Qualitative research: a challenging paradigm for infection control

he importance of high-quality research to address our knowledge deficits in relation to the causes of hospital-acquired infection has been acknowledged by the Department of Health. However, the contribution of nursing research may be restricted by confusion over the use of different paradigms and the discipline's lack of research pedigree. This paper discusses how nursing and infection control has historically favoured quantitative methods as they are associated with rigour, objectivity, generalisation and increased credibility. However, increasingly nurse researchers are turning to qualitative methods as they better explain the complex behavioural issues that affect practice. The paper describes a number of qualitative methods and infection control studies that have adopted these approaches. It concludes by suggesting that infection control nurses, because of their close relationship with practice are well placed to consider the merits of qualitative research as a way of contributing towards the discipline's research agenda.