Aim: To identify and synthesize qualitative evaluation methods used in nursing interventions.
Design: A systematic qualitative review with a content analysis. Four databases were used: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase and CINAHL using pre-defined terms. The included papers were published from 2014-2018.
Methods: We followed the guidelines of Dixon-Woods et al., Sandelowski and Barroso, the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative checklist and The Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research Approach.
Results: Of 103 papers, 15 were eligible for inclusion. The main theme Challenging complexity by evaluating qualitatively described processes and characteristics of qualitative evaluation. Two analytic themes emerged: Evaluating the implementation process and Evaluating improvements brought about by the programme.
Conclusion: Different qualitative evaluation methods in nursing are a way of documenting knowledge that is difficult to illuminate in natural settings and make an important contribution when determining the pros and cons of an intervention.
Keywords: clinical nursing; implementation research; interventions; literature review; nurses; nursing; qualitative evaluation.
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