Nursing Research and EBP

Summary

This script delves into nursing research and its evolution, emphasizing its importance in shaping 21st-century healthcare. It outlines the process of research, from formulating questions to analyzing data, and discusses various study designs, including quantitative and qualitative approaches. The script highlights the significance of evidence-based practice, the role of the National Institute of Nursing Research, and the ethical considerations in conducting research. It concludes by stressing the need for educators, administrators, consumers, and policymakers to understand and apply nursing research.

Takeaways

• 🔬 **Nursing Research Definition**: It's a systematic inquiry to generate or refine knowledge, providing a scientific base for nursing practice and supporting quality and cost-effective interventions.
• 📈 **Evolution of Nursing Research**: From Florence Nightingale's statistical studies during the Crimean War to the current focus on evidence-based practice in the 21st century.
• 🏥 **Role of Nurses**: Nurses act as followers, managers, and leaders in healthcare organizations, applying research to improve patient care.
• 🌟 **National Institute of Nursing Research (NR)**: Supports research on critical health problems, providing a roadmap to enhance public health through scientific results.
• 🔍 **Research Process**: Involves formulating questions, reviewing literature, defining hypotheses, choosing a design, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating findings.
• 📊 **Study Designs**: Include quantitative and qualitative methods, with the former focusing on statistical analysis and the latter on discovery through interviews and cultural perspectives.
• 🧪 **Quantitative Designs**: Common types include case studies, surveys, needs assessments, meta-analyses, and experimental studies.
• 📚 **Qualitative Designs**: Focus on understanding intangible experiences and cultural phenomena, with methods like phenomenology, ethnography, and grounded theory.
• 🌐 **Application of Research**: Nurses apply research findings to practice, influencing change and translating research into improved healthcare policies and protocols.
• 🔎 **Research Utilization**: Involves critical appraisal of research, using various forms of evidence, and ensuring ethical considerations are met in protecting human subjects.

Q & A

What is nursing research and why is it important?

Nursing research is a systematic inquiry or study conducted to generate new knowledge or refine existing knowledge. It provides a foundation for practice decisions and behaviors, creating a strong scientific base for nursing. It also supports the quality and cost-effectiveness of interventions and demonstrates professional accountability to insurers and health care consumers.

How did Florence Nightingale contribute to the evolution of nursing research?

Florence Nightingale began nursing research with a comprehensive statistical study of sanitation during the Crimean War. Although nursing research wasn't considered important at that time, her work laid the groundwork for future nursing research.

What was the focus of nursing research from the 1950s to the 1970s?

During the 1950s to the 1970s, the focus of nursing research was on teaching, administration, and curriculum issues.

What is the definition of evidence-based practice in nursing?

Evidence-based practice in nursing is the process of systematically finding, appraising, and using research findings as a basis for making decisions about patient care.

What is the role of the National Institute of Nursing Research (NR) in supporting nursing research?

The National Institute of Nursing Research supports research on the biologic and behavioral aspects of critical health problems. It provides a roadmap to channel scientific results to enhance the health of all people, emphasizing areas such as health promotion, disease prevention, quality of life, health disparities, and end-of-life care.

What are the steps involved in the research process as described in the script?

The research process involves formulating the research question or problem, defining the purpose of the study, reviewing related literature, formulating a hypothesis, defining variables, choosing a research design, selecting the population and sample, conducting a pilot study, collecting data, analyzing data, and communicating the conclusions.

What are the common quantitative research designs used in healthcare?

Common quantitative research designs include case studies, surveys, needs assessments, methodologic studies, meta-analyses, experiments, quasi-experiments, secondary analysis, and pilot studies.

How does qualitative research differ from quantitative research?

Qualitative research is designed for discovery rather than verification, with the main technique being interviewing. It focuses on intangible experiences and aims to provide an understanding of the patient's lived experience. Common types of qualitative research include phenomenology, ethnography, and grounded theory.

What are some ways that nurses can apply research findings to their practice?

Nurses can apply research findings through enlightenment, implementation of research-based protocols, or the widespread adoption of standards based on research findings. They can also incorporate research into their practice by using large databases, electronic health records, and sophisticated statistical techniques.

Why is critical appraisal of nursing research important?

Critical appraisal of nursing research is important to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings. It involves processes like blind review and evaluation of abstracts and findings to ensure that the research is of high quality and can be used effectively in practice.

What are some ethical considerations in conducting nursing research?

Ethical considerations in nursing research include protecting human subjects' rights, ensuring that research proposals are examined by an institutional review board or human subjects committee, and adhering to historical lessons from unethical research practices, such as the Nazi experiments and the Tuskegee syphilis study.