Grounded Theory Study Research Articles

Health Management of Working Pregnant Nurses: A grounded theory study.

To explore the recognition of pregnant nurses on how they managed their health conditions to examine safe working strategies. A qualitative study with a grounded theory approach. Twenty-one nurses engaged in work during their pregnancy were recruited and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire from January to June 2021. The data were analysed using a constant comparative method. The core category 'duelling roles' and the four other categories emerged. Pregnant nurses understand the 'weight of one' of being a professional in the workplace. Therefore, despite their health concerns, they struggle to complete their work as one team member to avoid inconveniencing others. However, through experiencing various nursing situations, they 'perceive one's limits' of working as they had done before pregnancy and protect their health and patients. Nevertheless, interactions with patients and their colleagues bring 'delight in nursing', which encourages them to continue working. Pregnant nurses thus develop a 'prioritizing the foetus' working style to continue being nurses while protecting their health. These results provide meaningful guidance in considering safe job retention strategies for pregnant nurses. Sharing and developing the 'prioritizing the foetus' mindset and management skills gained by the participants may be beneficial for the appropriate health management of pregnant nurses. The study may also facilitate nursing managers' understanding of the experiences of pregnant nurses and encourage them to consider reviewing nursing practices. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies checklist was used to ensure the quality of research reporting. Members of the nursing team were involved in the design, conduct and interpretation of the data in this study.

Korean Elementary English Teachers’ Professionalism Development in Using EdTech: A Grounded Theory Study

Korean Elementary English Teachers’ Professionalism Development in Using EdTech: A Grounded Theory Study

Therapeutic stance towards persons with psychosis – a Grounded Theory study

ABSTRACT Objective Over the last decades, psychotherapy of psychosis has increasingly gained attention. The quality of the therapeutic alliance has been shown to have an impact on therapy outcome. Yet, little is know about the influence of the therapeutic stance on the alliance. In this study, we explore psychotherapists‘ stance towards persons with psychosis with the aim of better understanding its characteristic—hindering and helpful—aspects. Method 6 semi-structured interviews with psychotherapists from three different schools (CBT, PD, ST) were analysed with Grounded Theory. Credibility was checked through external and peer-researcher-supported debriefing. Results 4 core categories were generated and interrelated in a theoretical model. Therapists‘ stance was initially characterized by insecurity. Diffent ways of dealing with insecurity yielded different stances: a monological and an open one. A helpful stance was conceived as stemming from openness and was characterized by a dialogical structure. A co-presence (or „dosing“) of you and I was conceived as its core aspect. Conclusion These findings specify the interpersonal dynamics arising from different stances and their impact on the therapeutic alliance and process. Research is still needed to further understand the characteristics of helpful and hindering therapeutic stances, which should also inform the training of psychotherapists.

Chinese college students’ post-traumatic growth during the COVID-19: a grounded theory study

During the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, both high levels of post-traumatic stress and positive personal changes, a phenomenon known as post-traumatic growth (PTG), were experienced by some people. What remains unknown are the constructs and facilitators of PTG during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study uses a grounded theory methodology to elucidate the behavioral and cognitional dimensions of PTG in Chinese college students. Twenty-four individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with Chinese college students who had positive experiences during the epidemic. Transcripts were analyzed using initial and focused coding to identify themes that explained the PTG model. The coding results revealed that the Chinese college students’ PTG consisted of four core themes: reflections on the country and society, self-awareness changes, increased social behavior, and lifestyle modifications. Additionally, participants described external factors such as information input and patriotism, which were identified as influencing their PTG during the pandemic. Findings from this study extend prior theory and research by conceptualizing a novel theoretical model for PTG among college students during the pandemic and provide important implications for research and practice.

Medical students’ perceptions of prosocial behaviors: a grounded theory study in China

IntroductionProsocial behavior has been shown to be protective against burnout. Yet, we know little about prosocial behavior in medical students. We wanted to know what are chinese medical students' understanding of prosocial behavior and which factors influence their participation in it?MethodsWe undertook a grounded theory study, following Corbin & Strauss. We used convenience sampling and conducted semi-structured individual interviews. We analyzed data using open, axial, and selective coding techniques. Next, we grouped data into concepts. We noticed these concepts aligned with three existing social theories, so we developed our theory in concert with these: the Theory of Planned Behavior, Self-Determination Theory, and Social Support Theory.ResultsTwenty-eight medical students participated in this study. Medical students hold especial views on the roles of medical physicians, and most of these views align with students' core values, including the value of prosocial behavior. Students are intrinsically motivated to engage in prosocial behaviors that align with their core values. Personal values, personality traits, perceived self-competence, career motivation, environmental factors, and family influences are the core factors influencing medically positive prosocial behavior.ConclusionsThis study supports a focus on prosocial behavior instead of altruistic behavior in medical education. We anticipate that promoting prosocial behavior through medical curricula will reduce moral distress and burnout among medical students.

