Nursing Research

Nursing Research

Nursing Research Qualitative research is appropriate when the researcher needs to understand the why and how of a phenomenon. The researcher may use a phenomenological, ethnographic or grounded-theory study to investigate the meanings that people give to the events, processes and experiences in their lives. An ethnographic study focuses on the culture of a group with the goal of developing a holistic perspective on the culture. It requires the researcher to conduct in-depth interviews with key informers who are part of the culture and social system of the individual or group being studied (Polit & Beck, 2017). Rituals are often grounded in individuals’ cultural and religious orientations. Therefore, the study of the rituals relating to dying among nursing home residents requires the researcher to investigate the traditional values, beliefs and practices relating to dying in each culture of interest.

            A phenomenological study focuses on discovering the meaning of a phenomenon as it is experienced by particular people. It requires the researcher to conduct in-depth interviews with the people who had the experience. The research should use the phenomenological study to investigate the passage through menarche among Haitian refugees. There is the need for the researcher to set aside any previous meanings and perceptions regarding menarche considering the uniqueness of the refugees’ situation. Similarly, the phenomenological study is appropriate for investigating the experience of having a child with leukemia because each parent’s meanings and perceptions of such an experience are different.

            The grounded theory focuses on generating a theory out of data. The researcher attempts to account for the individual’s or group’s actions by assessing the concerns that the subject’s behavior is supposed to resolve. The identification of the basic social processes that explain how the subject resolves a concern is crucial (Wertz, 2011). The grounded theory study is appropriate for assessing the process of coping among Aids patients. Furthermore, it is applicable to the study of the decision making processes among nurses regarding do-not-resuscitate orders.