Constructing a bricolage of nursing research, education and practice

Drawing upon post doctoral reflections of a shared methodology, the authors explore the use of bricolage as a way of better understanding the inter-related connections between theory, nursing practice and the felt experiences of service users. The origins of bricolage can be traced back to the work of Levi-Strauss, and Denzin and Lincoln’s contribution to qualitative methodologies. Bricolage is a multifaceted approach to the research process. Differing epistemological positions and mixed methods of data collection are utilised to bring a richer understanding of human beings and the complexities of their lived experiences. For the bricoleur the object of inquiry, cannot be separated from its context, that is the language used to describe it, its historical situatedness and the social and cultural interpretations of its meaning as an entity in the world. The paper discusses the importance of being able to move beyond the notion of the research method being merely a procedure, to one that respects the complexities of the lived world.