Systemic family therapists and dementia: A constructivist grounded theory study

AbstractThis article presents research that explored the ways that systemic and family therapists might approach the support of families living with dementia. A constructivist grounded theory methodology was used to interpret interviews with four systemic family therapists working in the United Kingdom. All participants had professional and/or lived experience of dementia. Transcript analysis and theoretical sampling led to the development of five categories, each related to different aspects of considering systemic therapy in a dementia context. These categories were further developed into a ‘systemically informed dementia orienteering’ conceptual framework, which is presented in this paper as a learning resource. Findings are related to existing literature, and recommendations for future research are made.

The information needs of users in the metaverse communities: a grounded theory study

PurposeThis article aims to understand users' information needs in the metaverse communities and to analyze the similarities and differences between their information needs and those of users in Internet communities.Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted semi-structured interviews with users in the metaverse communities to gather raw data. Grounded theory research methods were employed to code and analyze the collected interview data, resulting in the extraction of 40 initial concepts, 15 subcategories and 5 main categories. Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, this paper constructs the hierarchical model of users' information needs in the metaverse communities. It compares the differences between users' information needs in the metaverse and Internet fields.FindingsThe user’s information needs in the metaverse communities are divided into two types: deficiency needs and growth needs. Deficiency needs have two levels. The first level is the demand for basic information resources. The second level is the users demand for information assistance. Growth needs have three levels. The first level is the need for information interactions. The second level is the need for community rules. The ownership information in the community rules can provide proof of user status, assets and so on. The third level is the need for users to contribute and share their own created information content.Originality/valueThis article presents the latest research data from in-depth interviews with users in the metaverse communities. It aims to help builders and managers of metaverse communities understand users' information needs and improve the design of virtual communities.

The recognition of dental anxiety. A comment on 'Dental clinicians recognizing signs of dental anxiety: a grounded theory study' by M. Höglund, I. Wårdh, S. Shahnavaz and C. Berterö.

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Contextual determinants impacting final year nursing students' emergency team communication during deteriorating patient simulations: A grounded theory study

BackgroundAbility to focus on development of students' team communication and non-technical skills may be reduced in content saturated nursing curricula. Even when communication and simulation-based education is provided, students' utilisation of non-technical skills remains challenging. Although simulation is a recognised means to learn communication skills, little is known about nursing students' team communication in simulated settings. ObjectiveTo understand the process by which final year undergraduate nursing students communicate in simulated team emergencies. DesignUsing constructivist grounded theory, data was collected using semi-structured interviews and student observations and analysed using constant comparative analysis. SettingSimulation laboratories in one university nursing school in Australia. Participants21 final year nursing students in seven teams. MethodsData were gathered from interviews and video observations of final year nursing students during simulated team emergencies. ResultsInterview data and observations of video-recordings revealed contextual determinants that influence communication within teams: the simulation context, the student context and the team context. Team member characteristics, such as cultural and linguistic background, life experiences, gender and age, the ability to shift from leadership to followership as well as environmental factors such as mask wearing and simulation fidelity, contributed to uncertainty in communicating that nursing team effectiveness. ConclusionsImprovement of contextual conditions necessitates implementation of supportive strategies. These include development of educational initiatives, and further research in experiential learning as a modality for learners to experience team communication. Further, simulation context, student context and team context are important considerations. Meeting clinical communication learning needs of students allows better preparation to care for deteriorating patients as graduates.

