Using Action Research to Mentor Nursing Students in Global Health Advocacy

Abstract

Background: The current diverse health care environment makes it vital for nursing students to have multicultural respect and understanding. Collaborative action research can be used to engage students in the learning process. Method: Action research addressing adolescent pregnancy in rural Paraguay involved nursing students in the research process and care delivery. Results: Two groups of nursing students participated in two or more cycles of action research. The first cycle included identifying the problem, research development, data gathering, and interpreting results. Contributing factors to adolescent pregnancy and potential solutions were discovered. Teaching reproductive education informed the second cycle of the action research. Students created reproductive education modules and taught them to more than 700 adolescents in Paraguay. Conclusion: Action research provided a collaborative and engaging method to teach undergraduate nursing students about both global health advocacy and the research process. The cyclic nature of action research provides an excellent way to involve subsequent student groups. [ J Nurs Educ . 2022;61(4):193–196.]