Nurse led clinical research: neonatal nurses' perceptions and experiences
The aims of the study are to understand the experiences of clinical nurses in conducting and utilizing clinical research within their neonatal setting.
This is a qualitative study of five neonatal nurses who were interviewed using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews to obtain the study data. This was a phenomenology-based study, which means it was meant to study the overall structure of the nurses experiences (Husserl 1962).
This study explored and examined the presuppositions of the nurses being interviewed. Specifically, the researcher wanted to probe for attitude and barriers to research participation within the neonatal setting. The second key feature was the researchers intentional selection of nurses for the study. The research chose nurses from two designated neonatal metropolitan nurseries. The final key feature was that nurses were interviewed away from their work setting and open ended questions were used for the interview.
The research design is appropriate for this particular study because it allows for full disclosure of the reasons behind why the nurses are not seeking to participate or use clinical research. By placing the setting for the study outside of their work, the nurses could speak freely and openly about their workplace perceptions and reasons. The small sampling was appropriate for this study as no new trends were emerging after interviewing five nurses, thus the primary reasons had been identified. The use of open-ended questions ensures a freedom for the nurses to fully answer the question to the best of their personal knowledge and interpretation, allowing for full disclosure of all related reasons.
Sampling
The study participants were five nurses from two different Australian metropolitan hospitals. All the nurses were from the neonatal ward.
The sample was selected at random. A flier advertising the study was placed at each location and the volunteer nurses contacted the researcher in order to participate in the study.
This sampling was appropriate for the study. According to an article by Cynthia Russell on qualitative research modeling,
In quantitative studies, the ideal sampling standard is random sampling. Most qualitative studies use purposeful (or purposive) sampling, a conscious selection of a small number of data sources that meet particular criteria. (Russell 2003)
For this particular study, the neonatal wards at two different hospitals were chosen and volunteers were verified that they worked in those wards. Additionally, it is clear that the sampling met the criteria given that each nurse had similar responses and experiences.
Data Collection
The data was collected using one-on-one, face-to-face interviews with the volunteers. The study was conducted off-site at a convenient location for the nurses. The interviews used open-ended questions and lasted between 24 and 55 minutes. All interviews were audio-taped and later transcribed for review purposes. Conclusions and study results were based upon the trends in interview responses.
The data collection method was appropriate for the research design and study question. This study was a grounded study meant for the purposes of identifying trends and explaining a phenomenon in a way that is accessible to future researchers (Strauss 1990). Here, the interviews were conducted using open-ended questions and all interviews were audio-taped for accuracy and transcribed. This method prevented errors or misinterpretations of the interviews. Additionally, the questions and answers were elicited outside of the workplace. This was important for this particular phenomenon to ensure that the nurses had the freedom to answer honestly and without fear of retribution from their employers.
The researchers determined the sample size as the study was being conducted. After each interview, the transcript was reviewed and compared to previous transcripts. Trends within the interviews were located. If new information was still being given by the participants, then another participant was sought. After…
