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A beginner's guide to ethnographic observation in nursing research
1School of Nursing, University of Adelaide, Australia.
Nurse Researcher
|March 23, 2017
Summary
Novice nurse researchers using observation for ethnographic data collection face challenges including perspective, observer influence, and ethical issues. Awareness and preparation are key for successful ethnographic nursing research.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Research
- Qualitative Methods
- Ethnography
Background:
- Observation is a key ethnographic method, but practical guidance for nursing research is often lacking.
- Novice researchers may find explicit details on conducting observation and its challenges unclear in textbooks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To offer a novice researcher's viewpoint on using observation in ethnographic nursing studies.
- To identify and discuss the practical challenges encountered during ethnographic observation data collection.
Main Methods:
- Exploration of a novice nurse researcher's experiences with observational data collection.
- Qualitative analysis of challenges encountered during the research process.
Main Results:
- Challenges include selecting an observational perspective, practice, site relationship management, observer effect, and ethical considerations.
- Maintaining a constructive relationship with the research site and managing observer influence are critical.
Conclusions:
- Novice nurse researchers must be prepared for potential difficulties when employing observation.
- Understanding these challenges allows for proactive strategy development to mitigate issues in ethnographic nursing research.
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