ABSTRACT
In the past two decades Spanish nursing research has grown dramatically. The adoption of qualitative research by a large group of Spanish nurses, attested by publications in scientific journals and conference presentations, reveals a rising affinity with critical-social and interpretivist paradigms of knowledge production. In order to understand such growth and the consolidation of Spanish nursing qualitative research, it is important to explore recent Spanish history, scientific policies and research trends, as well as nursing education. Two major phases can be identified in this process: (1) in the 1990s, introductory training and fragmented initiatives, followed by (2) more systematic education in the 2000, which resulted in an increased number of studies and a relative enhancement in quality. In this chapter we describe the movement that led to this increase in research and to the current trends in qualitative research (hereafter QR) in Spanish nursing. In addition, we analyze how QR represented a resistance strategy utilized to produce knowledge about caregiving and nursing, and promote it as an academic discipline. We believe the Spanish case, given both its achievements and the challenges it has faced during this period, can serve as an inspiration for nurses attempting to increase their national or regional research capacity.
