Larkin Patricia Mary, Begley Cecily Marion, Devane Declan
School of Health and Science, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Republic of Ireland.
Nurse Res. 2014 Mar;21(4):8-12. doi: 10.7748/nr2014.03.21.4.8.e1219.
To outline the traditional worldviews of healthcare research and discuss the benefits and challenges of using mixed methods approaches in contributing to the development of nursing and midwifery knowledge.
There has been much debate about the contribution of mixed methods research to nursing and midwifery knowledge in recent years.
A sequential exploratory design is used as an exemplar of a mixed methods approach. The study discussed used a combination of focus-group interviews and a quantitative instrument to obtain a fuller understanding of women's experiences of childbirth.
In the mixed methods study example, qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis and quantitative data using regression analysis.
Polarised debates about the veracity, philosophical integrity and motivation for conducting mixed methods research have largely abated. A mixed methods approach can contribute to a deeper, more contextual understanding of a variety of subjects and experiences; as a result, it furthers knowledge that can be used in clinical practice.
The purpose of the research study should be the main instigator when choosing from an array of mixed methods research designs. Mixed methods research offers a variety of models that can augment investigative capabilities and provide richer data than can a discrete method alone.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE/RESEARCH: This paper offers an example of an exploratory, sequential approach to investigating women's childbirth experiences. A clear framework for the conduct and integration of the different phases of the mixed methods research process is provided. This approach can be used by practitioners and policy makers to improve practice.
概述医疗保健研究的传统世界观，并讨论使用混合方法促进护理和助产知识发展的益处与挑战。
近年来，关于混合方法研究对护理和助产知识的贡献存在诸多争论。
采用序列探索性设计作为混合方法的一个范例。所讨论的研究结合了焦点小组访谈和定量工具，以更全面地了解女性的分娩经历。
在该混合方法研究实例中，定性数据采用主题分析法进行分析，定量数据采用回归分析法进行分析。
关于混合方法研究的真实性、哲学完整性及开展动机的两极化争论已基本平息。混合方法有助于更深入、更全面地理解各种主题和经历；因此，它能拓展可应用于临床实践的知识。
在从一系列混合方法研究设计中进行选择时，研究目的应是主要的驱动因素。混合方法研究提供了多种模型，可增强调查能力，并能提供比单一离散方法更丰富的数据。
对实践/研究的启示：本文提供了一个探索性的、序列性的方法来调查女性分娩经历的实例。为混合方法研究过程不同阶段的实施与整合提供了一个清晰的框架。从业者和政策制定者可采用这种方法来改进实践。
