NURSING - JUST A JOB - DO STATISTICS TELL US WHAT WE THINK

This study considers the value of classifying attitudinal statements given by nurses in a questionnaire by the statistical procedure of latent class analysis It demonstrates with the use of qualitative data derived from in‐depth interviews how precarious are the groups derived from statistical analysis However, it is argued that the apparent discrepancies between responses ‘objectively’ derived by a statistical approach and those ‘subjectively’ declared by respondents may focus on different levels of meaning and may well provide a useful resource Most importantly, it is stressed that a dynamic model is needed which recognizes change and the consequences of change Copyright © 1991, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved