Ethnographic research in an acute hospital after an organizational merger / Joe MacDonagh.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

MacDonagh, Joe, author.

Series:

SAGE Research Methods. Cases.

SAGE Research Methods. Cases

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ethnology--Research.

Ethnology.

Hospitals.

Physical Description:

1 online resource.

Place of Publication:

London : SAGE Publications Ltd, 2018.

Summary:

This case study describes an ethnographic study in an acute general hospital carried out by a psychologist looking at a hospital merger. The ethnography involved observation of professional, support, and administrative staff which developed into shadowing, whereby organizational members were accompanied while carrying out of their work and were asked questions while doing so. This case study also examines the challenges involved in gaining access to a hospital for research and the importance of achieving ethical approval. The research process is described in detail as is the manner in which participants were recruited once organizational permission and ethical approval were granted. Members of the nursing, medical, and administrative staff were observed and shadowed in the course of their jobs. Grounded theoretical approaches were used in the taking of notes and in producing a theory as to what was happening in the organization. The ethnographic approach used was able to highlight the concerns organizational members had about the hospital after it was merged. Also, it was able to show the daily functioning of each ward and the importance of nurses in co-ordinating ward activity. Finally, the ethnographic approach gained insight into the importance of documents and how they at times enabled or constrained hospital activity. Suggestions are made for future research in this area, including the use of mixed methods, such as surveys and in-depth personal interviews, to triangulate the observations of what a hospital worker does.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on XML content.

ISBN:

1-5264-4747-9

9781526447470

OCLC:

1023837042