Problems of Nursing Work - Research Paper Example

Research Design Critique Research Design Critique Introduction Qualitative research is one effective channel through which researchers try to elaborate an issue in the society and even help to solve the issue by offering possible solutions. This study approach relies on information about an issue or phenomenon that is stated in word-form, not necessarily numeric. For qualitative research to be effective in any field of study it is used, the appropriate research design must be relied on for conducting the study. The three major research designs used by most scholars include ethnography, grounded theory and phenomenology. Grounded theory concentrates on construction of theories out of findings from researches. Phenomenology design puts more emphasis on studying phenomena and displaying how the population considered relates to them. Finally, ethnography research design seeks to examine cultures of different categories of people or even other creatures. For my dissertation, I will use ethnography and therefore in this paper it is this design I am going to criticize. The fields of anthropology, political science and education are mostly researched by this study design. In this approach, the researcher bases his/her working in the area where there is that culture being studied. To analyze this research design, I am going to look into a study that used ethnography done by Mari Skancke Bjerknes and Ida Torunn Bjork in 2012. The title of their study was Entry into Nursing. A Norwegian university hospital was used for this study to highlight the challenges faced by new nurses as they move into the hospital environment to work (Bjerknes & Bjork, 2012). Problem Explored The problem that this study had was the difficulty of transition of the graduate nurses from being a learner to become a working nurse. The student nurses are in most cases inadequately prepared to take over their duties in health institutions as nurses (Duchscher, Out in the Real World: newly graduated nurses in acute-care speak out, 2011). The fact that the nurses play a major role in health services delivery makes this a problem to the society and the health organizations as it leads to inefficient service delivery. The problem of difficult transition from a student nurse to an effective working nurse is appropriate for research as it touches on health matters which are crucial to every person (Boswell & Wilhot, 2013). History of the Problem The problem that newly recruited nurses face at their workplaces are believed to have generated from changes in the health organizations and nurse education that are dated back in the 1990s. Initially, most of the western countries had their nurse students being part of the health personnel in the hospitals. In 1980s, the nurses did not need formal recognition, and this is when the student nurses could work in hospitals. The earlier these learning nurses were introduced into the working environment, the more they became fit practically to handle patients in the hospitals (Bradshaw & Merriman, 2011). Early in the 1990s, the processes of nursing education that gave an opportunity to the students to start engaging in hospital activities were changed. The aim of doing this was to equip the nurses with crucial knowledge and formal skills required for the profession that health officers claimed lacked in these graduates (Dearmun, 2011). Ever since this time there have been more cases of nurses being reported to have weak skills to handle patients practically and little care for the patients in the hospitals. One thing that most bodies in charge of setting regulations in nurse education and health organization forget to consider is the fact that what newly recruited nurses faced in hospitals in the 1980s is similar to what they expect today in Norway (Hunt, 2012). Therefore, it would be important to ensure that nurses are still prepared adequately to serve the health facilities available using practically learnt skills (Duchscher & Cowin, The experience of marginalization in new nursing graduates, 2012). The study also highlights that the current hospital structure gives room for orientation of the newly recruited health personnel for around four weeks, but this is not enough to transition the nurse students. The things that are usually looked into during such orientation are hospital routines that are not closely related to handling of patients (Dyess & Sherman, 2013). Objectives of the Study The core objective of this study was to illustrate the limitations that the newly recruited nurses faced as they move from being students to practicing professionals in the field of nursing. The study also aimed at highlighting the opportunities that these graduate nurses have in their new workstations and how they can utilize the opportunities available (Bjerknes & Bjork, 2012). The objectives of this research are well met as the researcher have clearly illustrated how the new nurses are faced with a challenge of applying the skills learnt practically since they are nowadays not introduced into the work field early enough. The opportunities of utilizing the orientations that they get in their first weeks at the hospital are also highlighted. The new nurses also have the opportunity of improving their skills through finding mentors in the already existing workforce in the hospitals. Study Design The research design used in this study of entry into nursing is the ethnography approach which looks into the culture of a specific group of people. Culture in this case refers to the patterns of traits and the different duties of the people forming the culture (Greenwood, 2012). The design is appropriate since it gives room for a proper exploration of the individuals who