The obser-view: a method of generating data and learning.

AIM: To introduce the 'obser-view' qualitative research method and to show how obser-view can be used in research. BACKGROUND: The author developed the obser-view during a qualitative research project about nursing students' learning processes, because participants wanted to talk with the author after being observed. Conducting a non-scripted interview immediately post-observation became the obser-view. DATA SOURCES: Eleven nursing students on clinical placement in psychiatric hospital wards participated in the project. Nine participated in obser-views. REVIEW METHODS: A review o f literature resulted in two sources in which 'obserview' (not 'obser-view') was used to gain explanations of participants' actions, whereas the author sought a greater understanding of participants' actions. DISCUSSION: Whether to include a dialogue with the nursing students in the research design was a dilemma. An argument for so doing was that the method should support efforts to make the research transparent, as the obser-view would give the author an inside, an outside and an inter-subject perspective of the data and increase the internal validity of the research. CONCLUSION: During the obser-view dialogue, the researcher, as a catalyst for reflection, has the opportunity to obtain participants' views of the observed situation, and for the researcher and participants to reflect on the situation both have been part of. The obser-view offers the researcher a deeper understanding of empirical data than can be gained from observation and qualitative semi-structured interviews alone, and offers participants deeper understanding of their actions. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE/RESEARCH: There is potential to use the obser-view in research involving students or patients, including families and cares of patients, whether in psychiatric or physical nursing. Further use over time will show in what other fields the obser-view method can be used to generate data and as a learning space for research and participant.

Reflecting on research: sharpening nurses' focus through engaged learning.

BACKGROUND: The Bedside Scientist Institute is a basic research course provided for nurses using an engaged, interactive learning environment. This qualitative study evaluated the course outcomes. METHODS: A large Magnet®-designated teaching hospital provided the setting for both the education and the study. Coding categories and themes were identified from 16 interviews; a focus group confirmed the study findings. RESULTS: Culture change was facilitated by enlarging the perceptual field, reflecting on research evidence and the practice-research interface, and focusing on a new vision for evidence-based practice. Half of the nurses who participated returned to formal education. CONCLUSION: Participating in the Bedside Scientist Institute was transformative. The course opened participants' minds to question traditional practice, developing champions for research.

Palliative care and African American women living with HIV.

It is challenging to develop and assess skills in a classroom setting, for graduate students particularly, in the area of quality improvement project plans that are real, relevant, and sensitive in a unique health care context. Although understanding significant issues related to palliative care needs of U.S. citizens through the interpretation of those who publish in this area is extremely helpful to students, it does not allow for an experience uniquely situated in realities faced by those living with life-threatening and chronic illness or in a time frame that is current. Graduate students in a Health Resources and Services Administration-funded program of study completed a secondary data analysis of digitally recorded conversations of African American women living with human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome to identify consumer-driven palliative care needs and create possible quality improvement program solutions. This exercise supports the World Health Organization's advice to become palliative care leaders through engagement in clients' realities.

Cultural competence in qualitative interview methods with Asian immigrants.

The growth in Asian immigration and a diversity of Asian populations living in Western English-speaking societies pose many opportunities for qualitative research. Cultural competence is essential to credible qualitative nursing research employing interview data. The purpose of this article is to describe culturally competent qualitative research with Asian immigrants, especially in the design, interview phases, and analysis. Strategies to achieve cultural competence are synthesized within the model of cultural competence, integrating the literature review and data exemplars. Strategies for successful conduct of qualitative research in Asian immigrant populations, including preparation of the research team, techniques for the conduct of research interviews with Asian immigrants, and contextual meanings and timing of translation are offered. The article concludes with a summary of implications for future research.

Patients' experiences of learning clean intermittent self-catheterization: a qualitative study.

AIM: This paper is a report of a study to explore the experiences of learning to carry out clean intermittent self-catheterization and user views of service provision. BACKGROUND: This treatment imposes a variety of challenges to users, both physical and emotional. Safety, infection rates and complications have been investigated, but the practicalities of learning and performing self-catheterization have not been addressed. What is currently known about the topic from a user perspective is based on audit, small projects or anecdotal reports provided by continence advisers. METHOD: In-depth interviews were carried out in 2006 with eight men and seven women, aged 33-81 years (median 65), and carrying out self-catheterization for a variety of reasons. A grounded theory framework was used. FINDINGS: Themes identified were psychological issues, physical problems and service interaction. The communication skills of nurses helped facilitate the learning experience. In conjunction with nurses' skills, a friendly relaxed approach alleviated embarrassment and anxiety, thus facilitating information exchange and retention of information. CONCLUSION: Adequate information and thorough instruction by healthcare professionals helps empower people to take control and master the treatment, with potential contribution to ongoing compliance and long-term urinary tract health. Development of a policy supporting evidence-based care and a consistent teaching programme is highly recommended for use where this treatment is regularly employed.

