The Use of Qualitative Study About Exposure of Nursing Staff to Radiation in the Operating Room

Introduction

A qualitative study is a method that examines different selected samples to understand a particular phenomenon. Even though the study comprises of distinct methods, its aim depends on the disciplinary background (Morse, 2005). In the case of exposure of nursing staff to radiation in the operating room, I would use interviewing method to do a qualitative study. I would also use a case study as the qualitative design and analyze the data in various ways.

To begin with, I would conduct an interview with the nursing staff that works in operating rooms. The study would include asking the employees about the use of protective equipment, the time they spent in the operating rooms, and how frequently they are exposed to radiation. By doing so, it will be easy to determine the number of employees who have had contact with radiation-emitting equipment.

Moreover, I would use a case study as a qualitative design as it comprehensively examines the selected subjects who are bounded by some unifying factors. The case study would involve the utilization of an instrument known as a dosimeter to measure the exposure of the radiation coming from the radiation-emitting equipment used. According to Querido and Poveda (2015), it is important to use at least two dosimeters placed over and under a protective apron to get accurate measures between employees who are strongly irradiated. After measuring the amount of radiation emitted, I would conduct a mathematical-statistical using mean, absolute numbers, and percentage to analyze the obtained data.

Conclusion

All in all, using an interview to do a qualitative study would be a useful method for determining the exposure of nursing staff to radiation in the operating room. Furthermore, using a qualitative design such as a case study would be crucial in examining the selected subjects. In this case, a dosimeter may be used to measure the amount of radiation the nursing staff receives from the radiation-emitting equipment. Besides, the data collected can be analyzed efficiently using a mathematical-statistical method.