Introduction
Qualitative research methods are important in developing factual knowledge in nursing to provide research evidence on matters regarding human health which are then analyzed and documented. (Ekstedt & Fagerberg 2005)
Analysis of the research
The research methodology used on- Lived Experiences of the Time Preceding Burnout used a small sample size of only eight individuals, which I felt was not very practical as a larger number would give statistically convincing and credible results. Giving the impression that the method used was not effective for this research because it did not show a credible capacity to represent the general population. I would have like to have a representation of a geographical area rather than a small population this would have been achieved by sampling a larger size of the patients taking into account the various factors that could be the causative agents of burn-out.
Demerits of the design of research
To make the qualitative research more credible and dependable it should apply to a large if not a whole population. The fault of this methodology is quite observable, the sampling of a small portion of patients without providing a capacity to reflect the general population which will result in sampling errors and bias in the research.
Homogeneity amongst the subjects was not considered as well as heterogeneity in the wider population. Several factors may have influenced the patient’s lifestyle before the burnout, thus not providing a quantifiable representation of the statistical inference.
A lot of errors are expected in the method of research used therefore it is important to re-design the method of research to be used. Provide a method that would show a relation between the lived experiences during the pre-burn out stages and after the occurrence of burnout. The inference drawn from the above method is only applicable to a section of the population where sampling was conducted since varied factors that may be important in the cause of burnout were not considered, such as; environment, sex, age, and economic status. A re-design of the method would provide a universal and applicable inference to a varied and wider population. Apart from occupational aspects more factors are known to be part of the main causative agents of burnout and would be appropriate in determining the pre-burnout life of the patients.
Handing out questionnaires is another effective way to conduct this research to achieve more honest answers as it would maintain anonymity. (Williamson 2009) Because the questionnaires are handed out to a varied population it will provide for comparison and a chance to triangulate and further provide confirmation and balance. This method is ethical as it provides a choice of answering the questions or not. The questionnaire method is more effective since they can be handed out and collected later in a particular geographical location that the inference was to be drawn, this would have a representation of the various occupational backgrounds, environmental conditions, gender, age, and economic status. (Qualitative research, 2010)
Conclusion
A wider sampling would have been more appropriate for this study to represent the wider population. A wider sampling method would provide a more practical and applicable inference that is most likely to be a true representation of the entire population. (Som 1996) Qualifiable and credible statistical evidence would be achieved. Medical research and inferences drawn from it are supposed to be practical and properly represent the wider population that the research was targeting.
References
Ekstedt, M., & Fagerberg, I. (2005). Lived experiences of the time preceding burnout. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 49(1), 59�67. Web.
Som, K. R. (1996). Practical Sampling Techniques, second edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press
‘Qualitative Research’, (2010). Carspecken’s five-stage critical qualitative research method: An application to nursing research. Web.
Williamson, K. (2009). Evidence-based practice: critical appraisal of qualitative evidence. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 15(3), 202�207.