Dance Of The Call Bells Using Ethnography To Evaluate Patient Satisfaction With Quality Of Care - Essay Example

Dance of the Call Bells Using Ethnography to Evaluate Patient Satisfaction with Quality of Care Date Total Number of Words: 1,873 Abstract The use of call bells within the hospital setting contributes to the increase or decrease of quality of care given to the patients. In the article “Dance of the Call Bells”, ethnography was applied in determining the quality of care each patient received while being admitted at the 36-bed medical-surgical unit. Observational and Qualitative method were used in addressing the research questions: (1) What is care like from the patient’s point-of-view?; (2) How does a patient get needed assistance from the unit staff?; (3) What are nurses’ perceptions about patient satisfaction and quality of care?; and (4) How is care on the unit organized? The researchers’ decision to use observational and qualitative research method directly addressed the research questions such that research interview is the best choice to determine what care is like from the patients’ point-of-view whereas observational method is the best choice in determining how a patient receives assistance from the unit staff aside from determining the nurses’ perception about the patient satisfaction and quality of care and how care on the unit was organized, pure observation method was used in the study. Upon going through how the researchers conducted the ethnographic study in evaluating the patient satisfaction with the quality of care they received from the health care professionals, readers are expected to have a better understanding about the factors that could significantly affect the quality of care each patient is receiving in the surgical-medical unit. Table of Contents Abstract ………………………………………………………………………….. 2 Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………. 3 I. Introduction ……………………………………………………………... 4 II. Research Tradition and Design ………………………………………. 4 III. Sampling Data and Collection ……………………………………….. 7 IV. Data Analysis …………………………………………………………… 8 V. Quality and Validity …………………………………………………….. 8 VI. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………… 9 References ……………………………………………………………………... 10 Introduction Ethnography is a common research strategy used in the study of social sciences like description of individual cultures (Dictionary.com, 2010). By conducting participant observation, research interviews, distribution of research survey questionnaires, and the collection of supplementary data like photographs, measurements, and patient records, this particular research strategy gathers empirical data regarding the nature and issues about the history of human culture and societies in writing (Maynard & Purvis, 1994, p. 76). In terms of biological sciences, the use of ethnography is similar to a case report or field study except that the study focuses on the patterns of thoughts and behavior of the research participants (Berwick, 2004; Boaz & Wolfe, 1997, p. 150). In relation to the use of ethnography, the article “Dance of the Call Bells” which uses ethnography in evaluating patient satisfaction with quality of care will be evaluated in terms of its accuracy and efficiency in terms of using ethnography as a chosen research method. Research Tradition and Design In a hospital setting, pushing the call button signifies the patients’ need for special care coming from the health care professionals like nurses and doctors. On top of using quantitative research method in evaluating the patients’ satisfaction with the quality of care they receive while at the hospital, the use of qualitative methods in ethnography is considered useful in terms of gathering useful information regarding the patients’ health care satisfaction. Basically, the use of qualitative research method in ethnography enables the researcher to have deeper insights with regards to patient and health care providers’ perspectives at the point when necessary health care is delivered to the patients (Deitrick et al., 2006). Qualitative research method is used in assessing the quality of care the patients are receiving from the health care professionals. By walking around the study area, the ethnographer observes not only the hallways but also the nurses’ station, break room, and patient rooms daily. Aside from observing what the health care professionals are doing in response to the care needs of the patients, ethnographers hear out what the patients have to say about the quality of care they are receiving at the hospital. In relation to the use of qualitative research method, quantitative research method is use to validate the qualitative research findings based on statistical differences that may occur in the study. Based on the article “Dance of the Call Bells”, measuring the quality of care is done routinely through the use of research survey questionnaires. Quality of care is evaluated by communicating the patients’ needs, explanations given to the patients, and friendliness of the staff towards the patients. Aside from mapping the site where the study was conducted, the photos of nurses taken in the working area together with the gathered information from the survey will be use as a benchmark in testing the quality of care. A total of 36 beds in the medical-surgical unit is too many for the ethnographer remember where each room is located and how far each room is situated from the nursing station. For this reason, mapping the site of where the study was conducted is useful in terms of letting the ethnographer have a better idea regarding the time each nursing staff need to go straight from the nursing station to the patient’s room. The research design of the ethnographic study that was described in the article “Dance of the Call Bells” is logical. Basically, conducting the study in 36-bed medical-surgical unit for a period of 3 months during spring of 2002 is long enough to enable the ethnography determine how the nurses at the hospital respond to the needs of the patients using the call bells. It was also a good idea not to inform the nursing staff anything about the ethnographic study since letting them know the purpose of this study would significantly result to bias ethnographic research findings. Each time the central bell console lights up, the hospital ethnographer would record who among the nursing staff would attend to the patients’ needs. On top of the ethnographer’s observation, patients and family members were asked to participate in the ethnographic study to determine the quality of care the patients are receiving with the use of the hospital call bells. Personally gathering the personal opinion of each patient and family members