Qualitative research has made important contributions to nursing practice and theory construction. Based on the authors’ rich experiences in conducting and teaching qualitative studies，this paper proposed some suggestions on the use of qualitative research，writing and quality evaluation of qualitative research papers. It aims to deepen the understanding of nursing researchers to qualitative research，so as to improve the quality of qualitative research in nursing papers.

Objective To explore the health behavior changes in first-degree relatives（FDRs） of breast cancer（BC） survivors. Methods A multiple embedded case study was adopted，and a total of 21 FDRs of BC survivors were recruited by purpose sampling between January 2020 and July 2021. Data were collected through individual interviews，original documents，and observation. Then，thematic analysis was performed based on case study analysis strategies. Results Health behavior change types included “with intention and condition”，“no intention，with condition”，“with intention，no condition”，and “no intention and condition”. Meanwhile，there were 6 influencing factors，including personal restrictions，exposure，adverse circumstances，coping ability，endorsement from social network，and special events. Based on behavior change types and influence factors，6 hypotheses were drawn and a model of FDRs’ behavior changes for coping with BC risk was developed. Conclusion Healthcare professionals should design targeted interventions based on FDRs’ individual circumstances and help them tilt the model scale to the right by increasing facilitators，reducing barriers，strengthening special events，and improving coping ability，which will ultimately lead to the occurrence of protective behaviors and a reduced risk of BC.