The workings of a multicultural research team.

PURPOSE: Transcultural nurse researchers are exposed to the challenges of developing and maintaining a multiethnic team. With the example of a multicultural research study of family caregivers conducted in the Miami-Dade area, the authors guide the readers through steps of developing a culturally competent and effective team. DESIGN: Pointing out challenges and successes, the authors illustrate team processes and successful strategies relative to recruitment of qualified members, training and team maintenance, and evaluation of team effectiveness. METHOD: With relevant concepts from the literature applied to practical examples, the authors demonstrate how cultural team competence grows in a supportive work environment.

Re-collecting and 'thinking' the story of New Zealand's postgraduate nursing scholarship development.

Nursing in New Zealand has undergone a rapid rise of postgraduate scholarly development over the past four decades. Early nurse scholars had no choice but to study university papers outside the discipline of nursing. Their reflections show how much their thinking was sparked by such experiences. On the other hand, the excitement of nursing finding its own body of knowledge and moving into research is also recalled. Hermeneutic analysis of these two aspects encourages 'thinking' of how postgraduate education gets shaped. The discussion draws on Heidegger's notion that it is the void of the jug that holds the fluid - what goes into the jug itself (postgraduate learning) is often discretionary.

Engaging students and faculty with diverse first-person experiences: use of an interpretive research group.

This article is about a teaching strategy that operationalizes an aspect of the National League for Nurses' position statement "Transforming Nursing Education" and the Institute of Medicine's report "Crossing the Quality Chasm." Engaging students with patients' first-person experiences related to health and illness and their experiences with health care can help students learn about the multiplicity of views on experience, help them focus on the patient as an individual, and heed the call for more patient-centered care. This article describes how an interpretive research group can be used to develop these skills by teaching undergraduate nursing students, in a caring, open environment, what life is like from the patient's perspective.

Practitioner to researcher: reflections on the journey.

Cara J Bailey is embarking on a study of end-of-life issues in an emergency department where she is known. Being a 'familiar face' among the department's staff raises a number of methodological and ethical questions that are explored here.

Experiences of a novice researcher.

Karen Clancy, a nurse consultant but a novice researcher reflects on her study of patients with respiratory disease living at home with long-term oxygen therapy. She explores the dual role of researcher and clinician, and concludes with suggestions designed to help other novice researchers.

The multicultural research process.

Qualitative research allows students to explore the complex experiences of health and illness and examine assumptions related to class, race, gender, and ethnicity. Faculty who teach qualitative research can promote culturally congruent nursing practice, and students can learn how such practice is grounded in research. The experiential approach taken in this class acquainted students with basic principles of qualitative research, used such principles to foster recognition of assumptions and increase cultural awareness, and encouraged a new way of knowing and being in nursing. The learning goals were to experience the "flavor" of qualitative data analysis using a filmed interview of an American Indian nurse and written interviews of a Hispanic/Latina nurse and nursing student, speaking about their educational experiences in nursing. In this process, the nurse educator exemplified principles of multicultural education for these budding teachers, such as weaving cultural content across the curriculum and role modeling concern for cultural issues in teaching, research, and service.

Issues of phenomenology for an undergraduate nursing dissertation.

Undertaking a research project based on phenomenology presents many challenges to undergraduate nursing students, especially with regard to the evaluation of the rigour of the research. This article will analyse this problem in relation to the author's experience of carrying out a phenomenological research project for an undergraduate dissertation. In particular it will focus on the issues of having a limited number of participants, that the researcher and the participants were student nurses belonging to the same cohort, and the lack of validation of the results by the participants.

Building and critiquing qualitative research websites: a cyberspace project to connect undergraduate nursing students in Canada and the United States.

