Chapter 10 Ethnography in Practice, Education, and Administration

1. Chapter 10Ethnography in Practice, Education, and Administration

2. Guidelines: Critiquing Ethnographic Research • Focus • Method • Sampling • Data collection • Data analysis • Rigor • Findings • Conclusions

3. “The culture of a Taiwanese nursing home” (Chuang, Abbey, 2009) • Focus: describe culture of nursing home life • Method: inference to ethnography • Informants: purposive sample • Data collection: interview, participant observation, document examination

4. “The culture of a Taiwanese nursing home” (Chuang, Abbey, 2009) (cont.) • Data analysis: transcripts and field notes via computer program • Rigor: time in field, use of multiple data collection methods • Findings: three major themes • Conclusions: potential to inform nursing practice

5. Question Tell whether the following statement is True or False: • In the study about the Taiwanese nursing home, the researchers demonstrated rigor by using a specific data analysis program.

6. Answer False. Rigor is demonstrated by the researcher maintaining his or her objectivity, documenting the authenticity of the data, and having the informants play a role in validating the findings. Additionally, time in the field and the use of multiple data-collection methods help support rigor.

7. “Learning how we learn: An ethnographic study in neonatal intensive care unit” (Hunter et al., 2008) • Focus: aim clearly specified • Method: on-site data collection; two different consent forms • Sampling • Data collection: in-depth interviews, observations

8. “Learning how we learn: An ethnographic study in neonatal intensive care unit” (Hunter et al., 2008) (cont.) • Data analysis/rigor • Findings/conclusions: four major dimensions • Written report: “telling the story”

9. Question Tell whether the following statement is True or False: • In the study by Hunter et al., 2008, the key informants and the selection process were clearly described.

10. Answer False. Although the assumption can be made that the appropriate individuals participated in the study by Hunter et al., the researchers did not identify who the key informants were and how they were selected.

11. “Beyond profession: Nursing leadership in contemporary healthcare” (Sorensen et al., 2008) • Focus: part of a large 3-year study • Method: in the field; no report of how human rights protected or consent obtained • Data collection: focus groups, interviews • Data analysis: constant comparative method

12. “Beyond profession: Nursing leadership in contemporary healthcare” (Sorensen et al., 2008) (cont.) • Rigor: time in field, multiple data-collection strategies • Findings: three major units; final themes • Conclusions: findings within context of what is already known

13. Question Which of the following best describes the ethnographic study by Sorensen et al.? • It clearly presents a large multi-year study. • The research takes place in the field. • Rigor is specifically described and explained. • One data-collection strategy was used.

14. Answer B. The research by Sorensen et al. occurred in the field. However, the research involves only a part of a larger three-year study. There is no explicit description of rigor, and multiple data-collection strategies such as focus groups and interviews were used.

15. End of Presentation