An introduction to the use of repertory grid technique as a research method and clinical tool for psychiatric nurses*

Abstract

This paper outlines a technique, the repertory grid technique, which offers the opportunity for psychiatric nurses to document information gained in an interview setting. The method, which consists of structured and systematic questioning, allows exploration of individual's systems of meanings. Data collection is separated from inference, hence the criticism that the nursing data is impressionistic and opinionated is avoided. The controlled conversational format of the technique provides an enhanced awareness of receiving information and interpreting it, and the primary data is clearly presented and available for discussion about conclusions. These data can be subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis and the method is to be recommended as a research technique which could be of value to psychiatric nurses at the clinical level.

Evaluation of the role of the health care assistant within a community mental health intensive care team

“…Clients are asked to describe how two of the elements are alike, but different from the third. The rigour of the ‘compare and contrast’ technique ensures that the interviewee elaborates at length their understanding of the objects of study pertinent to the investigation in hand (Pollock 1986).…”

Students’ perceptions of their psychiatric mental health clinical nursing experience: a personal construct theory exploration

“…A repertory grid consists of a matrix with elements on the top and constructs down the side of a graph. The elements are relevant people, objects, activities, or concepts in the subject’s experience ( Pollock 1986). The constructs are personal bipolar descriptive dimensions that can be applied to each element.…”

“…In nursing, existing research guided by personal construct theory and repertory grid technique offers important insights to nurses and nurse educators. In the practice area, the framework provided a forum for community psychiatric nurses and their patients’ and families to collaborate on nursing care and for the nurses to voice their concerns about juggling resources and legitimizing their work ( Pollock 1986, 1988, 1989). With nurse administrators, the approach facilitated an opportunity to discuss ideal performance as well as perceived shortfalls in self‐performance ( Burnard & Morrison 1989, Morrison 1989, 1990, 1991).…”

Some reflections on the use of repertory grid technique in studies of nurses and social workers

“…The use of repertory gnd as a tool for nursing research, and application of the method to community psychiatnc nursing, has been descnbed by Pollock (1986Pollock ( , 1988 She used 15 elements which were descnptions of different types of patients, and used the tnadic ehcitation method to obtain constructs This repertory gnd techmque was part of a wider study, but was m itself quite small (18 community psychiatnc nurses, CPNs) However, she used a vanety of other methods and the information collected was analysed and presented in some depth She subjected her results to content analysis following further qualitative exploration, and presented it as part of a descnptive study of the work of CPNs (Pollock 1989) Morrison & Bumard (1989) used a repertory gnd technique with eight elements to elicit perceptions of mterpersonal skill from 21 nurses Usmg content analysis, they found that of the 168 constructs more than half (57%) fell mto the category of personal qualities, and inferred from this that the nurses involved used personal qualities as being descnptors of interpersonal skills, before thinking of the skills themselves They also looked at the difference m the ratmg of self as opposed to ideal-self, noting the degree to which individuals fell short of their own aspirations in regard to interpersonal skills They discussed the meanmg of reliability m the context of this small study, as hemg related to this group of nurses at this time, and made no attempt to generalize the findings Like Altschul (1984) and Williams (1986) below, their findings led them to question the emphasis on traimng at the expense of selection Momson (1989Momson ( , 1991 also used the approach to determine 25 nurses' perceptions of canng Again eight elements were used, all of which had facets of canng, including some which contrasted by being uncarmg As m the study with Bumard ahove, both content analysis and difference scores were used Content analysis of the 200 constructs again revealed personal qualities as the mam (39%) area of construction Focusmg on the discrepancy between their perception of themselves as a carer m companson to their notion of an ideal carer, a degree of acceptance of the need for personal change was inferred Again the non-generahzahihty of the results was recognized…”