Developing children's nursing through action research.

Action research provides an ideal strategy for the integration of theory and practice, as it focuses on the development of theory in practice. Action research is gaining in popularity and acceptance. The collaborative approaches of action research parallel the dominant philosophies of participation and partnership in contemporary children's nursing. Taking the lead in identifying areas of practice for action research is a natural extension of the children's nurse's role as advocate for the child and family. The challenge for the future is to expand the use of action research in children's nursing and to include service users--the children and their families--in the research teams.