Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
philosophy of holistic nursing into their life and practice. The initial
criteria for inclusion in this study were being a certified holistic
nurse and the time frame of the practicing HNC. With analysis of
eight volunteer participants’ interviews, theoretical saturation was
evident. To confirm saturation, two additional volunteers were
interviewed.
Research Questions
The inquiry for this study was driven by four central
questions: (1) What motivates a professional registered nurse to
become an HNC? (2) What knowledge, skills and attitudes do
experienced HNCs perceive they needed in order to become
competent as holistic nurse practitioners? (3) How did those
practitioners acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes they
perceived they needed? and (4) What factors facilitated and/or
impeded their ability to become competent practitioners?
Participants
The participants in this study were primarily Caucasian (10%
Asian), female, age range of 40-54 (mean 51.6 years). Highest
degree obtained by a majority of the participants was a
baccalaureate degree (50%), MSN (30%) and doctoral degree
(20%). The mean number of years in nursing was 26.7, and range
of years as an HNC was 3-5.8.
An analysis of the demographic inventory indicated that the
participants were representative of the AHNA’s membership, as well
as representative of professional registered nurses’ who hold
certification in a specialty area. In addition to the interview and
CIT, a summative focus group was also utilized for triangulation to
validate conclusions.
Critical Incident Technique
A critical incident was used to obtain a real life experience
that pertained to research questions # 3 and # 4. After 8 of the 10
participants completed the original critical incident and analyses of
those 8 critical incidents were completed, a more precise and brief
critical incident was developed. The initial CIT utilized in this study
was rather long and arduous, following more of Brookfield and
Cranton’s version of including questions of when, how and who (see
Table 1). The researcher realized that the data gleaned was not
detailed enough and provided non-essential data to the research
questions. The revised critical incident instrument was more to the
point of the general aim of the study, it was succinct and brief (see
Table 2). This CIT provided a crisp story of participants’ experience
and reflection upon that event. The decision to develop a new CIT
was based on the researchers’ interpretation that the initial data
gleaned was not sufficient for triangulation and this was agreed
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