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Understanding technology in contemporary surgical nursing: a phenomenographic examination
Author(s) -
Barnard Alan,
Gerber Rod
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
nursing inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.66
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1440-1800
pISSN - 1320-7881
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1800.1999.00031.x
Subject(s) - phenomenography , space (punctuation) , lived experience , phenomenology (philosophy) , nursing , medicine , epistemology , psychology , pedagogy , computer science , philosophy , psychoanalysis , operating system
The purpose of this paper is to describe the result of phenomenographic research undertaken to identify the qualitatively different ways technology is understood and experienced by contemporary surgical nurses. Twenty surgical nurses were interviewed and conversations were recorded through the use of drawings and audiotape that were analysed using a series of seven analytical steps. There were two major outcomes of the research: eight categories of description were revealed and each one constitutes a conception of the experience and understanding of technology, and an outcome space portraying the logical relations between conceptions was identified. Conceptions revealed demonstrate the importance of technology to the theory, practice, research and education of nurses, and highlight the complexity and significance of technology in contemporary surgical nursing experience.