Qualitative Research and Homeless Experiences

This assignment delves into the significance of qualitative research, particularly phenomenology, in understanding the healthcare experiences of homeless individuals. It analyzes Martins' (2008) study, highlighting how phenomenological research methods shed light on the challenges and barriers faced by this population in accessing healthcare. The analysis reveals key themes such as compromised health due to lack of resources, delaying healthcare until emergencies, encountering barriers to care, and developing resourceful coping mechanisms. Overall, the assignment emphasizes the value of qualitative research in providing a nuanced understanding of complex healthcare experiences.

1Running head: NURSING
Nursing
Name of student:
Name of university:
Author note:

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Research in nursing can take different forms and approaches, guiding the outcomes of
the study and their application into practice. Qualitative research has been gaining increasing
recognition of late and its utility in healthcare research is no longer undermined. Unlike
quantitative research, qualitative research aims to identify the meaning of a phenomenon with
the help of an illustration. The three common research methodologies for qualitative research
are ethnography, phenomenology, or grounded theory (Vagle, 2016). The article by Martins
(2008) is about a descriptive phenomenological study on the experiences of homeless people
in the healthcare delivery system. This paper highlights the value of qualitative research in
the article selected to evidence-based practice.
According to Mayoh and Onwuegbuzie (2015), phenomenology research design
involves exploring the manner in which individuals make sense of experiences and the way in
which meanings are given to such experiences. A key strength of qualitative research is that
the emphasis is on the understanding of the phenomenon under scrutiny through a holistic
approach. Phenomenology research approach has been perceived to be an interpretive theory,
a paradigm for enquiry and a philosophy upholding analytical approach. Vagle (2016) further
highlight that researchers can employ this perspective for elucidating the significance of
utilising methods capturing the experiences of the real world.
The research by Martins (2008) has undertaken a phenomenology research design for
highlighting the experiences of homeless individuals in a heath care delivery setting. The aim
of the research entails the needs of abiding by the phenomenological study design guidelines.
Holloway and Galvin (2016) had adequately explained that emotions, feelings, perceptions,
experiences and values of individuals are to be explored through this research process.
Martins (2008) had highlighted that phenomenology acts as the philosophical basis of their
research. As the background to the present study, the researchers had highlighted that there
are growing concerns and evidence regarding the health problems of individuals who are

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homeless. Access to care also emerges as a concern. However, there is a scarcity of
information regarding the experience of being challenged with health complications while
being homeless. Moreover, the experience of this population in relation to access to
healthcare services have also not discussed previously in literature. The present study thus
wanted to look at the healthcare experiences through the perceptions and eyes of the person
who is homeless using this phenomenology.
Phenomenology requires different ways of looking into an aspect and researchers are
to move forward of their own experiences and came out of their own domains. In the present
research, the researchers were successful in shedding their prejudices and predispositions and
providing thick and rich descriptions of the healthcare experiences of homeless people. The
research, in turn, was valuable for fostering a better understanding of the phenomena. The
research highlighted several themes regarding the research question. These were ‘living
without essential resources compromises health’, ‘Putting off health care until an emergency
arises’, ‘Encountering barriers to receiving health care’, and ‘Developing underground
resourcefulness’. This study was therefore successful in increasing the knowledge on the
characteristics of the homeless people’s experiences in addressing the health care system and
health care providers.

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References
Holloway, I., & Galvin, K. (2016). Qualitative research in nursing and healthcare. John
Wiley & Sons.
Martins, D. C. (2008). Experiences of homeless people in the health care delivery system: a
descriptive phenomenological study. Public health nursing, 25(5), 420-430.
Mayoh, J., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2015). Toward a conceptualization of mixed methods
phenomenological research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 9(1), 91-107.
Vagle, M. D. (2016). Crafting phenomenological research. Routledge.