The Rhetoric and Reality of Choice and Autonomy When Older People Are Discharged from Community Hospital at the End-of-Life in England: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study

There has been an increasing acknowledgement in the UK of the importance of recognising frailty as a condition that leaves older people vulnerable to dramatic, sudden changes in health triggered by seemingly small events. In policy, the approach to managing frailty is often an emphasis on staying well with limited consideration to frailty as an end-of-life phase. Meanwhile, discharge from hospital continues to be complex. Overstretched acute hospitals are juxtaposed with community and social services that struggle to keep up with the demand of those being discharged and the labelling of older people as “bed blockers” at the centre of delayed discharges. This paper reports a study underpinned by constructivist grounded theory methodology, with the aim of exploring the experiences and perceptions of stakeholders. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 57 participants including patients, their informal carer(s), community hospital staff, community health professionals, and care home managers. The core category of “the drive to discharge conveyor belt” was derived from data analysis. A significant finding of this study was that of the carer, their burden, and their intrinsic role in facilitating discharge, filling in gaps in services, coordinating services, and enabling the patient to stay at home, with little consideration of their choices or autonomy. The “drive to discharge” impacts older people, their informal carers, and health professional. This study suggests how they may be supported, through an ethical lens.

A model to support the development of professional capital in trainee teachers: a constructivist grounded theory

PurposeThis paper shares findings from a constructivist grounded theory study, exploring Trainee Teachers’ perceptions of their teaching and learning experienced during university-based teacher education programmes, specifically the theoretical components. Findings led to the development of a model of program design, pedagogy and teaching strategies that were successful in creating opportunities to build Professional Capital. This paper aims to share this model, highlighting the significance of Professional Capital amidst challenges in English Teacher Education, and to suggest implications for application of the model within broader workforce development.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 trainee teachers from four English universities. To support the development of the theoretical framework, researchers employed inductive and iterative constant comparative methods aligned with constructivist grounded theory to sensitise concepts and codes, which were verified using theoretical sampling.FindingsInformed by the findings of this study, a model is presented which highlights that participants developed human, social and decisional capital during their academic programs helping them to widen their perceptions of what counts as educationally important, beyond narrow performativity measures that are pervasive in a school system. By actively adopting a transformative pedagogy and employing constructivist approaches to curriculum design and delivery, optimal learning environments for learners to build their professional capital can be provided.Practical implicationsThese findings may prove valuable to Higher Education academics as a model when designing and delivering professional, student-centred programmes. There are also implications for policymakers seeking to redesign initial teacher education towards schools-led and practice-oriented approaches, who wish to consider the perceptions, values and motivations of trainee teachers.Originality/valueThe findings highlight the significance of teacher trainees’ active engagement with academic literature and theory, in terms of contributing to the development of their professional capital, resilience and professional commitment.

Mechanisms of Near-Peer Learning in a Longitudinal Clerkship: A Grounded Theory Study.

Many medical schools incorporate longitudinal clerkships, which promote continuity and may offer early clinical exposure during the preclinical curriculum. However, the mechanisms of near-peer learning and how it contributes to the development of clinical skills in longitudinal clinical experiences are less clear. The authors explored how peer-to-peer interactions among medical students influenced their developmental trajectories from nascent clinicians to more seasoned practitioners capable of juggling dual roles of clinical care and clinical supervision within longitudinal clerkships. The Education-Centered Medical Home (ECMH) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is a longitudinal clerkship that represents an ideal setting to explore peer learning. At ECMH, continuity is established across all 4 years of medical school among small groups of students from each year, a preceptor, and a panel of outpatients. The authors conducted 6 focus groups and 9 individual interviews between March 2021 and February 2023 with medical students from all years. Using constructivist grounded theory, the authors collected and analyzed data iteratively using constant comparison to identify themes and explore their relationships. Within ECMH, peer relationships fostered an informal learning culture that enabled meaningful peer interactions while reinforcing the established culture. The authors identified 3 essential learning practices between senior and junior medical students: preparing for patient encounters, shifting roles dynamically during the joint encounter, and debriefing encounters afterward. These practices strengthened learning relationships and supported students' developmental trajectories. Longitudinal peer learning relationships enabled meaningful peer interaction that influenced medical students' clinical development and capability for clinical supervision. Mutual trust, familiarity, and continuity facilitate targeted feedback practices and growth at the edge of junior students' capabilities. Optimizing this peer learning environment and seeking new opportunities to use longitudinal peer learning in clinical environments could promote psychological safety and professional identity formation for medical students.

Peer Teachers' Professional Identity Development During a Prehospital Simulation: A Grounded Theory Study.

