Qualitative fieldwork in medical contexts: confessions of a neophyte researcher

Immersive fieldwork can facilitate an understanding of the richness, complexity and multifaceted relationships within medical environments, and is increasingly being used to explore sensitive topics within health care. However, few published studies have made use of immersive methods within hospitals or clinics, and there is a lack of guidance for those seeking to conduct immersive research within medical spaces. In this confessional tale, the first author, a neophyte qualitative researcher with no medical training, reflects upon her experiences during the first five months integrating into an amputee rehabilitation clinic prior to a period of immersive fieldwork. Drawing on 195 h of observation and the author’s reflexive journal (totalling more than 20,000 words), alongside discussions with the supervisory team, four main challenges are discussed: finding a role, navigating waiting spaces, encountering the unfamiliar, and ethics in the boardroom and in the field. Specific recommendations for novice researchers entering medical environments include: preparing to encounter those who do not share their beliefs, identifying a safe environment in which they can share their emotions, and engaging in reflective practice to explore the impact their (in)experience and willingness to embrace opportunities for learning may have within their own research context