Objective To improve the workflow of care for radiation enteritis in prostate cancer patients based on action research approach and to explore its effectiveness.Methods A convenience sample of 112 patients with prostate cancer scheduled for radical radiation therapy were allocated into a control group and an action research group chronologically.The control group implemented optimized nursing care for radiation enteritis, while the action research group received nursing care that was further improved using action research approach, including four steps:plan, act, observe, and reflect.Two circles were performed.The incidence and severity of radiation enteritis, psychological distress and quality of life were compared between the controls and the action research group.Results The incidence of radiation enteritis, and the level of psychological distress were significantly lower, whereas the total score and dimension scores of quality of life (except sexual behavior) were significantly higher in the action research group compared with the control group （all P＜0.05）.Conclusion Workflow of care for radiation enteritis optimized using the action research approach, can reduce the incidence of radiation enteritis, alleviate psychological distress and enhance quality of life of patients with prostate cancer.