| Learning Objective #1: Describe how research can foster understanding of ethical issues in Alzheimer's disease | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Discuss the potential for drama to enhance understanding of research findings by laypersons in the community |
Design: This phenomenological study used a Heideggerian hermeneutical approach. To build a community of understanding that would not be reached through scholarly journals, excerpts from interviews have been integrated into a dramatic reading to convey the power of ethical dilemmas faced by study participants.
Population, Sample, Setting, Years: Eighteen face-to-face interviews were conducted with Alzheimer patients, caregivers, and health professionals in Northern Virginia during 1999 - 2002.
Concept or Variables Studied: The study focused on the phenomenon of ethical concerns in Alzheimer's disease.
Methods: The study was approved by the researcher's University Human Subjects' Review Board. Snowball sampling was used. Participants were asked: "Can you tell me about a specific incident that stands out in your mind that reflects ethical concerns?" All interviews were audiotaped or videotaped and transcribed verbatim.
Findings: Direct quotes from participants will be used during the presentation to illustrate how drama can be used to convey qualitative research findings. Dramatic narratives are focused around the theme: "Creating a Quality of Life through Connected Lives." The narratives reveal how participants struggled with heart-wrenching decisions, yet were able to reframe their vulnerability into an evolving quality of life.
Conclusions: Health care professionals need to question previous assumptions related to quality of life in persons living with Alzheimer's disease.
Implications: The use of dramatic narratives to present research findings can help to build a community toward understanding that even in advanced dementia, persons are capable of thoughtful and empathetic interactions. The extension of perspectives of "Quality of life" in dementia to incorporate "Quality of interconnected lives" helps to establish an ethics of respect for the individual experience and its connecting relationships.
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Back to 15th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
July 22-24, 2004