The role of physical design and informal communication

information that otherwise wouldn’t have been gathered from the other four methods
of data collection. Five interviews were conducted with four different staff members
on various occasions throughout the study. Interview guides were developed to focus
the discussion, however probes were used and new questions added depending on the
course of the interview (See appendix L). Consent was received from all to audio-
record the interviews. This allowed the researcher to focus on what the nurse was
saying rather than try to transcribe the entire discussion.
The first interview was with the graduate nurse regarding her history as a
nurses’ aide on 6N prior to her role as an RN. We believed the graduate nurse’s
familiarity with the unit was a unique situation that could affect her orientation
experience in a different way than someone who has never seen the unit before.
The second interview was with the unit’s nurse manager. Here the goal was to
understand the organizational policies, norms, procedures, hierarchies and staffing
patterns that affect the daily operations of the unit. In addition we sought to uncover
any unique challenges faced by staff on 6N.
The third interview was with a nurse practitioner who worked on four different
units at the hospital, including 6N. This interview was valuable in that the interviewee
was able to provide a unique comparative assessment of the unit, commenting on how
6N differs from and is similar to other units.
The fourth and fifth interviews were with the Orientor and graduate nurse,
respectively. In both cases, the goal was to dig deeper into their perceptions of the
impact that the unit’s physical layout has on opportunities for informal learning and
communication and stress. Additionally, more specific information on the graduate
nurse orientation process and experience was sought. These interviews were the most
comprehensive and in-depth of them all.
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