Clinical Research with a Hermenutical Design and an Element of Application

Abstract

In 2008 two researchers completed a 2-year study in collaboration with nurse anesthetists and operating room nurses from three operating theaters in western Sweden. In this paper, with focus on methodology and the ethical approach to research, the aim was to describe a hermeneutical design with an element of application used in a perioperative clinical study. The element of application was chosen to involve clinical nurses to participate as coresearchers. This research was inspired by Lindholm's (2006) method for application research developed to bring new knowledge, to create change as well as to unite theory in dialogues with clinical nurses. Through the perioperative dialogue, the coreseacher not only became one who collected data but also the older patients' nurse, who cared for them. A hermeneutical text interpretation with five readings was used to gain new understanding. Perioperative care becomes evident and is dedicated to the patient in perioperative.

Ethical dilemmas in prehospital emergency care – from the perspective of specialist ambulance nurse students

“…The following question was generated from the text: How do specialist nurse students experience ethical dilemmas in prehospital emergency care? The text was carefully read to discover answers to the question, i.e., significant expressions and quotations with common and distinguishing qualities (Lindwall et al 2010). This text was processed further in the next step.…”

“…Summarizing the main themes and subthemes. The text with the quotations was carefully read, looking for its meaning: the actual common quality of all significant expressions (Lindwall et al 2010). The common and distinctive quality was formed into three main themes.…”

“…However, there is a difference between existential and professional pre-understanding, and these should not be treated as equal. The professional pre-understanding of researchers is a product of care, prejudices, values, commitments and the ethics that guide nursing (Lindwall et al 2010). The interpretation of the text was made through the following steps:…”

“…The critical examination treats the text as an original source, and its relevance to reality is the foundation of validity (Lindwall et al 2010). The first reading was an uninterrupted reading of the text from beginning to end.…”

“…A hermeneutic text interpretation according to Lindwall et al (2010) and Gadamer (1989) was conducted to explain the meaning of the text as opposed to explaining the person who wrote the text. The readers' professional pre-understanding is the basis for their understanding, which enhances or clouds views.…”