Nursing research in evidence based practice

• This lecture is an introduction to nursing research in evidence-based practice
• Discusses key terms in quantitative and qualitative research

Definition of Research:

• It is a systematic process based on the scientific method
• Facilitates the identification of relationships and determination of differences to answer a question

Scientific Method:

• Involves a process that uses an organized structure to formulate questions
• Its goal is to determine answers in a research project

Nursing Research:

• Systematic inquiry designed to develop knowledge about issues
• Issues that are important to the nursing profession
• Includes nursing practice, education, administration, and information

Basic Research:

• Study aimed at expanding the existing base of scientific knowledge

Applied Research:

• Research designed to solve specific practical problems
• Its goal is to answer certain questions

Sources of Nursing Research often come from two primary sources:

• Academia:
• Research in education majorly involves program evaluation
• Includes technologies and instructional design
• Healthcare settings:
• Serve as a source for nursing practice
• Research is necessary in practice

Definition of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP):

• Is a decision-making or problem-solving process
• Essential elements: best evidence, patient preferences and values, and clinical expertise.

Best Evidence:

• A key feature of EBP is a clinical problem-solving strategy
• De-emphasizes decisions based on tradition or expert opinion
• Emphasis is on identifying and evaluating the best available research evidence

Key Terms in Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Deductive Reasoning:

• Logical approach that progresses from general ideas to specific conclusions
• Aims to test an existing theory
• Referred to as a top-down approach

Inductive Reasoning:

• Starts with specific observations and forms general conclusions
• Aims at developing a theory
• Referred to as a bottom-up approach

Ethics In Nursing Research

Ethics:

• Moral principles that govern a person's behavior.

Research Ethics:

• Referred to as doing what is morally and legally right in research
• Set of ethical guidelines that guides on how scientific research should be conducted and disseminated
• Govern the standards of conduct for scientific researchers
• Guideline for responsibly conducting research

The three main principles

• Principle of Beneficence
• Principle of Respect of Human Dignity
• Principle of Justice

Principle of Beneficence

• Freedom from harm and discomfort:
• Establishing the positive risk benefit ratio
• Research risks should never exceed expected benefits
• Non-Maleficence:
• Not to cause harm, prevent harm, remove harm
• Freedom from exploitation:
• Assure participant participation or information will not be used against them
• Researchers should not expose economic circumstances to a researcher, fearing loss of public health benefits

PRINCIPLE OF RESPECT OF HUMAN DIGNITY

• Emphasizes on the freedom of choice.
• Participants have the right to accept or reject to be a part of the research study

Autonomy:

• Respect for the person
• Individual rights, Privacy, Freedom of choice
• Respect the autonomy of individuals
• Provide safeguards against harm and abuse
• Researcher duty: recognize rights about participation in any research

Informed Consent:

• Means participants have adequate research information
• Comprehend the information
• Have the ability to voluntarily consent to or decline participation
• Informed consent must be taken from the participants
• Inability with the fetus, child (psychological neurological or physical), can be obtained from parents or legal guardians
• Consent should always be obtained in writing

Right to full disclosure:

• Researcher must fully describe the study nature
• Persons right to refuse, researcher responsibilities and likely risks benefits

PRINCIPLE OF JUSTICE

• Obligation for equal treatment according to moral rules.
• Equality of opportunity is important in considering inclusion - Exclusion criteria
• The right to fair treatment
• The selection of study participants should be based on research and not compromising the position of those certain participant

Right to privacy:

• Researchers should show clear evidence, personal information confidential

Privacy & Confidentiality:

• Participants have the right to expect that any data they provide will be kept in strictest confidence.
• This can occur either through anonymity or through other confidentiality procedures.

Scientific Research Process

• The slide shows a graphic about the scientific method and research process steps
• It involves multiple phases/steps in a cycle including, identifying a problem and reporting findings

The Research Process includes:

• Identifying the problem
• Reviewing the Literature
• Selecting the Research questions
• Choosing the Study Design
• Deciding the Sample Design
• Collecting Data
• Processing and Analyzing Data
• Writing the Report

Research Design:

• The research design is the plan for how the study will be conducted.
• The researcher chooses the design that is most appropriate to test the study hypothesis or answer the research questions.
• Offers a map for organizing a study
• Includes from choosing the sample through data analysis (the type of data that will be collected, the means used to obtain these data and how analyzed.)

Study population and sample

• This means designing the research and studies

Population:

• A complete set of individuals or objects of interest

Sample:

• A specific group where from you obtain the interest population

Sample Size:

• Should be smaller than the possible size of the full population

The researcher must specify:

• The broad population as well as the actual population available for the study

These are split into:

• Actual and Target populations for the study

Conduct a Pilot Study

• Is a small scale practice of the study
• Researchers can learn the strengths and weaknesses of their research plan in a small practical study

Items to note are:

• Overall design, sampling, collection methods
• Data collection tools
• And study feasibility with a trial version

Interpreting the Findings

• Analysed data and the findings of any hypothesis will determine the research questions
• Determination is made, does the data support the researchers hypothesis or not?

Results:

• Should be interpreted with the study hypothesis results in mind

Communicate the Findings

• The most vital part of the research process is for communication
• Report your findings in a study
• Report the multiple ways, best method to share the research journals, poster presentations and results for review

Research Problems

Definition:

• A situation in need of a solution, improvement, or alteration.

Problem Statement:

• A clear concise description of the issues that need to be addressed by a problem-solving team

Sources of the problems

• Experience
• Nursing literature
• Theories
• Ideas from external sources
• Social Issues
• Research and peer interaction

Steps of formulate research problem & purpose

• Deciding on area of research.
• Deciding on research topic
• Narrowing the scope of topic to have/reach research problem
• Evaluate the idea of research problem; significance, research ability, feasibility, interest of you as a researcher
• Clarifying research problem
• Research purpose

Criteria of a good problem statement

• Good statement of the problem will serve as a guide throughout the study so, the following criteria should be considered.
• The problem statement should be expressing a relation between two or more variables.
• The problem statement should be clearly stated.
• The problem statement should be applicable It specifies the nature of the population being studied

Variable:

• Central idea in research
• It is a concept that varies
• It can be in Quantity, Intensity, Amount and Types
• It takes two or more values
• Variable is a measurable characteristics that varies
• It may change from group to group, person to person or within person over time.
• In research science, variable refer to factor or condition that can change during the course of an experiment.
• It is anything that may assume different numerical and categorical values
• Gender, Marital status, eye colour

Dependent Variables :

• Responding, known as independent, and can effect many values

Independent Variables:

• Can have two results known as manipulated:
• Examples include :
• Simply, the Independent variable is the condition that you change in experiment
• It is the variable you control