The use of action research as an appropriate method of introducing and evaluating change in nursing care in an accident & emergency unit in Durban--Part 1.

This 2-part article discusses firstly, the general characteristics of action research, compares several strategies of approach and describes the author's chosen method of applying action research to particular aspects of nursing care in an Accident & Emergency Unit in a Durban hospital. The second part of the article (to be published in the next issue of Curationis) describes identification of problems within the unit, the implementation of change and the limitations and potential of such study to nursing practice.