The state of mixed methods research in nursing: A focused mapping review and synthesis

<p><strong>Aims:</strong> To consider the scope and quality of mixed methods research in nursing.</p> <p><strong>Design:</strong> Focused mapping review and synthesis (FMRS).</p> <p><strong>Data sources:</strong> Five purposively selected journals: International Journal of Nursing </p> <p>Studies, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Journal of Advanced Nursing, Worldviews on </p> <p>Evidence-Based Nursing, and Journal of Mixed Methods Research.</p> <p><strong>Review methods: </strong>In the target journals, titles and abstracts from papers published </p> <p>between 2015–2018 were searched for the words or derivative words ‘mixed meth?ods’. Additional keyword searches were undertaken using each journal's search tool. </p> <p>We included studies that investigated nursing and reported to use a mixed methods </p> <p>approach. Articles that met the inclusion criteria were read in full and information </p> <p>was extracted onto a predetermined pro forma. Findings across journals were then </p> <p>synthesized to illustrate the current state of mixed methods research in nursing.</p> <p><strong>Results</strong>: We located 34 articles that reported on mixed methods research, conducted </p> <p>across 18 countries. Articles differed significantly both within and across journals in </p> <p>terms of conformity to a mixed methods approach. We assessed the studies for the </p> <p>quality of their reporting as regard the use of mixed methods. Nineteen studies were </p> <p>rated as satisfactory or good, with 15 rated as poorly described. Primarily, a poor rat?ing was due to the absence of stating an underpinning methodological approach to </p> <p>the study and/or limited detail of a crucial integration phase.</p> <p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Our FMRS revealed a paucity of published mixed methods research </p> <p>in the journals selected. When they are published, there are limitations in the detail </p> <p>given to the underpinning methodological approach and theoretical explanation</p> <p><br></p> <p><br></p>