Table of Contents
Background
This research was aimed at studying a phenomenon that has been under observation, which entails the experience of patients in the nursing care and the development of compassion among the nurses. Whereas this aspect is a crucial part of nursing globally, there is a duty of care pre-existing among all nurses to be compassionate and ensure that patients feel supported emotionally and valued (Bramley and Matiti 2014, p.2796). A significant number of nurses have efficiently dedicated their time to providing basic care in nursing with some patients offering insight into the care they have received in nursing. Many patients in the study view nursing as much more than the actions and inactions that constitute compassion and entail the relationship between patients and nurses in the care system. The research seeks to give a bigger picture on the experiences of patients with regard to valuable and legitimate learning premised on compassion emanating from the nurses. The basis of the study has been identified and will rely on some sound reasoning.
Compassion is a crucial part of the nursing profession with commentators arguing that this basic foundation of relationships in human beings is a product of mental and physical health (Howatson-Jones 2016, p. 89). Compassion and care plays a pivotal role in the lives of patients globally; however, there are growing concerns on how much health care systems are willing to do to embrace this aspect in nursing.
We can do it today.
In most parts of the world, there is an increase in the need to inculcate compassion in all levels of nursing recruitment, education and training. Superficially, the study was aimed at placing oneself in the shoes of the patient and/or using the patients lens to address the issue of compassion. Since nurses cannot at all times relieve the pain and suffering of patients, dignity and independence of these patients stems out of the need for compassion (Bramley and Matiti 2014, p.2792). By and large, compassion cannot assume a peripheral role in nursing.
To establish the exact underlying reasons for the study, we must critique the phenomenon; this will help us understand the basis of the phenomenon and answer questions on the role of compassion in nursing and how much the nurses have done to promote this aspect. The research gathers data from several resources, the data is analysed and deductions made out of them. The study was carried out on 10 patients in a teaching hospital in the UK. A number of stakeholders find the recommendations and conclusions invaluable to their nursing practices. The findings provide an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon and information is share on the strength and limitation of these findings.
Focus
There is failure in response of nurses towards patients with a host of players citing lack of compassion in the way nurses handle the needs of patients; the patient’s perspective on nursing is important to fill the void created by inadequacy of this fundamental practice (Heffernan,Quinn Griffin, McNulty and Fitzpatrick 2010, p. 371) . As espoused by this phenomenon, there are huge impediments interfering with the realization of this element in nursing. The current scenario presents a misunderstanding in the meaning of compassion among patients and nurses in the nursing care system. The answers to these systems are the basis of the study.
This theoretical and empirical research has been at the centre of conveying the concept of compassion with real life scenarios at the peripheral aimed at addressing learning to offer legitimate and valuable development in the profession. In this critique, much of the theoretical content analysed offers a thoughtful reminder on the essence of actions and/or inactions in realizing compassion.
Aim
There are underlying issues that influence the way patients view nursing and compassion in the nursing care system; finding out the perceptions of the patients on the development of compassionate nurses forms part of this analysis. From this inference, the purpose of the research would be to seek answers on the experience of patients with regard to compassion emanating from the nursing care system. Academic factors form a huge chunk of the study but other role players such as the environment and socioeconomic factors come to play.
Methodology
The research requirements inform the method of choice (Matthews and Ross 2014, p. 85); to conduct a research, focus groups, surveys, interviews and/or observation can be used especially since this is a qualitative data. Nevertheless, interviews form the most favourable method in this case thus becomes the main tool in the research. However, co relational research methodologies would fit in as the technique answers important questions on comparison of circumstances and factors that influence compassion in the nursing care system. The interviews took the naturalistic, interpretivist form that many qualitative data research assume.
Sample
The data involved populations; there is need for a sampling approach that is appropriate. To find out the average values of certain variables in the research, the recruitment of 10 patients served this purpose. This sampling technique was used based on feasibility and requirements of the research (Levy and Lemeshow 2013, p. 19). However, my opinion is that the use of stratified random sampling would serve best in this scenario. This basis would provide for two groups to assess the level of satisfaction of patients with regard to their perceptions to compassion as offered by the nursing care system in the UK, these would be complemented by random probabilities samples in the research. determination of the size of the stratum also influences the outcome of the research since qualitative research require smaller sample sizes as compared to quantitative ones. Furthermore, financial and time constraints should be factored in to control the sample size.
