Papers by Jonathan Drennan
Journal of Advanced Nursing, Jan 1, 2003
Cognitive interviewing: verbal data in the design and pretesting of questionnaires Purpose. The p... more Cognitive interviewing: verbal data in the design and pretesting of questionnaires Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to discuss problems that occur in questionnaire responses and how cognitive interviewing can be used to identify problematic questions prior to using the questionnaire in the field. Background. Questionnaire design involves developing wording that is clear, unambiguous and permits respondents successfully to answer the question that is asked. However, a number of problems in relation to respondents' understanding and successfully completing questionnaires have been identified. Cognitive interviewing, an amalgamation of cognitive psychology and survey methodology, has been developed to identify problematic questions that may elicit response error. The overall aim is to use cognitive theory to understand how respondents perceive and interpret questions and to identify potential problems that may arise in prospective survey questionnaires. Methods. A literature review is used to examine the process of questionnaire design and how cognitive interviewing can be used to reduce sampling error and increase questionnaire response rates. Findings. Cognitive interviewing involves interviewers asking survey respondents to think out loud as they go through a survey questionnaire and tell them everything they are thinking. This allows understanding of the questionnaire from the respondents' perspective rather than that of the researchers. Cognitive interviews have been used in a number of areas in health care research to pretest and validate questionnaires and to ensure high response rates. Interviewing has been found to be highly effective in developing questionnaires for age specific groups (children and adolescents) and in ascertaining respondents' understanding in health surveys prior to distribution. However, cognitive interviews have been criticized for being overly subjective and artificial. Conclusion: Cognitive interviews are a positive addition to current methods of pretesting questionnaires prior to distribution to the sample. They are most valuable in pretesting questions that are complex, where questions are sensitive and intrusive and for specific groups for whom questionnaire completion may pose particular difficulties.
Social Science & Medicine, Jan 1, 2005
This article concerns the manner in which group interaction during focus groups impacted upon the... more This article concerns the manner in which group interaction during focus groups impacted upon the data generated in a study of adolescent sexual health. Twenty-nine group interviews were conducted with secondary school pupils in Ireland, and data were subjected to a qualitative analysis. In exploring the relationship between method and theory generation, we begin by focusing on the ethnographic potential within group interviews. We propose that at times during the interviews, episodes of acting-out, or presenting a particular image in the presence of others, can be highly revealing in attempting to understand the normative rules embedded in the culture from which participants are drawn. However, we highlight a specific problem with distinguishing which parts of the group interview are a valid representation of group processes and which parts accurately reflect individuals' retrospective experiences of reality. We also note that at various points in the interview, focus groups have the potential to reveal participants' vulnerabilities. In addition, group members themselves can challenge one another on how aspects of their sub-culture are represented within the focus group, in a way that is normally beyond reach within individual interviews. The formation and composition of focus groups, particularly through the clustering of like-minded individuals, can affect the dominant views being expressed within specific groups. While focus groups have been noted to have an educational and transformative potential, we caution that they may also be a source of inaccurate information, placing participants at risk. Finally, the opportunities that focus groups offer in enabling researchers to cross-check the trustworthiness of data using a post-interview questionnaire are considered. We conclude by arguing that although far from flawless, focus groups are a valuable method for gathering data about health issues. r
Journal of advanced nursing, Jan 1, 2005
Quality of life of patients on haemodialysis for end-stage renal disease Aim. The aims of the stu... more Quality of life of patients on haemodialysis for end-stage renal disease Aim. The aims of the study were (a) to measure the overall quality of life of people receiving haemodialysis, (b) to compare the quality of life of the sample with that of the general population and (c) to identify any differences between the quality of life of people who are adequately dialysed and those inadequately dialysed, as determined by Kt/V urea (dialysis adequacy) measurements. Background. End stage renal disease is a progressive, debilitating, chronic illness requiring nursing and medical interventions. The development of the disease affects quality of life, potentially influencing physical and mental health, functional status, independence, general well-being, personal relationships and social functioning. Method. A descriptive, cross-sectional, survey was carried out of the quality of life of patients undergoing haemodialysis treatment at a hospital in the Republic of Ireland. A non-probability sample of 97 patients was chosen. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey questionnaire. Findings. Patients receiving haemodialysis identified limitations in a number of areas including vitality, physical functioning and physical role limitations. They also reported significantly lower physical functioning when compared with general population norm-based scores. Differences were also found in mental health scores between patients who were well-dialysed and those less well-dialysed. Conclusion. End-stage renal disease and its ensuing treatments negatively affect quality of life. Nurses aware of this evidence can explore new ways to assess more accurately and identify specific problem areas for individual patients and take action to ameliorate these.
