XR4004 Assignment Qualitative Data

XR 4004 Assessment

Slide 1

Welcome, everyone. Thank you for attending today’s learning time!

This is James Hutchison, and today I’ll be sharing some results of an important qualitative study examining the experiences of nurses and other health care professionals who have had contact with anyone who died by suicide or a family member.

Slide 2

The focus of this study was to gain insight into the grief process following a person’s death by suicide (Mary McDaniel et al., 2022). Suicide Bereavement is a more complex bereavement than other losses. There is often a lot of guilt that goes on in the minds of survivors: “What could I have done differently? They may also be subjected to social stigma as suicide remains a subject that people don’t talk about openly. These are fine experiences that the researchers wanted to record from those who were experiencing them. They wanted to measure not by numbers but by emotional depths and meaning. This is why a qualitative approach was used – it’s the best way to explore the ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions when it comes to human experience.

Slide 3

The approach in this study was the methodology of a qualitative study (phenomenological study). Phenomenology is a qualitative research methodology that is based on understanding what it is like to experience something for the individual. “What is it like to experience it? (Alhazmi & Kaufmann, 2022). This design was particularly appropriate for this topic as it was a personal and emotional situation when someone close to them dies by suicide. You can’t really convey the anguish of losing your loved one to suicide, but you can with numbers and statistics. Second, there are not many studies on this group of people who have suffered a suicide loss; thus, a more exploratory and in-depth study was needed before any generalizations could be made.

Because the researchers chose a phenomenological approach, they could hear the voices of the participants because they listened to participants’ meaning-making of their experiences.

Slide 4

Let’s now discuss the people who were involved in this study and how they were selected.

Adult participants were 15 people who personally experienced the loss of a close family member or friend to suicide. These are known as “suicide loss survivors. The sampling method used is purposive; that is, the researchers actively choose participants who have that particular experience that they study (Garnett & Northwood, 2021). This is pretty normal in qualitative research; you want the research participants who can speak to your research question directly and meaningfully.

Recruitment could have taken place via community support groups, therapist referral, and through other avenues that reach out to bereaved persons. A sample size of 15 is considered to be adequate for phenomenological research where the goal is to understand the phenomenon.

Slide 5

A method of data collection for the study was in-depth semi-structured interviews with each of the 15 participants.

Semi-structured interviews are a form of interview where the researcher has a broad range of questions and/or topics to direct the interview, but the participant is encouraged to take the lead for the discussion and share what is meaningful for them (Magaldi & Berler, 2020). Such flexibility is important for when we’re discussing challenging topics, like a loved one’s suicide. Interviews were audio-recorded, with the consent of the participants, and then transcribed word for word for analysis. Questions were open-ended, e.g., about loss of a loved one. This enables the participant(s) to express their experience in their own words. Data collection continued until thematic saturation (when no new information or themes were being heard or new participants were heard) was reached.

Slide 6

Thematic analysis, a widely used and established technique in qualitative research, was used to analyze the data (Ahmed et al., 2025). The first step was for the researchers to read over each interview transcript several times to familiarize themselves with the data. After that, they started coding, that is, giving meaningful phrases or segments labels. If, for example, a person responds to the question “What could you have done differently?” with the answer “I keep asking myself that question,” that person may be scored as “self-blame. Eventually, codes were expanded to themes (larger groups of codes, representing a pattern of shared experience that is important). The following themes arose from this study: overwhelming guilt/self-blame, an unending quest to understand why the loved one died, social stigma (the struggles of sharing grief), the journey towards making sense, and the importance of social and professional support. Combined, these themes give a picture of what may happen to the family of the person who dies by suicide.

Slide 7

First, with regard to the data, in-depth interviews provided rich and detailed information. The participants were able to express their experiences in their own words; a survey with set answers could never do that.

Secondly, there was a good methodological match to the phenomenological design. When studying a subject that is both personal and emotional, like grief and suicide loss, there needs to be an objective and emotional perspective.

Third, purposive sampling led to a group of participants who really experienced the phenomenon being studied (Bouncken et al., 2025). This helps the results have more validity.

Fourth, they sampled until reaching thematic saturation, which gives rigor: they did not stop too soon, and the researchers are likely to have obtained the range of experience among the population studied.

Finally, it is clinically relevant, giving information about experiences of these survivors and effective types of support to the nurse and other health professionals.

Slide 8

This is because, as with all studies, there are limitations to what can be gained from it and it is important to recognise these when making a proper assessment of a study.

Limited sample size (n = 15) is an important weakness, appropriate for a qualitative study, and the results cannot be statistically generalized to the population of people whose loved ones died by suicide.

There is a relationship between generalizability and this. The purpose of qualitative research is not to generate generalizable results, but to gain an understanding of a particular group (Lim, 2024). It’s a natural trait and restriction.

Self-selection bias is also a possibility. Those selected and those not selected for participation may differ. For instance, volunteers might be going through more in terms of processing grief.

Another concern with thematic analysis is the subjectivity of the researcher. It should be noted that while member checking (representation of findings back to the participants for corroboration) is one of the tools that can assist the researcher in the validation of findings, there will always be some interpretation.

Finally, data were collected at one time and one place; we do not know what will happen to these experiences over time (months or years).

Slide 9

How is all this relevant to nurses? Therefore, I’ll close this study with a few implications for our own practice.

First, though, there is a need to routinely check patients for a history of suicide. Those who have suffered the loss of a loved one through suicide are more likely to experience complicated grief and mental health problems. These can be screened for at intake, health assessment, or proactively at any point.

Second, it is important to reduce the barriers to stigmatizing clinical settings. In many cases, suicide loss survivors are afraid to share the truth about their loved one’s death for fear of being judged. Through a safe and loving environment, we can open that door.

Third, we must know how to make specific referrals to other grief counselors who have experience with the bereavement experience of a suicide or to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention or a group like that.

Last, based on this study, it has been proven that there is a need to enhance nursing education. The conversation and work around suicide prevention is one we talk about a lot and need to, but we also need to be thinking about assisting persons who have survived.

These figures make us all want to remember that we can’t only save lives. It assists those following it.