Design A descriptive qualitative design was used for this study. A qualitative approach was selected because rich descri

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Design
A descriptive qualitative design was used for this study. A
qualitative approach was selected because rich descriptive data,
not available through quantitative methods, were desired to
document the nurses' experiences. Focus groups were chosen because
of their added benefits above individual interviews, in particular
the synergy generated between group members,19 their
naturalistic approach in tapping into everyday social processes of
communication,20 and their "permissive" and peer support
function in encouraging participants to divulge opinions and
beliefs that might not emerge through an individual
interview.21 Approval for this study was granted by the Deakin
University Ethics Committee and the ethics committee of the
participating tertiary referral hospital.
Procedure
Two focus groups, 8 participants and 7 participants,
respectively, in each group, were conducted in October 2003. One
member of the research team who had experience in facilitating
focus group interviews conducted the sessions. At both sessions, an
observer was present to take notes pertinent to each session.
Before commencing each interview, introductions were made between
the participants and the researchers present. The facilitator
[R.E.] gave an overview of the purpose of the interview, followed
by outlining the ground rules that apply to the conduct of focus
group interviews, and consent was then requested to audiotape the
session. A statement was made relating to maintaining
confidentiality of individual group members' perceptions at the
conclusion of the session. Participants were also reminded of their
right to withdraw from the study should they wish to do so. The
facilitator circulated written details to participants of who to
contact should they require any emotional support after the
interview.
A brief biographical form was circulated to capture data such as
the qualifications, experience, and role configuration of the
individual participants. Before commencing the interview, the
facilitator encouraged the participants to use "real life" examples
to identify situations in which psychosocial support for patients
and families was considered effective or could have been
enhanced.
During both sessions, the facilitator used a guide consisting of
open-ended questions and probes drawn from the relevant literature
and existing clinical guidelines regarding the psychosocial needs
of patients with life-threatening diseases. The guide was designed
to allow participants to talk freely about their experiences of
caring for patients with hematological cancer and their family
members. The focus group sessions lasted 1 hour; both were
tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim.
Were appropriate comparisons made to enhance
interpretability of the findings?
What kind of design was utilized?
Did the design minimize biases and threats to the
internal and external validity of the study (e.g., was blinding
used, was attrition minimized)?
Was the most rigorous possible design used, given the
purpose of the research?
Was the number of data collection points appropriate?
define sample size, give example from article