are new into the culture of nursing. However, this design is inappropriate in some way since how nurses carry out themselves may not be influenced by the entire group as if it were a culture (Ellerton & Gregor, 2012). Study Sample The setting of this study was in a Norwegian university hospital where one orthopedic ward and one gynecological ward were used. Thirteen newly recruited nurses were picked for the sampling that ran for a year. They were all ladies with Norwegian roots with an average age of 25 years. One crucial qualification for the sample was that the graduate had to be already three months into the profession before the study was started (Bjerknes & Bjork, 2012). Data collected from such a sample is good for transferability since these are people who have already gone through the experiences of transiting from a student to a working nurse for a few months thus they represent the real population (Solvoll & Heggen, 2011). Conducting the Research The procedure used for this research was systematically started with a meeting informing the new nurses and their colleagues of the purpose of the study and how it is going to be conducted. After that, the sample for the study was picked as per the qualification of being in the hospital for three months earlier than the date of the study. Only 13 new graduates were picked for the sample and data was collected from them through observations and interviews. They were also asked to provide their daily reflection notes (Bjerknes & Bjork, 2012). An easier way of repeating this research is by involving different new nurses in more wards picked randomly (Olson, 2011). However, the procedures that the researchers of this study used were clearly followed as every activity was recorded. The reliability and validity of the processes were ensured through asking the participants to go through the recorded data and make necessary changes to suit accuracy for their information. Collected Data The data collected was on the challenges that new nurses face when handling patients in the hospitals. Most of the nurses said they lacked guidance on how to do some duties. Some of them also said taking care of patients was tough since they did not know what to do for specific patients (Bjerknes & Bjork, 2012). The sources of these data were the thirteen picked nurses and an analysis of their daily reflection notes. The sources were appropriate since it is this graduate nurses who face the challenge of fitting into this environment (Gerrish, 2011). Another source that could have been used for this study is the view of the supervisors of new recruits (Rognstad & Aasland, 2012). Ethical Considerations The committee in charge of research in this health institution approved this study before commencement. The participants of this research were told in advance about their participation to enhance informed consent, and also assured of confidentiality where necessary. They were also given room to drop out of the study at any time without being questioned. The patients were questioned in the first place if they were okay with a researcher in the ward before introducing them inside (Bjerknes & Bjork, 2012). The author puts all the ethical issues that relate to this study into consideration. Limitations of the Study The clearly highlighted limitation of this study is the sample size of the research. The author openly says that thirteen nurses are not enough to give a generalized conclusion about what new graduates in the field of nursing go through while transiting. The limitation is appropriate since thousands of graduate nurses are usually recruited annually thus the sample size ought to be bigger (Latter & Clark, 2011). One limitation that the author fails to talk about is the lack of corporation of some patients. Some of them agreed to have the researcher in the ward but with a lot of conditions (Spouse, 2011). Conclusion From this study, it is clear that newly qualified nurses come into this profession with a lot of enthusiasms to serve their patients and improve their career also. However, limitations in the profession and the organizational structure of hospitals stop them. The authors finally say that it would be helpful if well-structured wards were constructed just for the transition of student nurses to fit the hospital settings. Another recommendation is that there should be mentors for each newly recruited nurse to help them adapt to the working environment (Bjerknes & Bjork, 2012). The orderly manner in which this research was conducted and presented shows how using ethnographic study design in qualitative studies may become successful. The challenges that nurses face in the early months of their career have led to some of them dropping out of the profession, and this becomes a national crisis worth to be researched on effectively (Martin & Wilson, 2012). An ethnographic study of thirteen new nurses in a Norwegian university hospital has displayed these challenges well and even given options of having structural changes in the health organizations. References Bjerknes, M. S., & Bjork, I. T. (2012). Entry into Nursing: An Ethnographic Study of Newly Qualified Nurses Taking on the Nursing Role in a Hospital Setting. Oslo: Department of Nursing Science, University of Oslo. Boswell, S. L., & Wilhot, K. (2013). 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Helping motives in late modern society: values and attitudes among nursing students. Nursing Ethics , 227-289. Solvoll, B. A., & Heggen, K. M. (2011). Teaching and Learning Care—exploring nursing students clinical practice. Nurse Education Today , 73-77. Spouse, J. (2011). Bridging Theory and Practice in the Supervisory Relationship: a sociocultural perspectiv. Journal of Advanced Nursing , 512-522. Read More