The delivery of quality care, although acknowledged as being vital to health care systems, is a complex, poorly understood phenomenon. This article describes an attempt to respond to the challenge of studying the meaning of quality nursing care in an acute-care hospital setting. Grounded theory method was used to progressively develop theory incorporating both patients' and nurses' perspectives. Separate studies were undertaken concurrently in the same setting, and the ongoing development of theory is continuing. The patient's perspective is presented as the central focus, with findings and data from the nurse study being used for further comparative analysis. The different levels of analysis and progressive stages of theory development are highlighted.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bottorff, J. L. , & Morse, J. M. (1994). Identifying types of attending: Patterns of nurses' work. Image: The Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 26(1), 53-60.
2.
Brown, L. (1986). The experience of care: Patient perspectives. Topics in Clinical Nursing, 8(2), 56-62.
3.
Estabrooks, C. A. , & Field, P. A. (1994). Aggregating qualitative data: An approach to theory development [abstract]. Program of the Second International Interdisciplinary Qualitative Health Research Conference (p. 89, Abstract No. C8.2). Hershey, PA.
4.
Gardner, K. G. , & Wheeler, E. C. (1987). Patients' perceptions of support. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 9(1), 115-131.
5.
Glaser, B. (1978). Theoretical sensitivity. Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press.
6.
Irurita, V. F. (1993). From person to patient: Nursing care from the patient's perspective. Unpublished report, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Department of Nursing Research, Perth, Western Australia.
7.
Irurita, V. F. (in press). Preserving integrity: A theory of nursing. In J. Greenwood (Ed.), Nursing theory in Australia: Development and application. Sydney: Harper Educational.
8.
Jenny, J. , & Logan, J. (1992). Knowing the patient: One aspect of clinical knowledge. Image: Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 24(4), 254-258.
9.
Larson, P. J. (1987). Comparison of cancer patients' and professional nurses' perceptions of important nurse caring behaviours. Heart and Lung, 16(2), 187-193.
10.
Lawler, J. (1991). Behind the screens. Nursing somology, and the problem of the body. Melbourne, Australia: Churchill Livingstone.
11.
Levine, M. (1973). Introduction to clinical nursing (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Davis.
12.
Mayer, D. K. (1986). Cancer patients' and families' perceptions of nurse caring behaviors. Topics in clinical nursing, 8(2), 63-69.
13.
Mayer, D. K. (1987). Oncology nurses' versus cancer patients' perceptions of nurse caring behaviors: A replication study. Oncology Nursing Forum, 14(3), 48-53.
14.
Morse, J. M. (1991). Negotiating commitment and involvement in the nurse-patient relationship. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 16, 455-468.
15.
Morse, J. M. (1992). Comfort: The refocussing of nursing care. Clinical Nursing Research, 1(1), 91-106.
16.
Morse, J. M. (1994). "Emerging from the data": The cognitive processes of analysis in qualitative inquiry. In J. M. Morse (Ed.), Critical issues in qualitative research methods (pp. 23-43). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
17.
Morse, J. M. , Solberg, S. M., Neander, W. L., Bottorff, J. L., & Johnson, J. L. (1990). Concepts of caring and caring as a concept. Advances in Nursing Science, 13(1), 1-14.
18.
Pettit, L. S. , & White, C. L. (1991). Providers' and consumers' perception of quality health care. Journal of Nursing Staff Development, 7(1), 5-10.
19.
Price, P. J. (1993). Parents' perceptions of the meaning of quality nursing care. Advances in Nursing Science, 16(1), 33-41.
20.
Riemen, D. J. (1986). Noncaring and caring in the clinical setting: Patients' descriptions. Topics in Clinical Nursing, 8(2), 30-36.
21.
Seidel, J. V. (1988). The Ethnograph (Version 3.0) [computer software]. Corvallis, OR: Qualis Research Associates.
22.
Stewart-Amidei, C. (1989). What is quality care?Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 21(6), 335.
23.
Strasen, L. (1988). Incorporating patient satisfaction standards into quality of care measures. Journal of Nursing Administration, 18(11), 5-6.
24.
Strauss, A. (1987). Qualitative analysis for social scientists. New York: Cambridge University Press.
25.
Strauss, A. , & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research. Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
26.
Swanson, K. M. (1991). Empirical development of a middle range theory of caring. Nursing Research, 40(3), 161-166.
27.
Vuori, H. (1991). Patient satisfaction—Does it matter?Quality Assurance in Health Care, 3, 183-189.
28.
Williams, A. M. (1994). Nurses' perceptions of high quality care. Unpublished report, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Department of Nursing Research, Perth, Western Australia.
