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Metas de Enfermería

Metas de Enfermería

JUNIO 2006 N° 5 Volumen 9

Nature of qualitative research and its contribution into the Nursing practice

Section: Method

How to quote

de la Cuesta Benjumea C. Naturaleza de la investigación cualitativa y su contribución a la práctica de Enfermería. Metas de Enferm jun 2006; 9(5): 50-55

Authors

Carmen de la Cuesta Benjumea

Position

Profesora Visitante. Departamento de Enfermería. Universidad de Alicante. Alicante (España).

Contact address

Universidad de Antioquía. AA1226 Medellín, Colombia.

Contact email: ccuesta@elsitio.net.co

Abstract

Nursing has not been foreign to research, as it was Florence Nightingale, who introduced research for the first time. Research offers the possibility to improve and develop your career with regard to its disciplinary and clinical components. 

This paper presents a detailed description of how qualitative research can contribute towards nursing practice. To this end, first we analyse the concept of scientific knowledge and the modes of scientific inquiry, giving some thought to the need of a change of methodology in nursing research, since nursing research has been dominated for a long time by quantitative methods, even though nursing is based nearly exclusively on the social empiric world. Secondly, the characteristics of qualitative research are presented, emphasising its possibilities for the comprehension of the human meaning attributed to circumstances or phenomena. Subsequently, we describe how qualitative research can contribute to contextualise the nursing profession by revealing the invisible aspects of caring for someone and by developing a theory that is close to reality.
Lastly, it is concluded that the introduction of qualitative methodology in the healthcare field does not mean an abandonment or substitution of conventional or quantitative methodology but it is rather an expansion of the methodological repertoire available to us.
Most aspects in healthcare are of a social nature and deserve an enquiry model that takes into account multiple meanings that individuals give to care, conduct and healthcare practices.
The products of qualitative research will broaden our knowledge on meanings, experiences and processes that will enable us to comprehend better the world around us. However, it is the final use we make of such knowledge, that will, in the end, improve our career. 

Keywords:

research; qualitative research; nursing; Scientific knowledgeresearch methodology

Versión en Español

Título:

Naturaleza de la investigación cualitativa y su contribución a la práctica de Enfermería