This project had a dual purpose: 1) to facilitate student learning about qualitative research methods, and 2) to promote collegiality and professional development among senior nursing students in Canada and the United States through the use of distance technology. In each of three project years, students at St. Francis Xavier University (STFX) in Nova Scotia initiated the experience by working in small groups to develop websites about different methodological approaches in qualitative research. Site information included an overview of the selected approach, discussion of trustworthiness issues, citation of journal articles in which authors used the approach, additional references, and some personal information about the student developers. Also working in small groups, University of Kansas students identified and read related research articles, reviewed website information, and responded to the STFX groups about the usefulness of site information in increasing understanding of qualitative methods and using the information for evaluation of research. The experience promoted active use of qualitative research concepts and facilitated the development of skills in evaluating research article content and website content. Participation in the activity fostered positive perceptions about the value and use of research and helped students appreciate the similarities in courses, programs, and professional requirements and values among international peers.

The implementation of Narrative Pedagogy into nursing education in Japan.

The conventional approach to nursing education has been dominant in the teaching and learning environment in Japan. Some teachers are now seeking alternative approaches that can offer new ways of practice for reforming nursing education. Narrative Pedagogy can be used to guide the reconstruction of nursing education in Japan. The author reviews contemporary approaches to nursing education in Japan and discusses the strategies for implementing Narrative Pedagogy into the nursing education environment.

Adaptation to cesarean birth: implementation of an international multisite study.

The purpose of this column is to describe the implementation of an international multisite Roy adaptation model-based study of women's perceptions of and responses to cesarean birth. The need for the study arose from the concern that women's childbearing needs may not be met to their full satisfaction, especially if the infant is born by cesarean. Serendipity and networking played a part in the selection of four study sites in the United States (Boston, Milwaukee, Norfolk, Oklahoma City) and two in other countries (Finland, Australia). Data were collected by nursing students and staff nurses. Post-hoc consideration of the diversity of study sites revealed opportunities for examination of the influence of the contextual stimuli of culture and geographic region on the women's adaptation to cesarean birth. Strategies used to foster integration of teaching, practice, and research are discussed.

Teaching quantitative and qualitative analysis to undergraduate students.

Data analysis preparation for undergraduate nursing students conventionally has consisted of a required statistics course and a brief discussion of analysis strategies within an introductory research course. For students to view inquiry as integral to their practice, it is imperative that data analysis be taught in a manner whereby it may be incorporated into their repertoire of skills for nursing inquiry. This article describes an interdisciplinary, introductory course in quantitative and qualitative analysis taught in the context of three requisite inquiry courses: knowledge development, nursing inquiry, and nursing research.

Connecting the research and nursing processes: making a difference in baccalaureate students' attitudes and abilities.

Student nurses are often intimidated by the research process. They also frequently have negative attitudes about working with the elderly, especially in long-term care settings. This article describes a clinical project designed to help students improve their attitudes, knowledge, and skills toward research and care of the elderly by connecting the research process and the nursing process. Students implement research-based clinical practice in a long-term care setting. Student evaluations indicate that project goals are achieved. Nursing staff evaluation data indicate that they find student projects interesting and useful in updating resident care plans.

Blackbirds singing in the dead of night?: Advancing the craft of teaching qualitative research.

Qualitative research education, which is overly concerned with teaching content, can reduce knowledge to the technical-rational domain, and in this process, opportunities for students to be inspired and passionately engaged with the art of qualitative research are lost. Although students may acquire the characteristics of qualitative researchers by observing role models, there is much skilled teachers can do to teach students not only how to conduct research, but also how to be committed qualitative researchers. The craft knowledge of skilled teachers in facilitating these understandings, techniques, and attributes in students must be shared and discussed in meaningful ways to advance quality education and, in turn, quality nursing research. If unshared, teachers' knowledge may go unheard, and they may be left isolated, like blackbirds singing in the dead of night. In this article, the skills of "doing and being" in qualitative research are emphasized by sharing strategies the authors have used in research education. The aim is to discuss creative aspects of teaching practice that are helpful in understanding and advancing rigorous qualitative research.

Content validity exercises for nursing students.

In instrument development, the assessment of content validity is a critical step. However, content validation often is given superficial and cursory attention. Because the procedure involved in assessing content validity is not addressed in depth in research textbooks, nursing students may not fully understand or appreciate the intricacies required in this crucial process. The purpose of this article is to share some content validity exercises the author has developed for use with both undergraduate and graduate nursing students. These exercises involve an instrument, entitled the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale, which the author is currently developing.