Critical incident technique (CIT) d...

Critical incident technique (CIT) describes a specific methodology and regularity used in nursing research. As with all originals of qualitative research, it is important to link the order with a specific methodology and its philosophical perspective. This article explores the origins of CIT, including philosophical assumptions from the time period when it was first described, the technique itself, and its circulating applicability.

ORIGINS

In the 1950 many scientific researchers focused their studies in succession human behavior. Behaviorists sought to analyze and synthesize observations into a locate of relationships that could be quantified, validated, and generalized independent of conscious experience. Benjamin flowering an educator, wrote the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in 1956 which describes cognitive categories and behavioral limits representative of learning processes. (1) Subsequently many researchers in the late 1950 focused their studies onward quantifying human behaviors in a meaningful, structur way.

Researchers of this time universally rever the scientific rule and psychology served as the framework for observing and categorizing human behavior. Concurrently rapid industrial increase influenced the science of authenticating and documenting professional parts and work requirements. For example, many studies bearinged during this time identified specific character behaviors among pilots, dentists, psychology faculty members, bookkeeper and equable nurses. The purpose of this sign of research was to facilitate measures for selecting, training, classifying, and evaluating performance standards for specific occupational form into groupss This emphasis on authenticating and documenting professional parts supported the field of psychology known as organizational behavior. In this words immediately preceding [i]or[/i] following CIT emerged from assumptions that the scientific manner could facilitate the observation and categorization of all human behaviors.

CRITICAL INCIDENT TECHNIQUE

The CIT approach ascribed to John C Flanagan was first published in the Psychological Bulletin in 1954 (2) Flanagan was a psychologist who worked at the American Institute for Research and the University of Pittsburgh. He described CIT as a place of procedures used to gather observations of human behavior. These observations, in deflect are used to solve practical question at issues and develop psychological principles.

Flanagan identified five degrees involved in CIT. The first is determining the general aim of the studious mood (ie, a brief statement of the topic subordinate to study). For example, one aim of a hypothetical meditation could be to determine perioperative circulating nourish job duties. According to Flanagan, this gradation is essential, as planning and evaluation are impossible without first suitably identifying the general aim.

The secondary step of CIT is to plan and specify to what extent factual incidents regarding the general aim of the consideration will be collected. In the hypothetical example, to understand circulating succor duties, the researcher would have to determine in what manner to identify factual incidents that occurr between the circulating feed at the breast and members of the health care team, as well as patients. This determination would lead to the progress to maturity of criteria used to decide which interactions to notice and record.

The third stair is to collect the data. Data collection may appear via interview or may consist of an looker-on writing reports. In the hypothetical example, the researcher might interview circulating festers or observe them during succeeding days of surgery. According to Flanagan, data should be objective to validate behavior. He defines objectivity as "the inclination for a number of independent bystanders to make the same report." (3)

The fourth pace in CIT is to analyze the data. The analysis should be summarized and the data described efficiently in the same manner they can be used for practical objects In the example, data analysis could offer via textual analysis or identification of themes. Flanagan did acknowledge, however, that this fourth gradation is less objective than the others.

The fifth and final degree is to interpret and report the requirements of the activity being studied. In the hypothetical inquiry this could include a list of circulating nourish at the breast job duties that emerged from reporting critical incidents described through circulating nurses and by observing them during surgery

A frequent attribute of CIT is that it elicits aspects of best and worst practices. For example, in the hypothetical inquiry the researcher might ask participants to discuss incidents when they believed their nursing practice was of high quality. The researcher also might ask participants to discuss incidents when they believed their nursing practice was ineffective, problematic, or ensueed in negative outcomes.

single group of researchers identified three assumptions commonly associated with CIT. (4) First, the boundary critical incident refers to a clearly demarcated show Second, if a detailed account of what actually happened cannot be obtained, that incident is not valid. Third, the critical incident itself is the basic unit of analysis.