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.