Peer teachers have been found to be effective instructors during simulation-based education. However, there is a lack of research regarding their professional identity development throughout the course of the teaching activity. The purpose of this qualitative study, therefore, was to develop a framework to illustrate how peer teachers develop as educators during a prehospital simulation. The participants in our study were 9 second-year medical students serving as peer teachers during a multiday prehospital simulation. We selected the grounded theory tradition of qualitative research to investigate the peer teachers' professional identity development. Our research team interviewed each participant twice during the simulation. We then used open and axial coding to analyze the interview data. We organized these codes into categories and determined connections between each category to construct our grounded theory framework. This framework described how the peer teachers progressed through 4 stages: 1) eager excitement, 2) grounded by challenges, 3) overcoming challenges, and 4) professional identity formation. Our results revealed that simulation-based education can serve as valuable learning environment not only for medical students, but also for peer teachers. Understanding their progressive development during the simulation will help medical educators focus on maximizing the peer teachers' growth and development during simulation.

Remedial, institutional or radical? Explaining community responses to violence against women in an NGO programme to prevent violence in Mumbai, India

Despite ambitions in development and global health policy to transform communities into supportive environments for women facing risks of violence, our understanding of how to best engage communities remains incomplete. In particular, there is little evidence on the types of strategies that communities employ to address violence against women (VAW). We aimed to describe and analyse the processes involved in community responses to incidents of VAW in a non-governmental organisation (NGO) violence prevention programme in Mumbai, India. We conducted a grounded theory study involving 30 focus group discussions and 36 semi-structured interviews with 113 community members and 9 NGO staff, as well as over 170 h of field observation. Informed by comparative case study methods, we compared community actions across six informal settlement neighbourhoods. We found considerable variation in the type of action taken across neighbourhoods. This variation was not arbitrary, but reflected systematic cost-benefit considerations in heterogeneous environments, accounting for factors such as trust in neighbours, violent (armed or gang-related) crime, and corruption in state institutions. We found that institutional action was only favoured in neighbourhoods with strong state capacity and high social capital, whilst remedial action—resolving violence through ‘private’ talks in the family and community—and radical action involving extra-judicial violence—became favourable under conditions of weak social capital or low state capacity. Institutional action was, however, sometimes as violent as radical action, as police were reported, sometimes even relied upon, by residents to use force against perpetrators of VAW. We argue that these contextual features oblige policymakers and prevention researchers to grapple with contentious issues such as the legitimate use of force by the state. We caution against maximising community action without a clear vision of the type of action hoped for.

Women’s decision process when actively choosing to ‘go flat’ after breast cancer: a constructivist grounded theory study

ObjectiveThis study aims to describe a conceptual model that could illuminate the decision process women go through when choosing to go flat on one or both sides due to breast cancer.MethodsA qualitative design, with constructivist grounded theory was used. Eighteen women were individually interviewed, digitally or by telephone, until saturation was reached. Data were analysed using a constant comparative iterative method in accordance with grounded theory. By examining the text data to identify the decision process for going flat and rejecting reconstructive surgery open coding was obtained. As the study proceeded patterns were explored and categories developed into a core category.ResultsThe overall decision process for women choosing to go flat on one or both sides emerged in three phases: Phase 1, where the women are forced to “Face the cancer”, Phase 2 comprising “Reflections on health and motivation” and Phase 3, described as “Hobson’s choice”. The fundament of the decision process was found in the core category “Establishing and safeguarding the chosen self”.ConclusionsThe decision process involved in actively going flat and rejecting reconstructive surgery is founded in the individual woman’s motivations, such as view of femininity and apprehensions about the offered reconstructive surgery.

How to code gerunds in constructivist grounded theory research: an example.

Coding for gerunds is useful in developing theory in grounded theory. However, it can be confusing for the novice researcher to recognise these words, which consider actions more abstractly. To explain how to identify, analyse and code gerunds, using the example of a constructivist grounded theory study investigating the design of operating rooms. Coding for gerunds helped to illustrate participants' actions and sequences in the example study and added depth to the researcher's understanding of certain topics. Coding gerunds can improve the insights obtained in grounded theory studies. This article may encourage nurse researchers to focus on actions to add depth to their qualitative analyses.

'Moving on' for Adults With a Learning Disability and Their Families: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study.

