Caring and Uncaring Experiences of Stroke Patients - Research Paper Example

? Review of a Qualitative Research Study: Caring and Uncaring Experiences of Stroke Patients Number) (Date of Submission) Review of a Qualitative Research Study: Caring and Uncaring Experiences of Stroke Patients Abstract The importance placed on nursing research, as well as the developments in this area of nursing have become more pronounced over the years. As part of nursing research, the qualitative method of research provides significant insight on the illness experience of patients. In relation, this paper aimed to look into the qualitative method of research, by analyzing a qualitative study published in a scholarly resource. This paper analyzed into the article authored by Widar, Ek, and Ahlstrom (2007) entitled, “Caring and Uncaring Experiences as Narrated by Persons with Long-term Pain after Stroke”. The technique of interviewing, as part of the qualitative method of research, was analyzed, as well as methods employed by the authors in data collection. Strengths and limitations of the study were also included in the discussion. Review of a Qualitative Research Study: Caring and Uncaring Experiences of Stroke Patients Introduction In recent years, Nursing Research has become among the most focal points of the nurse’s practice. This is especially after great emphasis has been placed on evidence-based nursing. Different methods of research have been developed to aid in the data gathering and analysis processes. An example of these methods is the Qualitative Method of research (Patton, 2002). A qualitative research involves the exploration of the aspects of humanity, as well as the in-depth analysis and understanding of the characteristics and qualities of a phenomenon (Flick, 2009). In contrast to quantitative studies which classifies and counts the features of subjects, qualitative researches collects subjective data in the form of words, objects or pictures (Holloway & Wheeler, 2000). In relation, this paper will explore the qualitative method of research, by looking at a qualitative study published in a scholarly journal. The article to be reviewed is entitled “Caring and Uncaring Experiences as Narrated by Persons with Long-term Pain after Stroke”. Authored by Widar, Ek, and Ahlstrom (2007), it was published in the Journal Compilation of the Nordic College of Caring Science. The study aimed to describe how individuals with chronic post-stroke pain experience their care. Forty-three respondents were included in the study, and all these individuals suffered from tension-type headache, nociceptive pain, or post-stroke pain after experiencing a Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA). The study found that patients suffering from long-term pain after stroke need to be supported, understood and respected, and their narratives revealed the significance of the healthcare professionals’ knowledge on pain and its management. This paper will first present the methods used to acquire data and interpret themes, followed by the strengths and limitations of the study. Methods Used to Acquire Data and Interpret Themes Data collection for the study chosen was primarily through interviews. All of the 43 participants had been suffering from pain for a period greater than six months, and they were interviewed two years after their stroke incident. The selection process involved screening of the participants for the inclusion criteria, such as the presence of long-term pain condition after stroke, constant contacts with healthcare professionals (yearly, monthly, weekly and daily). All participants have been found to suffer hemorrhages or cerebral infarct. Data was collected through a direct method, since the interviews were conducted personally and directly by the first author, and the data was taken directly from the original source (respondents). The direct method of data collection was also utilized since the researchers relied on the respondents’ personal report of their attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, behavior, and similar other things. As for the collection of data itself, all the interviews were conducted by the first author in the respondents’ own homes, without any time constraints. The interviews were then on a one-on-one setting, and they were in the form of conversations. The interviewer used open-ended questions and in fact, there was only one main question used to initiate the conversation: “How would you say you have been treated, especially in relation to your pain?” (Widar, Ek, & Ahlstrom, 2007, p.42). Still, although there was only one primary question used, the respondents were also asked to comprehensively describe their experiences with healthcare contact in the care of their long-term pain after stroke. When ambiguous responses were provided, supplementary questions were also asked by the interviewer to separate the narratives concerning the long-term pain from those involving their stroke experience on general. All of the interviews lasted around 45 to 90 minutes, and they were recorded. These recordings were then transcribed in verbatim, with the authors including the respondents’ different expressions of emotion. These responses were analyzed and from the initial analysis, congruence from the contents was revealed. From these, the narratives that bore the richest and most useful information were revisited for some deeper investigation. On the other hand, the analysis and interpretation of themes also involved qualitative methods, specifically the descriptive method of interpretation. Under this, the technique of qualitative content and thematic analysis was utilized. This technique was chosen in order to attain an understanding of the narratives, as well as the underlying meanings of the respondents’ narratives. Initial reading of the transcription of the 43 interviews was conducted two times, for the researchers to grasp the sense of the context of the responses. After this initial reading, the different narratives containing accounts about the respondents’ experienced care were classified and marked according to the commonalities in the various responses. These classified narratives were coded and two main themes or content areas were revealed: a) being in a situation of uncaring, and b) being in a situation of caring. Another observation during the process of analysis is that there is a sense of congruence among all of the narratives. Because of this, a purposive sample was taken which contains the most information-rich responses and transcriptions. This purposive sample was then subjected to deeper and further analysis. The responses were also divided according to the two content areas, and they were again read several times. From these, several codes and sub-themes were extracted, scrutinized, analyzed, and compared with other themes. In fact, the sub-themes were interpreted based on the underlying meaning of the themes. During the analysis of the data, the co-authors guaranteed confirmability by following the phases of analysis. The different themes and codes that emerged were also subjected to discussion among the different authors of the study, until the authors reached an agreement. Strengths and Limitations of the Study One strength of the study was that the authors guaranteed the trustworthiness of the study by giving the respondents enough time during the interview to give open-ended answers, and by allowing the participants to respond in a an environment they are comfortable in. this allowed the respondents to be reflective and open in their responses. Also, another strength of the study is that the treatment of the authors with the responses was comprehensive, and the authors have even included direct quotations in the study manuscript to present the respondents’ experiences. However, as much as the study has its strengths, it also has limitations. One such limitation is that the authors failed to present in their article the process of consent gathering. No discussion was also provided regarding the preparations of the questionnaire and the study itself. In addition, the study was also limited in the fact that the exclusion of other respondents, such as those unable to communicate, limited the experiences that could have been analyzed. Summary This study looked at an example of a qualitative research. The said study involves the experiences of caring and uncaring among patients experiencing long-term pain after stroke. The authors used a direct method of data collection, since the sources were the respondents themselves. More specifically, the qualitative technique of interview was used to collect data. Analysis of the raw information used qualitative content analysis. The study has strengths in its trustworthiness but limitations in the presentation of consent gathering and preparations. References Burns, N., & Grove, S. K. (2005). The practice of nursing research: conduct, critique, and utilization. Publisher: St. Louis, Mo.: Elsevier/Saunders. Flick, U. (2009). An introduction to qualitative research. London: SAGE. Holloway, I., & Wheeler, S. (2000). Qualitative research in nursing. Oxford: Blackwell Science. Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. London: Sage Publications, Inc. Widar, M., Ek, A.-C., & Ahlstrom, G. (2007). Caring and uncaring experiences as narrated by persons with long-term pain after a stroke. Journal compilation of the Nordic College of Caring Science, 41-47. Read More