Qualitative Research and Nurses

¶ … recruiting study participants as well as collecting and analyzing data are important markers of research credibility and integrity. In quantitative research, the major components of methodology include research design, population and sampling, ethics, data collection, and procedures. The appropriate research design, sample size, and data collection instrument must be selected (Coughlan, Cronin & Ryan, 2007). Hayes, Douglas & Bonner's (2015) study took the form of cross-sectional design. Though this design tends to be less costly compared to other quantitative designs, there could be difficulties in determining cause and effect relationships. As the population of the study was haemodialysis nurses, the sample was recruited from the Renal Society of Australasia (RSA), which has about 1,300 members (95% of which are nurses). Overall, 417 nurses were included in the sample. This is an appropriate representation of the target population.

Ethical concerns must also be addressed when conducting quantitative research. This entails obtaining approval from the relevant authorities, upholding individual autonomy, and protecting participants from physical and psychological harm (Coughlan, Cronin & Ryan, 2007). RSA's Federal Board and the University's Human Research Ethics Committee provided the permission to conduct the study. In addition, the purpose of the study was clearly made known to the participants, and their consent sought.

The survey was administered online, with reminders to complete the survey provided during branch meetings. Administering a survey online can significantly reduce the time and costs associated with data collection. This is particularly important when the participants are geographically dispersed like in this case. The survey focused on five major variables, which have been clearly identified in the methodology section: demographic and work characteristics, work environment, job satisfaction, job stress, and burnout. Four standardized were used to collect the data. These include the Brisbane Practice Environment Scale, the Index for Work Satisfaction, the Nursing Stress Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Overall, the methods used in the study demonstrate adherence to standard research practice.

Qualitative Article Critique

Methods

Some issues are more effectively addressed via qualitative methods as opposed to quantitative methods (Lee, 2006). In the case of Ahanchian, Meshkinyazd & Soudmand's (2015) study, the aim was to understand the experiences of psychiatric nurses about burnout. This made the qualitative methodology appropriate. The study took the form of an interpretive phenomenological design. As psychiatric nurses were the target population of the study, a sample of 12 nurses was recruited from various psychiatric hospitals across Mashhad, Iran. The participants were selected via purposive sampling, which entails assessing participants the researcher believes are suitable for providing the required information. As explained by Lee (2006), the sampling strategy in qualitative research should focus on selecting subjects that have encountered the phenomenon. This is why random sampling is rare in qualitative research.