Journal of Advanced Nursing, Jan 1, 2002
Nursing …, Jan 1, 2005
2005) 'Modes of rationality in nursing documentation: biology, biography and the 'voice of nursin... more 2005) 'Modes of rationality in nursing documentation: biology, biography and the 'voice of nursing''. Nursing inquiry , 2 (NA):66-77. ABSTRACT This article is based on a discourse analysis of the complete nursing records of 45 patients and concerns the modes of rationality that mediated text-based accounts relating to patient care that nurses recorded. The analysis draws on the work of the critical theorist, Jürgen Habermas, who conceptualised rationality in the context of modernity according to two types: purposive rationality based on an instrumental logic and value rationality based on ethical considerations and moral reasoning. Our analysis revealed that purposive rationality dominated the content of nursing documentation, as evidenced by a particularly biocentric and modernist construction of the workings of the body within the texts. There was little reference in the documentation to central themes of contemporary nursing discourses, such as notions of partnership, autonomy, and self-determination which are associated with value rationality. Drawing on Habermas, we argue that this nursing documentation depicted the colonisation of the socio-cultural lifeworld by the bio-technocratic system. Where nurses recorded disagreements that patients had with medical regimes, the central struggle inherent in the project of modernity became transparentthe tension between the rational and instrumental control of people through scientific regulation 2 and the autonomy of the subject. The article concludes by problematising communicative action within the context of nursing practice.
Health Promotion …, Jan 1, 2005
In recent decades, dominant discourses in health promotion have emphasized empowerment, client pa... more In recent decades, dominant discourses in health promotion have emphasized empowerment, client participation and the notion of people identifying and being facilitated to meet their own health needs. However, there has been little analysis of the concept of 'need' and the possibility, at least, that the fulfilment of some such self-defined needs are not in the interest of social justice and equality. In this article, we present an account of the sex education needs of secondary school pupils from their own perspectives, and problematize the concept of self-identified needs in health education. Twenty-nine focus group interviews were conducted with 226 secondary school pupils in Ireland, and data were subjected to a qualitative analysis. Findings suggested that young men tended to prioritize practical guidance that would provide them with the skills and confidence to take the lead in sexual encounters, and display competence in the act of penetrative sex. We argue that these self-defined sex education needs emanate from a culture of traditional masculinity where, for a male, one's place in the pecking order is derived from one's capacity to conquer, lead and display mastery with regard to sex. In the discussion, we attempt to unpack the notion of clients identifying their own needs and the concept of empowerment as it relates to our data, in the context of gender-based structural inequalities.
International journal of …, Jan 1, 2006
Journal of …, Jan 1, 2006
research programme funded by the Irish Health Research Board, was established to develop and test... more research programme funded by the Irish Health Research Board, was established to develop and test a nursing minimum data set to capture the nursing contribution to patient care in Ireland. A nursing minimum data set is comprised of the smallest number of information items required to capture the range of patient problems, nursing interventions and nursing outcomes recorded by nurses on a regular basis. Nursing minimum data sets have been developed in several countries for a range of applications such as workforce planning, financing nursing care, examining patient profiles and forecasting trends in nursing diagnoses. Method. Eleven focus groups were conducted with 59 registered general nurses to explore their conceptualizations of patient problems, nursing interventions and nursing outcomes. In addition, data relating to nurses' recordings of patient problems, nursing interventions and nursing outcomes were collected from a 364 sample of 45 sets nursing records. The research took place between January 2003 and April 2004. Findings. A range of patient problems, nursing interventions and outcomes were identified that were similar to those found in existing nursing minimum data sets. However, several new items and categories of items were also identified, justifying the empirical approach taken to generate the initial list of items. Data from nursing records supported several points raised in focus groups and also highlighted some inconsistencies between nurses' perceptions and recordings of what they do. Conclusion. Our research identified several new types of indirect interventions and managing/organizing activities in addition to items found in existing nursing minimum data sets. The importance of these aspects of the nursing contribution to patient care will be tested further in the development of the Irish nursing minimum data set.
