Rigorous research can be performed either qualitatively or quantitatively. The key is to pick the correct form for the research question that is being addressed. Some research questions have results that are best described numerically, like the percent of patients impacted by a particular practice, or a reduction in the number of hospitals days with the use of a particular nursing technique. These kinds of questions should utilize quantitative research approaches to quantify, or count, the effect being measured. However, some research questions cannot be answered by using just a number or percentage. These kinds of research questions should be studied using qualitative or more descriptive research techniques. An example of a research question that is best attacked qualitatively is the primary question of the research article provided for analysis : Why are nurses leaving? (MacKusick & Minick, 2010). In this case, the researchers are not asking a numerical question, such as : How many nurses are leaving? Instead, they seek to know the reasons why nurses are leaving the profession of clinical nursing.
MacKusick & Minick use an interview technique to try to get answers to this research question. Each former nurse was contacted and asked the same nine questions (2010). Replicating the conditions of the interviews is important to the quality of the results. A second good technique was the recording of the interviews and the use of field notes. The use of hermeneutics, or a standard textual interpretation approach, also bolsters the scientific value of the results (Kvale & Brinkman, 2009, p. 236). Significant drawbacks to the study are the small sample size (n=10), lack of age diversity, and lack of geographic diversity in the interviewed group as these factors could skew the results. Different reasons behind leaving the profession could have resulted if a larger, more age diverse, and more geographically diverse experimental group were interviewed. However, even within the context of these limitations, the study does provide insight into the issue and therefore is a valid approach to learning more about the qualitative factors that could increase retention in the nursing profession.
References
MacKusick, C. I., & Minick, P. (2010). Why are nurses leaving? Findings from an initial qualitative study on nursing attrition. MEDSURG Nursing. 19(6): 335-40.
Kvale, S. & Brinkmann, S. (2009). InterViews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing. Thousand Oaks, CA : Sage Publications.
