Nursing Research Definitions

Diers “A systematic study of problems in patient care.”

Abdellah “A systematic detailed attempt to discover or confirm facts that relate to a specific problem to improve the practice and profession of nursing.”

Polit and Hungler “A systematic search for knowledge about issues of importance to nursing.”

Henderson “A study of the problems in practice relating to the effects of nursing.”

Ways to “use” nursing research: --journal clubs --critique research for patient care purposes --explaining research to clients --data collection for others --reviewing methodology for IRB --finding research problems --using research results in patient care or education

Why do research? Professionalism Accountability Social Relevance

Evolution of Nursing Research Education/Recruitment Administration/Staffing Practice Methodology/Theory based research

Current Trends Health Promotion Nursing Decision Making Effectiveness of Nursing Intervention in Selected Health Problems Prevention Case Studies/Qualitative Research Ethnographic Studies Compliance

Conferences for Research Priorities

#1 through 1994 HIV Long term care Low birth weight Symptom management Nursing informatics Technology Health Promotion

#2 through 1999 Develop and test community based nursing models Assess effectiveness of nursing interventions with HIV Develop and test approaches to remediate cognitive impairment Assess coping with chronic illness Methods for promoting immunocompetence

Epistemology Sources of Human Knowledge or “how we know what we know”

Sources of Knowledge Tradition or tenacity Authority Experience Intuition Trial and Error Logical Reasoning Induction Deduction Scientific Method

Tradition/tenacity Something we know because we have always known it. Advantages: Efficient, provides a foundation of truths Disadvantages: Most traditions have not been evaluated for their value

Authority We know a thing because some authoritative source says it is so Authorities are not infallible, so always question authority--what is the evidence that this is true?

Experience Our own experiences may be too limited to generalize from

Intuition It just “ seems” right

Trial and error Haphazard unsystematic inefficient usually unrecorded must make the same mistakes or discoveries over and over again

Logical Reasoning Induction--developing generalizations from specific observations Induction  Specifics Generalizations  Deduction Deduction--developing specific predictions from general principles

Scientific Method The most advanced method of acquiring knowledge that humans have developed.

Scientific Method Order Control Empiricism Generalization Theoretical Formulation

Order Systematic prescribed order in order to have reproducibility and confidence in the results problem identified defined predictions of oucome information collected according to design analysis conclusion

Control In trying to isolate relationships among phenomena, scientists must control phenomena and factors not under study.

Empiricism Evidence rooted in objective reality and gathered directly or indirectly through the human senses. Research is based in REALITY

Generalization No research is ever done just to benefit the subjects, in order to have value it must be generalizable to a wider population.

Theoretical formulation Theories are manner of organizing, integrating and deriving abstract conceptualization about the manner in which phenomena are interrelated.

LIMITS OF SCIENTIFIC METHOD 1. Values or ethics 2. Human complexity 3. Measurement problems 4. Control 5. Ethical considerations

PARADIGMS FOR NURSING RESEARCH ONTOLOGIC-What is the nature of reality? EPISTEMOLOGIC-What is the relationship between the inquirer and that being studied? AXIOLOGIC-What is the role of values in inquiry? METHODOLOGIC-How should the inquirer obtain knowledge?

POSITIVIST PARADIGM Nature is ordered and regular and can be predicted.

NATURALISTIC OR PHENOMENOLOGIC PARADIGM Reality not fixed but exists within a context, many interpretations are possible. Nothing is absolutely true or false, only within a context.

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH vs QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

PURPOSES OF RESEARCH Identification Description Exploration Explanation Prediction and Control

Types of Research by Utility BASIC RESEARCH APPLIED RESEARCH COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT

RELATIONSHIPS CAUSAL vs ASSOCIATIONAL

Requirements for causality concomitant variation temporal sequencing absence of competing explanations

STEPS IN THE RESEARCH PROCESS (Quantitative Research)

CONCEPTUAL PHASE 1. Formulating and Delimiting the Problem 2. Reviewing the Literature 3. Developing a Theoretical Framework 4. Identifying the Research Variables 5. Formulating Hypotheses

DESIGN AND PLANNING PHASE 6. Selecting a Research Design 7. Specifying the Population 8. Operationalizing the Variables 9. Conducting the Pilot Study/Making Revisions

EMPIRICAL PHASE 10. Selecting the Sample 11. Collecting the Data 12. Organizing Data for Analysis

ANALYTIC PHASE 13. Analyzing the Data 14. Interpreting the Results

DISSEMINATION PHASE 15. Communicating Results

STEPS IN THE RESEARCH PROCESS (Qualitative Research) Circular and Flexible

1. Define/Clarify Broad Topic 2. Review of the Literature? 3. Identify Site/Setting 4. Obtain Access 5. Obtain and Test Equipment 6. Begin Data Collection/Analysis 7. Identify Themes/Categories 8. Triangulation/Saturation 9. Formulate Hypotheses/Theories 10. Communicate Findings

TERMINOLOGY CONCEPTS/CONSTRUCTS CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OPERATIONAL DEFINITION VARIABLES DATA HYPOTHESIS (research or null/statistical) PROBLEM STATEMENT RESEARCH DESIGNS SAMPLE/POPULATION

Concepts/Constructs Refined general or abstract idea “good health” “nursing care”

Conceptual Framework A series of concepts or ideas connected by statements about the relationships that exist among them

Operational Definitions Specifications of the specific and explicit operations which the researcher must perform in order to collect the required information “Operationalizing the concept”

Variables Something which varies An abstract entity which takes on different values.

DATA Pieces of information obtained in the course of the study

Hypothesis Research--A statement of the expectations of the researcher concerning the relationships of the variables under study HR Null or Statistical--states that there is no relationship among the variables HO

Problem Statement A the research question or a statement about the purpose of the study.

Research Designs Basic designs are experimental and non experimental (or descriptive)

Sample/Population Sample--the subjects participating in the study Population--the whole universe of possible subjects Target population--the group to whom the researcher wishes to generalize the results of the study

RESEARCH REPORTS ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION METHOD RESULTS DISCUSSION REFERENCES

Abstract An abbreviated summary of the research problem, methodology, findings and significance.

INTRODUCTION PURPOSE, RESEARCH QUESTIONS, HYPOTHESES REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

METHOD SUBJECTS RESEARCH DESIGN INSTRUMENTS AND DATA COLLECTION STUDY PROCEDURES

RESULTS STATISTICAL TESTS USED VALUE OF THE STATISTIC STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE THEMES (Qualitative Research)

DISCUSSION INTERPRETATION IMPLICATIONS LIMITATIONS

REFERENCES All of the literature used in writing the research article. Should contain mostly recent and primary sources.