Journal of Nursing …, Jan 1, 2007
The purpose of the study was to identify and rate clinical, managerial, and educational nursing r... more The purpose of the study was to identify and rate clinical, managerial, and educational nursing research priorities in Ireland. Design: The study design was a three-round, decision Delphi survey to identify and rate the importance of clinical, managerial, and educational research issues. A discussion group workshop was also undertaken to identify timeframes within which research on the issues identified should be conducted. A total of 1,695 nurses from all divisions of the nursing register in Ireland were initially surveyed. Response rates varied over the three rounds of the Delphi survey. A total of 122 nurses attended the discussion group workshop. This is the largest known survey of nurses to identify research priorities reported in the literature. Results: Twenty-four nursing research priorities were identified. The five highest priorities were three clinical issues: outcomes of care delivery, staffing issues in practice, communication in clinical practice; and two managerial issues: recruitment and retention of nurses, and nursing input into health policy and decision-making. Conclusions: These research priorities identified for nursing in Ireland indicate, to an extent, the nursing research priorities identified in other European countries and in North America. The research priorities identified in this survey indicate that outcomes of care and the need to make nursing visible are attaining a higher priority than seen in previous studies. Also evident is that nursing shortages and increasing skill-mix in the clinical area have indicated a need for research into nurse recruitment, staff turnover, and staffing levels and how these issues affect patient outcomes. The priorities suggest research programmes that target the health service concerns identified in the national health agenda, such as the need to identify protocols and procedures that improve patient and client care outcomes and to examine and test solutions to workforce problems.
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher …, Jan 1, 2008
Nurse education today, Jan 1, 2008
Master's degrees, especially in the form of coursework master's programmes are becoming the main ... more Master's degrees, especially in the form of coursework master's programmes are becoming the main conduit for continuing professional education to the professions. However, there is a paucity of literature on the academic or professional destination of nurses following the completion of master's degrees in nursing. A cross-sectional postal survey of 322 graduates from masters in nursing programmes in Ireland was undertaken. Former students were surveyed regarding their professional and academic destinations subsequent to graduation. The majority of graduates were employed in clinical nursing followed by a substantial number working in the area of nurse education, mainly at the grade of college lecturer. The vast majority of graduates had achieved promotional grades following the master's degree. A minority of graduates indicated a desire to undertake further study at degree level. Those that did were following or intended to follow PhD level studies. However, the majority of graduates did not view the degree as a pathway to a PhD but as an integral part of their continuing professional education and related to clinical practice. There is a reversal of the trend seen in Ireland and the UK in the mid to late 1990s in which the majority of graduates followed career pathways in nurse education. Although there has been an increase in the number of nurses completing master's level education over the last five years unemployment of underemployment of graduates is not yet an issue.
Sexual Health, Jan 1, 2008
2008) 'Safer heterosex: perspectives from young men in Ireland'. Sexual Health, 5 (1):25-30.
Ageing and …, Jan 1, 2008
ABSTRACT This paper reports a study of the risk factors for social and emotional loneliness among... more ABSTRACT This paper reports a study of the risk factors for social and emotional loneliness among older people in Ireland. Using the ' Social and Emotional Scale for Adults ', the social and emotional dimensions of loneliness were measured. Emotional loneliness was conceptualised as ...
Qualitative Health …, Jan 1, 2010
Conventional approaches to menopause tend to contrast the biomedical position on menopause with w... more Conventional approaches to menopause tend to contrast the biomedical position on menopause with women's actual experiences of it. Rather than focusing primarily on the tensions between these perspectives (biomedical vs. lay), our emphasis here is on the impact of biomedicine in shaping participants' perceptions of their status as menopausal. Based on interview data gathered from 39 women in Ireland, we argue that the cultural authority of biomedicine shaped participants' experiences of the body and how they constituted their health identity. We assert that, ironically, this was particularly the case among those who most strongly contested biomedical definitions of their situation. In addition, biomedical practitioners' definitions had a strong normalizing power in how the body was experienced. We conclude by noting that our analysis problematizes the notion of privileging "women's experiences" as advocated by some feminist perspectives.
BMC emergency …, Jan 1, 2009
Background: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a ubiquitous problem with serious public he... more Background: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a ubiquitous problem with serious public health implications. The fast track area is a novel method which aims to reduce waiting time, patient dissatisfaction and morbidity. |The study objective was to determine the impact of a fast track area (FTA) on both effectiveness measures (i.e. waiting times [WT] and length of stay [LOS]) and quality measures (i.e. LWBS rates and mortality rates) in non-urgent patients. The secondary objective was to assess if a FTA negatively impacted on urgent patients entering the ED.
American Journal of …, Jan 1, 2009
Studies in Higher Education, Jan 1, 2009
Although the coursework master's degree is becoming the principal conduit fo... more Although the coursework master's degree is becoming the principal conduit for the delivery of continuing education to the professions, it is one of the least understood or researched academic levels in higher education. Furthermore, little is known of coursework master's graduates' ...
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Papers by Jonathan Drennan