An evaluation of the nephrology nursing research literature: 1979-1989

The purposes of this project were: to describe the research designs, areas of study, and major dependent variables of nephrology nursing research conducted between 1979 and 1989; and to evaluate the quality of this research. Of the 284 publications included, 34.9% of the research designs were descriptive; 45.4% analytical observational; 4.9% methodological; 14.1% experimental; and 0.7% historical. Content analysis was conducted to classify the area of study and dependent variables. Nurse experts assessed the quality of the research studies using Georgopoulos' (1975) Quality Index.