Student nurses’ perceptions of dignity: an innovative use of photo-elicitation within a nominal group technique

Photo-elicitation is a technique involving the use of photographs in an interview setting and was selected as a key component of a Nominal Group Technique (NGT). The NGT consists of four key stages to establish group consensus: silent generation of ideas; sharing of ideas; group discussion and individual voting and ranking. The application of photo-elicitation in this doctoral study used a suite of pre-existing images with five nominal groups of student nurses to explore their perceptions of dignity. The decision to incorporate photo-elicitation into the NGT was guided by the complex nature of the concept of dignity and the need to bridge the gap between the participants’ perceptions and what they could articulate. The literature suggests that photo-elicitation can help overcome any perceived need to say the ‘right’ thing and can evoke a more authentic and spontaneous response by connecting with the unconscious. Furthermore, images are thought to stimulate broader discussion and reduce the awkwardness of the research setting. This paper will outline the practical application of photo-elicitation within NGT. In this study, participants were invited to select an image that captured something of the meaning of dignity and to explain their choice in writing during the silent generation stage. Images were available from the outset and this was found to enhance participant engagement. In utilising photo-elicitation in NGT, participants were enabled to generate rich responses to a complex concept