Hermeneutic Phenomenological Research A Practical Guide For Nurse Researchers

[Lavonna Baldree]

Thispractical guide offers an approachable introduction to doing hermeneutic phenomenological research across the health and social sciences. Grounded in real world research, it integrates philosophy, methodology and method in accessible ways, helping you realize the potential of using phenomenology to guide research.

Evidence, knowledge, and facts in nursing studies are ascertained and concluded as a result of using different scientific research approaches. The scientific method is the most powerful tool for world truths discovering, exploring and validating human inquiry and new theories [1] . Previous literatures on nursing studies and evidence in nursing research have indicated that most studies used quantitative research methods, and few qualitative studies exist [2] [3] .

The most common qualitative approaches used in nursing studies include: phenomenology, ethnographic, grounded theory, historical, case study, and action research [4] . Phenomenology is recognized as a critical, accurate, logical applicable qualitative investigation research method to study phenomena significant to nursing discipline [4] . Among phenomenological qualitative studies, few that have evaluated the lived experience in nursing studies involved in education, practice, and administration using the phenomenological method [5] [6] . Therefore, the main aim of this review is to highlight the use of Hermeneutics in nursing studies in the three domains of practice, education, and administration.

Phenomenology: Phenomenological inquest brings to language perceptions of human experience with all types of phenomena [7] . As several authors have noted, phenomenology, both as philosophy and research approach, allows nursing to explore and describe phenomena important to the discipline [8] - [14] . The central structure of an experience is its intentionality, its being directed toward something, as it is an experience of or about some object. An experience is directed toward an object by virtue of its content or meaning (which represents the object) together with appropriate enabling conditions [15] . The phenomenology was initiated by Husserl (1859-1838) as a philosophy. Later, it was developed by Heidegger (1889-1976), to focus on essences of phenomena and consciousness, moving from discipline towards hermeneutic and existential dimensions [16] . Phenomenology has been influenced by multiple philosophical perspectives and theorists, which inform hermeneutic phenomenological research. The phenomenology movement is commonly divided into three phases: the Preparatory Phase, the German Phase, and the French Phase [17] .

The purpose of phenomenology is to describe a particular phenomenon, or the appearance of things as a lived experience; it is both a way of thinking or perspective, that is, a philosophy, and a research method [4] . Phenomenology is also considered a careful examination of the human experience, and understanding the essential qualities of the experience in turn can illuminate the experience for others. To accomplish this, one must focus on the particular object in its own right, and then move the focus to the perception of the object and away from the object itself [18] .

Phenomenology studies conscious experience as experienced from the subjective or first person point of view. This field of philosophy is then to be distinguished from, and related to, the other main fields of philosophy: ontology (the study of being or what is), epistemology (the study of knowledge), logic (the study of valid reasoning), and ethics (the study of right and wrong action) [19] .

The relevant articles in this integrative review were limited to: written in English language, published from the period between 2008 and 2018, articles specifically related to hermeneutic phenomenology, and published in peer-reviewed nursing journals. Other studies outside nursing profession, abstracts, conferences, duplicated studies, reports, opinion papers were excluded to be included from this review.

of using hermeneutic phenomenology in practice domain; and 2 articles argued the outcomes of using hermeneutic phenomenology in administration domain. The result of the reviewed articles, were used as a codes to identify, summaries synthesis and discuss of findings for clarifying the interpretation themes. Thirteen relevant articles have been reviewed. From each article the following data have been extracted: domain, title, author, study aim, strength of evidence and findings; all articles presented in Appendix.

The authors relate and interpret the research findings to identify themes based on their domains similarities. Overall, the thirteen reviewed research articles published between 2008 and 2018; all of the nursing studies were guided by hermeneutic phenomenology. All of the articles are presented in Appendix.

Utilizing hermeneutic phenomenology for nursing practice, education, and administration has made a significant contribution to the substantive body of nursing knowledge. Qualitative methods acceptance as effective approaches to nursing knowledge discovery continues to develop; evidenced by increasing nursing research guided by hermeneutic phenomenology; to investigate phenomena of interest experiences.

Practice Domain: Experience of working with new nurses, working experiences with chronic daises ill patients, adapting to new strategies as emotional intelligence in nursing practice are central phenomenon to nursing practice that can be enriched when examined from a qualitative lens. Therefore, phenomena unique to the practice of professional nursing need investigative approaches suitable to their unique nature [7] .

Evidently, practice-related research domain is growing and expanding into various nursing areas, with significant and extensive development of related-researches in education and administration domains.

Hermeneutic phenomenology method provides a road for investigation that allows interpretation of numerous experiences. The interpretations of nurses in practice, education, and administration domains can be a remarkable foundation of data that need to be more fully explored and make significant contribution to body of nursing knowledge. Incorporating data extracted in the domains of clinical practice, education, and administration can help significantly in improving patient care.

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Researchers conduct phenomenological studies to better understand the experiences of phenomena. Researchers conducting phenomenological studies use different research methods grounded in philosophical underpinnings. Van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenological human science method is used in understanding phenomena in diverse disciplines. The purpose of the integrative review was to explore and synthesize research to address two questions about the human science method in clinical practice settings. Wittemore and Knafi (2005)'s method for integrative review was used to explore current literature and summarize the use of human science method. A database search of keywords in peer-reviewed articles published from 2009 to 2019 was reviewed. Eleven key research studies were selected for the integrative literature review. The key studies met the inclusion criteria of phenomenology, nurses, human science method, clinical practice, and van Manen. Researchers used van Manen's human science method as guidelines for collecting and analyzing data about the lived experience of diverse phenomena in clinical practice settings. An understanding of the human science method will guide researchers who conduct research studies using van Manen's approach to phenomenology.

Using examples from my own research experience, this article aims to examine what draws nursing to this method and why nurses think they may be good at it. It also offers practical advice on how to carry out a good interview, how and what to transcribe and how to use quotes to support research.

Interviews will be transcribed and, after data has been collected from several people, interpretation (data analysis) can be carried out. This may be done using a number of approaches, with the aim of identifying meaningful information and categorising this into a set of themes once all texts have been analysed (Byrne, 2001). These themes will be issues that are common between several participants.

Nurses are taught to respect individuals, listen to them and believe them. They can also relate to the methods used to obtain data. Nurses are taught to be good listeners, to empathise and to create rapport, often in a short period of time. All these are valuable skills in phenomenology and nurses may feel they are sufficient to allow them to conduct a good interview in this type of research.

Many authors agree that if researchers are not clear which approach they are using from the start so that they collect data to suit that method, the value of that research is significantly reduced (Annells, 2007; Dowling, 2004; Crist and Tanner, 2003).

Descriptive phenomenology, which is attributed to Husserl (1963; original work 1913), attempted to make phenomenology a rigorous science within the tradition of its time, and used the concept of bracketing to maintain objectivity. Bracketing involves putting aside what the researcher already knows about the experience being investigated and approaching the data with no preconceptions about the phenomenon (Dowling, 2004; Lopez and Willis, 2004).

Principally, interpretative phenomenologists believe it is impossible to rid the mind of preconceptions and approach something in a completely blank or neutral way. They believe instead that we use our own experiences to interpret those of others.

For nurses conducting research using descriptive phenomenology, one would expect to see some discussion around how they bracket their preconceptions and ensure a neutral approach to the topic. This may even mean not conducting a literature search before carrying out the research to avoid contaminating or influencing the interviews.

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