2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Essentials of the Nurse+Engineer: Qualitative Methodology Applied to Foods Systems in Environmental Engineering

Presented at Environmental Engineering Division (ENVIRON) Technical Session 4 - Engineering for One Planet & Sustainability Innovation

Previously, we reported on a revamping of an existing design course to shift from a focus on sewage treatment plant design to a focus on the (re)design of local food systems. To introduce engineering students to qualitative research methods as part of community-based participatory research, we used instructional materials from the nursing profession. Results from student feedback suggests that the approach is viable, and the students uncovered examples of lived experience from the community with regard to the availability of food and the local approach to the problem of food loss and waste. Our results suggest that qualitative research methods may be taught to students of engineering by adopting instructional approaches from nursing. In this article, we make the argument that qualitative research methods as part of community-based research is as an essential skill of the nurse+engineer, a convergent V-shaped profession, and we demonstrate the value of this approach to solve problems of sustainable development such as food systems.

Authors

Dr. Daniel B. Oerther http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6724-3205 Missouri University of Science and Technology [biography]

Professor Daniel B. Oerther, PhD, PE, BCEE, DLAAS, FAAN(h) joined the faculty of the Missouri University of Science and Technology in 2010 as the John A. and Susan Mathes Chair of Civil Engineering after serving for ten years on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati where he was head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Professor Oerther is internationally recognized for leadership of engineers, sanitarians, and nurses promoting the practice the sustainable development, local to global. Dan is a Past President of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. He is a Diplomate Laureate of the American Academy of Sanitarians. Dan is a lifetime honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Professor Oerther's awards as an educator include lifetime honorary Fellowship in the National League for Nursing's Academy of Nursing Educators and the Robert G. Quinn Award from the American Society for Engineering Education.
Sarah Oerther

Download paper (3.6 MB)

Are you a researcher? Would you like to cite this paper? Visit the ASEE document repository at peer.asee.org for more tools and easy citations.

» Download paper

« View session