is an essential part of this study since each patient and family member has their own way of perceiving what quality of care means. Some patients can be easily satisfied with the care they receive from the nursing staff. However, there will always be some patients who tend to be too demanding for their needs. The following research questions were included in the study: (1) What is care like from the patient’s point-of-view?; (2) How does a patient get needed assistance from the unit staff?; (3) What are nurses’ perceptions about patient satisfaction and quality of care?; and (4) How is care on the unit organized? There is congruence in the type of research question and research method used in this study. To determine what care is like from the patients’ point-of-view, research interview with the patients was conducted. This approach is the best choice since ethnographer was able to learn more about the personal point-of-view of each patient. To determine how a patient receives assistance from the unit staff aside from determining the nurses’ perception about the patient satisfaction and quality of care and how care on the unit was organized, pure observation method was used in the study. The use of pure observation is necessary to avoid bias conclusion and judgment. Sampling Data and Collection For a span of three months, a total of 23 in-patients, 9 family members, 17 nursing staff, and 1 physician were invited to participate in the research interview portion of the ethnographic study (Deitrick et al., 2006). The research method used in gathering the interview data is good enough to support the purpose of this study. In line with this, the ethnographer was able to determine the patients’ perspective from the 23 in-patients and the health care providers’ perspectives on the key aspects of patient care from the 17 nursing staff and 1 physician. Since each interviewees has their own personal point-of-view with regards to the quality of care delivered and received by the health care professionals and patients respectively, the limited number of research interviewees is justifiable to support the main purpose of the ethnographer. The use of only a few research interviewees is generally acceptable in the practice of traditional ethnography (Aunger, 1994). On top of this, Grudens-Schuck, Allen, & Larson (2004) argued that even the use of focus group interview method cannot be considered as a reliable technique since each individual has their own authentic point-of-view. Data Analysis The method used in analyzing the data gathered seems to be adequate enough to enable the ethnographer gather reasons behind the real-case scenario within the hospital setting. For example: The ethnographer was able to learn that the fact that the nursing and clinical staff were not oriented as to whose job it is to answer the call bells increases the rate wherein the patients’ need were left unattended. Although some nursing staff revealed that it is the job of the nursing aide to answer the calls, the fact that the nursing aides have a lot of other things to do makes them unable to answer the all calls. In data analysis part, it was good that the ethnographer was able to trace back the root cause of the problem out of the overall interview results. By doing so, the readers are able to easily understand the significant factors that could affect the quality care given to the patients within the hospital setting. Quality and Validity The quality and validity of the qualitative research study used in the article “Dance of the Call Bells” is useful but not enough to justify the research findings as concluded by the ethnographer. Although the use of only a few research interviewees is acceptable in the practice of traditional ethnography, misrepresentation is likely to occur since there will always be the possibility that the answer of the research interviewee will not be consistent to the research question per se (Aunger, 1994). There is no way for the readers to determine whether or not each of the interviewee has accurately answered each of the research questions. Since there is a weak link in the qualitative result interpretation when analyzing human behavior, the ethnographer should ensure that each of the research interviewee has accurately responded to each questions asked. By doing so, the ethnographer could increase the validity of the research conclusion. Conclusion The researchers were able to write down the report in such a way that the readers would easily understand the phenomena behind the selected research topic. Since the main purpose of the researchers is to determine the personal point-of-view of the patients with regards to the quality of care they receive as a result of pressing the call button in the patient’s room, the use of qualitative research method is a good choice since this method enables the researchers to gather the different personal experiences of the patients while they were admitted at the hospital. On the other hand, interviewing the nursing staff and physician is also useful in terms of enabling the researchers determine the factors that make them unable to respond well to the specific needs of the patients. Going through this article increases the nurses’ awareness of the significance of call buttons to the quality of care received by the patients. Therefore, this particular research study could positively affect the quality of care given by the nursing professionals. To avoid inaccurate research findings, the researchers should ensure that each of the interviewees would accurately respond to each of the questions asked. *** End *** References Aunger, R. (1994). Sources of variation in ethnographic interview data: food avoidances in the Ituri Forest, Zaire. Ethnology , 33, 65-99. Berwick, D. (2004). Escape the Eire—Designs for the Future of Health Care. In Deitrick L. et al. (eds) "Dance of the Call Bells". 2006. Journal of Nursing Care Quality. 21(4), 316-324. Boaz, N., & Wolfe, L. (1997). Biological anthropology. International Institute for Human Evolutionary Research. Deitrick, L., Bokovoy, J., Stern, G., & Panik, A. (2006). Dance of the Call Bells. Using Ethnography to Evaluate Patient Satisfaction with Quality of Care. Journal of Nursing Care Quality , 21(4), 316-324. Dictionary.com. (2010). Retrieved June 5, 2010, from Ethnography: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethnography. Grudens-Schuck, N., Allen, B., & Larson, K. (2004). Iowa State University. Retrieved June 5, 2010, from Focus Group Fundamentals: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/publications/pm1969b.pdf. Maynard, M., & Purvis, J. (1994). Researching womens loves from a feminist perspective. London: Taylor & Frances. Read More