Nurses who continuously seek to obtain new evidence and transform it into valuable knowledge for others are a driving force for the healthcare system. Studies with qualitative designs are a common method that assists them with their tasks. The focus of qualitative research is to give a structure to one’s lived experiences which further allows scientists to formulate reasons behind them (Fain, 2017). It poses concerns over philosophical and subjective topics that are further described and analyzed by researchers (Fain, 2017). The interdependency of each part that is involved in an analyzed event is the key to drawing evidence out of a qualitative study (Fain, 2017). Qualitative methods give nurses a chance to transform their work experiences into evidence for research.
Adoption of this design implies a focus on subjectivity, yet it does not mean they lack replicability. Such an orientation is critical for advancing research topics that are affected or depends on individuals and their views and understanding of reality (Fain, 2017). These groups might be analyzed as a whole, making qualitative studies inclusive and diverse. Socially meaningful interactions and individuals’ points of view are seen as events or factors that have been drawn due to processes that can be documented and explained to generate blueprints for the future (Fain, 2017). Unlike a quantitative study, none of the qualitative methods draw hypotheses before selecting a sample that interests researchers (Fain, 2017). It can be understood as a search for deeper meaning in a highly specific context that is open for interpretation. In conclusion, a qualitative approach is a key method for researchers to obtain meaningful results out of massive bodies of data, such as patients’ experiences or nurses’ observations.
Reference
Fain, J. A. (2017). Reading, understanding, and applying nursing research (5th ed.). F. A. Davis Company.