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(1996) adopting co-operative inquiries 10 and others using collaborative
inquiries. 11 Some participatory action research studies have been carried
out in nursing especially in relation to community development. 12
Nevertheless, these studies do not differentiate or suggest levels of
inquiry.
At the start of this inquiry my research was aimed at inquiring into the
tensions and possibilities of reflecting during care giving from the three
positions of first, second and third person inquiry. I wanted to design an
inquiry that included my own first person reflective processes and
research, that included a collaborative inquiry with a group of experienced
reflective practice practitioners and one that could inquire into the
organisational structures and processes that might encourage or impinge
on reflecting while giving care in a hospital ward setting.
As the research progressed I found the language of first, second and third
person inquiry cumbersome and not accessible to the practising nurses I
was working with. Now I prefer to call these three levels of inquiry:
personal reflection, where the nurse reflects on her own, relational
reflection which involves an interpersonal relationship either where the
nurse reflects in a one to one relationship or group process, and
organisational reflection which involves systemic and organisational
learning (Hopkinson, 2009). Thus the organisation learns and changes its
practices as a consequence of the reflection so that the historical disabling
patterns in organisations are challenged and changed. Hence systemic
changes in working practices that make a difference to nurses‘ working
lives become embedded in the organisation as a consequence of reflective
inquiry. I now consider how I intend to ensure this research has quality,
preferring this term to those of rigour, validity and reliability. I link these
10
See for example Kenny et al 2004, Hostick & McCelland 2002, 2000, Yorks & Sharoff
2001, Randall et al 2000, Predeger 1996
11
See for example Pound 2003, Konzal 2001, Krishnasamy & Plant 1998
12
See for example, Koch & Kralik 2006, de Kronig & Martin 1996
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