Ending familial co-residence, termed 'moving on' by participants, is an increasingly relevant life transition for people with a learning disability due to increasing life expectancy and policy developments. Nevertheless, there is an absence of research exploring this transition experience in a United Kingdom (UK) context. This constructivist grounded theory study therefore aimed to explore, conceptualise, and theorise the 'moving on' experiences of adults with a learning disability and their families. This article reports the experiences of five adults with a learning disability and nine family members in England, UK. Narrative interviews and creative storybook methods were used to collect data between April 2015 and May 2016. Constant comparative methods, theoretical sampling, and memo writing were used throughout data collection and analysis. Participants with a learning disability presented personal growth and greater life fulfilment over the course of the transition; they flourished. In parallel, family members relinquished their care responsibilities. Importantly, the iterative and reciprocal relationship between flourishing and relinquishing shows that ongoing family member involvement is crucial during and following relocation. Family members identified factors that potentially inhibit relinquishing: pressure to 'let go', different perceptions of independence between family members and service providers, inadequate future investment, and rapport with professional carers. These novel insights led to the generation of the first known mid-range theory concerning this transition, entitled 'Moving on: flourishing and relinquishing'. Findings will guide future research in this field and facilitate the design of appropriate support for people with a learning disability and their families.

Examining the Experience of Substance Dependence in College Students: A Grounded Theory Study

Examining the Experience of Substance Dependence in College Students: A Grounded Theory Study

Fluctuating cohesion: A grounded theory study of nursing students engaged in a combined debriefing format

AimThis study explored the social processes enacted by nursing students when they engage in a combined format of structured peer debriefing followed by instructor-led debriefing after in-person simulation. The aim was to gain insight into nursing students’ perceptions and how peer processes influenced reflection and learning. BackgroundDebriefing, a key component of clinical simulation, promotes development of nursing students’ reflective processes and enhances learning. In-person group-debriefing led by faculty/instructors is the most used debriefing format in healthcare simulation education. Yet, recent studies indicate instructor-led formats may increase students’ anxiety and limit their capacity for reflection, a crucial step in clinical reasoning and decision making. Investigations into learner-centered formats support peer debriefing as a reasonable alternative to traditional instructor-led debriefing. However, current peer debriefing studies provide little insight into the social interactions and processes supporting reflection and learning; and little theoretical basis exists for the integration of alternatives to instructor-led debriefing formats (such as peer debriefing) into simulation-based education. DesignThis qualitative study used a Straussian grounded theory design. MethodsSenior-level baccalaureate and associate degree nursing students from an U.S. public university with first-hand experience using the combined format of peer debriefing followed by instructor-led debriefing were recruited to participate in focus-group interviews. Data gathered from semi structured interviews were analysed using the iterative process of constant comparison. Theory building was aided using memoing, theoretical sampling and conceptual diagramming. ResultsThe sample consisted of 34 students. Study findings revealed the core category of the constructed theory, ‘Fluctuating cohesion’, involved students’ pervasive sense of going back and forth between a sense of unity (we-ness) and separatism (me-ness) while engaged in the combined debriefing format. The theory integrated five related categories: discovering the process, normalizing experiences, developing mutuality, dynamic balancing and engaging informal social connections. Findings illustrated the processes students enacted to take ownership for learning and proactively discuss their clinical decision-making with the instructor. In turn, reflection was enhanced by increased receptiveness to subsequent expert feedback. ConclusionsThe study findings demonstrated that augmenting instructor-led debriefing with peer debriefing leveraged the beneficial nature of peer interactions, promoted psychological safety, facilitated nascent team behaviors and enhanced reflective thinking. The resultant theory that was generated from the findings and grounded in participants’ experience, provides a meaningful framework that may inform future learner-centered debriefing formats aimed at optimizing debriefing effectiveness.

Disrupting Student Affairs Staff Departure: Examining Needed Changes to the Field of Student Affairs to Attract and Retain a Diverse Workforce

Abstract: The field of student affairs has seen an exodus of staff members over the past few years. Employee attrition, however, is not a new problem in student affairs. This grounded theory study aimed to understand why student affairs professionals leave the field. Based on interviews with student affairs professionals who left the field between March 2020 and March 2022, we developed a departure model that describes participants' experiences from their interest in and socialization into the field to their departure. Our model highlights how the conflicts between personal life, values, and approach to work and institutional policies, practices, and leadership rooted in white supremacy decreased participants' commitment to staying in the field over time. While our model focuses on departure, it also points to opportunities for disrupting current practices and transforming the working conditions in the field to attract and retain a diverse staff of student affairs professionals. In sharing implications, we take a both/and approach, highlighting how we can disrupt white supremacy culture and decolonize higher education and how we can foster student affairs professionals' ability to navigate the current cultural norms and environments.