Research Designs – 11
Question description
Analyze the differences and merits of the phenomenological proposed studies presented Below . Which design do you think would answer the question better? Explain your rationale in the response
- Develop a brief study description (no more than three paragraphs) using a phenomenological design to answer the question: How do nursing students cope with stress? Include a brief discussion of how trustworthiness, confirmability, credibility, and consistency would be assured.
Stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses. Stress is a normal part of life and you can experience stress from your environment, your body, and your thoughts (Cleveland Clinic 2018). Even positive life changes such as a promotion, a new home, or the birth of a child produce stress. The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. It can be positive, keeping us alert and ready to avoid danger, or it can be negative when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between stressors. As a result, the person becomes overworked, and stress-related tension builds. The stress response, also known as the “fight or flight response”, is activated in case of an emergency. However, this response can become chronically activated during prolonged periods of stress. Prolonged activation of the stress response can cause both physical and emotional wear and tear on the body (Cleveland Clinic 2018).
When nursing students practice health care, both in practice laboratory and in their experiences with patients, they may experience both positive and negative forms of stress (Radames, et. al, 2018). How they perceive stress is as important as how they cope with it. A phenomenological study designed to answer the question: How do nursing students cope with stress? seeks to gain knowledge and develop an understanding of the various causes of stress and how the nursing students manage it. This method consists of interviewing both current and former nursing students to gain various perspectives on factors that cause stress and how they perceive them at the different stages of their nursing studies. Other data such as age, gender, lifestyle, and socio-economic factors can also help to paint a broad picture of identifying stressors. Obtaining a broad depth of perspective and experiences is essential to understanding the various coping mechanisms and methods used to alleviate stress by the students.
Trustworthiness, confirmability, credibility and consistency can be assured through the use of consistent interview methods and data collection. Accurate, extensive documentation and the use of interview responses can ensure the absence of any bias on the research findings. The subject of stress on nursing students is not new to the research field and findings can be used in future research.
Radamés, B., Jorge Vinícius Cestari, F., Carina, B., Pedrolo, E., Stela Adami, V., & Maria de Fátima, M. (2018). Stress of nursing
students in clinical simulation: a randomized clinical trial. Revista Brasileira De Enfermagem, 71(3), 967-974.
doi:10.1590/0034-7167-2017-0187
Rebar, C. R., & Gersch, C. J. (2015). Understanding research for evidence-based practice (4th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer
Health
What Is Stress? Symptoms, Signs & More | Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved
from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11874-stress