How case-study research can help to explain implementation of the nurse practitioner role
Abstract
AIM: To discuss how case-study research was undertaken to explain the implementation of the nurse practitioner role in a Canadian province. BACKGROUND: In Canada, the nurse practitioner role was only recently introduced and one of the last provinces to implement it was British Columbia. At this time, no studies of the role's implementation in the province had been published and, although nurses refer to case studies more frequently in their research, the literature lacks concise explanations of the methodologies involved in creating them. DATA SOURCES: A case study of the implementation of the nurse practitioner role, including participant interviews and document review. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: The development of an explanatory, single case study with embedded units of analysis in line with Yin's (2009) approach to case-study research. DISCUSSION: This article provides an overview of case-study research methodology and examples from a case study undertaken by the author. CONCLUSION: The use of case studies provides nurse researchers with opportunities to engage with phenomena of interest in their settings and so is suited to the complex nature of nursing practice. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE OR RESEARCH: Case-study research enables researchers to study areas of interest thoroughly and in the context in which they occur.
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Qualitative case study research should have pre-defined boundaries that may address time, place and individuals, defining what is and is not studied.
“Qualitative case study research should also have pre-defined boundaries that may address time, place and individuals, defining what is and is not studied (32, 35).”
From Implementing an action over inertia group program in community residential rehabilitation services: group participant and facilitator perspectives (2021) · cites this paper as [35]
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“Case study design was recommended because it allows for in-depth examination of events while taking into account the larger context in which they occur [12].”
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“Furthermore, CAQDA with NVivo has been used successfully in other mixed methods case studies of nurse practitioners (Sangster-Gormley, 2013; Sangster-Gormley et al. 2015).”
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“Adapted from Yin [23], Sangster-Gormley [24], and Whitmore [25] Burrows et al.”
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- Authors
- Sangster-Gormley, E.
- Venue
- Nurse Researcher
- Publisher
- RCN Publishing Ltd.
- Published
- 2013-03
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 6-11
- ISSN
- 1351-5578 (ISSN-L)
- 2047-8992
- OpenAlex
- W2330786905
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 9.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Nurse Researcher (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Nursing Roles and Practices
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Policy Implementation Science
- Social Sciences › Education › Qualitative Research Methods and Applications
- Keywords
- nurse practitioner role, role implementation, British Columbia, nursing practice, nurse researchers
- MeSH terms
- Canada, Nurse Practitioners, Nurse's Role
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