, methodologies, action research

Action research
A small but growing number of nurses and midwives are finding action research a useful methodology for effecting change in practice. This article, the second in a series based on interviews with nursing and midwifery researchers, offers the beginning researcher a brief introduction to action research. It gives a first-hand account of how one New Zealand nurse used this methodology in working with nurses and people with asthma in the secondary care setting.