The Interviews

The Little Oxford English Dictionary (2006:365) defines an interview as “a meeting at which a journalist asks someone questions about their work or their opinions, to ask someone questions in an interview.” An interview is a conversation which is set up by the interviewer. The interviews were set up to obtain information as to how the professional nurses experienced the team nursing care framework in the critical care units.

 Setting the scene

The participants who were included in this study were professional nurses identified with the help of the unit manager as they had been involved in the roll out of the team nursing care framework. The following steps were followed:

o The researcher made contact with each participant.

o The objectives of the study were explained to all the participants and they were invited to join the study.

o The researcher obtained consent from the participants before the interviews commenced and this was to protect the participant from harm (Annexure D).

o The researcher interviewed the participants taking their off duties into account. It was more convenient to interview the participants whilst they were on duty. The participant set aside time for the interview, around the needs and condition of the patient.

o Where possible interruptions were kept to a minimum and the door to the interview room was closed. However if there was a crisis with the participants patient then they were called to attend to the patient. However this did not happen in any of the interviews.

o The researcher informed the participants about the use of the audio-tape recorder and the rationale behind its use. Permission to use the tape recorder was obtained from each participant.

o The researcher notified each participant that the interview should not last longer than an hour. The participant was also assured that the anonymity and confidentiality of the interview would be maintained.

 Learning the part

Refers to knowing as much as possible about the local setting and the participants’ themselves.

o The researcher, has vast experience in the arena of critical care nursing, being a critical care trained professional nurse herself, she was familiar with the setting of the critical care unit and methods of care of the critically ill patient.

 Equipment checking

Prior to each interview, the researcher ensured the following:

o The environment was conducive for the interview, namely quiet, and private and as far as possible free from interruptions.

o The tape recorder was in working order and was tested prior to the interview, as there was a possibility of equipment failure and to ensure that the voices of the researcher and the participants would be recorded adequately. Extra batteries and tapes were available. All tapes were labeled and retained. The tape recorder was placed strategically so as to obtain maximum clarity.

 Pilot interview

The pilot interview was conducted in a different critical care unit, where the team nursing care framework had been introduced. A pilot study is a small research study implemented to develop and demonstrate the effectiveness of selected measures and methods. It may also be utilized to show the reliability or validity of selected measures in a sample and may be used to demonstrate the ability of the researcher to implement a study (Macnee, 2004:248). Brink (2006:166) describes a pilot study as a study done on a small scale prior to the initiation on the main study and is to investigate the feasibility of the proposed study and to ascertain what flaws exist in the data-collection instruments as well as whether the variables are observable and measurable. The information obtained during the pillow interview was not included in the study.

 The interview

The interview was conducted after staging the scene. Throughout the interview, the researcher was aware of the following aspects:

o The researcher was punctual for the scheduled interviews.

o The researcher was dressed in the corporate uniform of the specific healthcare group according to her position and grade. The researcher was well groomed at all times.

o The researcher placed the participants at ease. The researcher engaged in general conversation without appearing threatening or overpowering. The researcher again reinforced the confidentiality of the interviews and that the participants could withdraw from the study at any time.

o The researcher did her best to display communication skills as discussed previously in this chapter.

o During the interview the researcher probed the participant where necessary. The participant was given time to respond to the questions and to relate the questions to their own personal experiences. The researcher gave minimal response to the participants during the interview and generally responded with an “mmm”, and appropriate physical gestures e.g. nodding of the head. The researcher was also sensitive to any changes in the type of communication where the participants became emotional or angry, and was given time to compose themselves as needed.

o The researcher was attentive throughout the interview and was aware of the utilisation of bracketing during the interview to prevent bias and misinterpretation.

 Post –interview evaluation

When the interview was concluded and after the tape recorder had been switched off, the researcher engaged in every day talk. The result of the small talk was to:

o Ascertain how the participant felt about the interview process.

o Wind down as some of the participants who became quite worked up and at times angry during the interview process. The researcher assessed at this time as to whether the participant required referral for e.g. debriefing,

The researcher thanked the participants for their valuable input into the study. The contact details of the researcher were given to each participant should they need to contact the researcher for further information or should they wish to with draw from the study. The participants had the right to withdraw from the study at any time.