What type of research method should a nurse use if they plan to collect narrative data?

The appropriate research method for collecting narrative data is qualitative research. This method focuses on exploring and understanding individuals' experiences, beliefs, and feelings, which inherently involves gathering narratives. Qualitative research employs a variety of techniques such as interviews, focus groups, and open-ended surveys, allowing participants to express their thoughts in their own words. This type of data is rich and complex, offering insights into the context and meaning behind people's actions and decisions, which is essential in fields like nursing where patient experiences play a crucial role in care delivery.

In contrast, other methods such as basic research typically seek to expand knowledge without immediate practical application, applied research aims to solve specific problems through existing knowledge, and quantitative research focuses on numerical data to identify patterns or test hypotheses, which do not capture the depth and context of individual narratives. Thus, qualitative research is uniquely suited for collecting narrative data in nursing and other health-related fields.