This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cole, M. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Qualitative research: a challenging paradigm for infection control

University of Nottingham, School of Nursing, Grantham and District Hospital, 101 Manthorpe Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 8DG

he importance of high-quality research to address our knowledge deficits in relation to the causes of hospital-acquired infection has been acknowledged by the Department of Health. However, the contribution of nursing research may be restricted by confusion over the use of different paradigms and the discipline's lack of research pedigree. This paper discusses how nursing and infection control has historically favoured quantitative methods as they are associated with rigour, objectivity, generalisation and increased credibility. However, increasingly nurse researchers are turning to qualitative methods as they better explain the complex behavioural issues that affect practice. The paper describes a number of qualitative methods and infection control studies that have adopted these approaches. It concludes by suggesting that infection control nurses, because of their close relationship with practice are well placed to consider the merits of qualitative research as a way of contributing towards the discipline's research agenda.

Key Words: Research paradigms • infection control nursing • qualitative research

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?