Case study as a nursing research method: An integrative review

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the application of the case study as a nursing research method in national and international scientific publications. Method: integrative literature review performed in the electronic bibliographic databases PubMed, CINAHL, LILACS and SciELO, using case study descriptors, research and nursing. Original articles were available in full online format, in Portuguese, English and Spanish, between 2010 and 2015. Results: 624 studies were found, of which 50 met the objective. The authors Yin and Stake were the researchers whose methodological case study frameworks stood out in the context of research in the nursing area. The application of the method covered the different fields of activity of the profession: education, care/care and management/administration. Conclusion: the case study as a research method has proved to be an important methodology that can be widely used by nursing in its various fields of action when seeking to understand phenomena related to individuals, groups or organizations.