Data collection
Availability of skills, logistics, time constraints, collection of data strategies and accuracy determine the method of collecting data (Goodman, Cryder and Cheema 2013, p. 220). A research can use many methods to collect data and necessity dictates the method to use. The research needed to collect data from the 10 participants in the teaching hospital. The choice of participants need be random with no inclination to the socio-economic background of the participants (Bramley and Matiti 2014, p.2793). Based on the requirements, these data collection techniques may apply:
- Interviews: this is the primary data collection method. The interview must ensure legitimacy in responses by subjecting the students to similar set of questions that are open-ended and the opinion of the interviewee recorded in real time to ascertain validity. The data collected must be able to influence the current thinking.
- Surveys: the study could also have been conducted and organized through surveys. These must specifically be structured and designed for the larger nursing community.
- Focus groups: on the perceptions that compassion experiences vary from patient to patient; creation of a cordial relationship between participants and the researcher would be efficient in collecting data since the participants share in the feelings of the researcher and their opinions on the topic are sought.
Validity and reliability of data
During the study, there is need for credibility that is also referred to as validity. Furthermore, another crucial element is reliability that refers to consistency in findings and data in the study. Both concepts are premised on making the research authoritative (Csikszentmihalyi and Larson 2014, p.37). The research was rigorous but could be made much more reliable by seeking clarity during the interview. This can be done by use of repetition in the questions to ensure consistency, coupled by use of checks for reliability and open-ended questions.
Data analysis
There are several data analysis techniques; although the data obtained went through thematic analysis, the same should have gone through data cleaning, modeling, exploratory data analysis and processing (Bazeley and Jackson 2013, p. 19). The use of MS excel in cases of quantitative data as well as automation of the data analysis and processing is an added advantage. The research benefits from qualitative data premised on the fact that it is objective and quantitative data comes in to complement the research.
Ethical concerns
Pre-requisites for all research entail ethical considerations (Erwin, Gendin and Kleiman 2015, vol 814, p. 17). To protect the data of the participants, these concerns are crucial. The information provided should be voluntary free from coercion; this will go a long way into ensuring that honest information is collected.
Consent entails another important ethical concern in the research. the participant must comprehensively and concisely be informed of the data processing and analysis and the extent of their involvement in the research; risks associated with participation in the study should be revealed.
Another crucial ethical consideration is confidentiality; this may be reinforced by anonymity of the participants in ensuring privacy. To address the issue of insecurity among participants when responding to the questions, focus groups play a vital role since the peers find it easy to give honest responses emanating from the relationship they enjoy with the researcher.
Findings
Based on the questions put forward by the research, some facts were espoused; the data was placed under open and axial coding narrowing the outcomes to a few observations. As a matter of fact, empathy, caring and communication were all mentioned by the participants as perceptions of acceptance of compassion in the nursing care system.
Overall strength and limitations of the study
The study observed acceptable practice and due diligence; at the same time, limitations also featured. These featured mostly in the result.
Duration
The recruitment of the participants took place almost at the same time over a period off three months. During this period, other peripheral factors that might have cropped up around this time were not inculcated in the study. At the same time, the study failed in its inclusion of variables mainly due to its length thus may result to unreliable findings.
The study was confined to the UK
There was no data from other international hospitals or local UK hospitals in this instance. As a consequence, possibility of universality in the causal factors and data gathered is high. These would mean that all the above is a discussion of well known facts. the study failed to own the concept and claim its uniqueness to the UK alone. This may have made the study inconclusive since empathy may run across the divide but not unique to compassion in the nursing care practice.
Population
The study had a short time frame and had to be undertaken in a small area with less diversity. This led to similarity between the average data and the findings of the research. This notion was further reinforced by similarity in responses of participants. From this inference, an innocent observer would be forgiven for thinking that the sample was not random.
Conclusion and recommendations
Care and compassion cannot be differentiated if the research is to meet its objectives (Potter,Perry, Stockert and Hall 2016, p. 91). The research acknowledges that practitioners need to realize means to connect to their patients in a way that enunciates compassion. The interviews conducted resulted to findings that formed the basis for compassion in nursing. It is the recommendation of the research that the findings are considered and evaluation is undertaken to rectify challenges encountered in the implementation. This will improve the relationship between nurses and patients in the nursing care system. The findings will also serve as the foundation for related future research in ensuring reliability.
Application to practice
The individual needs of a patient are unique to each one of them; on this account, it is the duty of nurses to be compassionate and empathise with the patient in their busy schedule (Bramley and Matiti 2014, p.2791). This can be evident in the little assistance that nurses offer to patients. The world health organization has intimated that compassion is the best possible quality of a nurse. On the contrary, the study revealed that patients require sharing experiences to realize legitimate and valuable development.
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