ABSTRACT
Since the 1980s, qualitative nursing research in Latin America has been gradually on the increase. This expansion has been reflected in the growing number of qualitative studies, with a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches, and on many different topics and subject areas, which have been published in journals in various countries. Qualitative research has thus had an impact on both clinical and academic practice, and contributed reflections on the development of nursing as a profession. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has had an important influence on these advances, by promoting professional development (Prado et al., 2008), recognizing nursing as a key component of the process of change in the health sector in various countries in the region, and developing technical cooperation in research, particularly through the Pan American Nursing Research Colloquia, conferences, and publications.
