Fatemeh Vizeshfar - Assistant professor, Department of nursing, School of nursing and midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. P.O.Box:۷۱۳۴۵۱۳۵۹ Tel: +۹۸ ۷۱۱-۶۴۷۴۲۵۵-۸.
Marzieh Momennasab - Associate professor of Nursing, Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Shahrzad Yektatalab - Associate professor, Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery Department of Mental Health & Psychiatric Nursing Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Shiraz,Iran P.O.Box:۷۱۳۴۵۱۳۵۹ Tel: +۹۸ ۷۱۱-۶۴۷۴۲۵۵-۸
Mohamad Taghi Iman - Professor of Sociology Shiraz University, College of Social Sciences, Dept of Sociology, Shiraz University Shiraz, Iran, Phone: +۹۸ ۷۱ ۳۶۲۷۲۵۲۱ Fax: +۹۸۷۱۳۶۲۷۰۶۲

Introduction: health volunteers act as the link between the society and the healthcare system and are a symbol of people s participation in the health maintenance and promotion. Despite the important role of health volunteers in the health system, it seems they have several problems. The aim of this study was determination of the problems of health volunteers and promote their empowerment based on participatory action research in Qamar bani hashem health care center.Method: This action research was conducted during 22 month from 2015 to 2017. The participants including 25 health volunteers, two instructors, and academic researcher as facilitator. During the two continuous cycles, reflection and acting for change was done. In the first cycle, the participants discovered the challenges of health volunteers within 5 months and then problems were prioritized and action plan was designed during the 3 months. In the third stage, immersion and implementation of the plans was done during the 3 months. At the end of this cycle evaluation was done with participants cooperation. The second cycle was began with reflection in the results of the first cycle for 6 months. At the end of the second cycle, the final evaluation was done. Data collection was done by triangulation of data. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics and qualitative data was analyzed by content analysis method.Results: Qualitative content analysis in the first phase led to the emergence of four major categories, including inefficiency of volunteers training, inefficiency of attraction and maintenance of volunteers, and being unknown to people and major theme entitled Unfertilized capacity. After the implementation of the operational plan reflection and immersing in action causing learning in participants. At the end of the study, quantitative content analysis andquantitative data analyze showed Improvement of knowledge and performance, satisfaction, effectiveness of programs and improvement in volunteer’s competence.Conclusion: clarification of volunteers role, supporting volunteers to improve their knowledge and skills with coherent planning based on their educational needs, are appropriate management to attract and retain volunteers, and introducing people to theirr services has volunteers empower and motivation to provide their services. These management can be considered by health system managers.

Participatory action research, health volunteers, empowerment promotion