A Plan to Study for the Truth (ANSWERED)

QUESTION

Purpose

This week’s graded topics relate to the following Course Outcomes (COs).

CO 2: Apply research principles to the interpretation of the content of published research studies. (POs 4 & 8)
CO 4: Evaluate published nursing research for credibility and significance related to evidence-based practice. (POs 4 & 8)

Due Date

During the assigned week (Sunday the start of the assigned week through Sunday the end of the assigned week):
- Posts in the discussion at least two times, and
- Posts in the discussion on two different days

Directions

Discussions are designed to promote dialogue between faculty and students, and students and their peers. In discussions students:
- Demonstrate understanding of concepts for the week
- Integrate outside scholarly sources when required
- Engage in meaningful dialogue with classmates and/or instructor
- Express opinions clearly and logically, in a professional manner
Use the rubric on this page as you compose your answers.
Best Practices include:
- Participation early in the week is encouraged to stimulate meaningful discussion among classmates and instructor.
- Enter the discussion often during the week to read and learn from posts.
- Select different classmates for your reply each week.

Discussion Questions

This week we learned how research designs are different and help us to objectively study nursing problems; the key is to decide which type of research and design will serve the purpose or intent to find a solution. After completing Week 4 readings and lesson, answer the following:

Reflect on your learning about Quantitative and Qualitative research; share two ways that helped you understand how they are different.
Choose one category of study design that you found interesting and describe; include what you learned about the design and how you believe it can help study nursing problems.
Refer back to your clinical nursing priority problem and evidence you located for your week 3 assignment: The nursing-evidenced practice (NEBP) committee has requested for you to make a recommendation to the team: Describe the type of research and the design that you believe would be the best way to study your problem. Discuss your rationale.

ANSWER

A Plan to Study for the Truth

Question 1

Quantitative research uses numerical and statistical methods to make deductions and verify predictions, while qualitative studies use context-bound, subjective and non-quantifiable methods to understand phenomena. Another distinguishing method is through their research paradigms. Quantitative research uses a positivist paradigm. They believe in objective reality hence, use organized procedures with tight control over a research situation to understand a natural phenomenon (Polit & Beck, 2020). In contrast, qualitative research uses a naturalistic/constructivist paradigm. Constructivists do not pursue objective reality but relativism. They believe they are multiple interpretations of reality; hence there is no way no confirm or falsify the construction of phenomena.

Question 2

Researchers use quasi-experimental designs to examine interventions in the absence of randomization. Although randomization is considered a gold standard in experimental studies, it is not always possible due to feasibility and ethical issues. These issues validate the need for quasi-experimental designs.

Quasi-experiments have better external validity and generalizability than RCTs because they are conducted in real-world settings (Schweizer et al., 2016). Hence, nurses can use them to establish nursing interventions’ effectiveness and to measure the impact of policy changes and large-scale interventions. They are particularly ideal for these large-scale or population-level interventions because they are not resource-intensive (Schweizer et al., 2016). These designs are also valuable when researchers want to compare outcomes between intervention groups, but randomizing subjects is unethical.

Question 3

My research priority was safety: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), specifically Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSI). A quasi-experiment design is ideal for this design because we need to determine whether the intervention will yield positive outcomes. Ideally, randomization would be needed to establish a causal relationship between an intervention and outcomes. However, randomization would be unethical in this case because it would mean subjecting other patients to potential harm (Schweizer et al., 2016). Quasi-experiments are non-randomized but can still help determine the effectiveness of the intervention. These features make it the ideal design for the practice problem. We will use a pre-and post-intervention approach to determine the intervention’s effectiveness.

References

Polit, D., & Beck, C. (2020). Essentials of nursing research: Appraising evidence for nursing practice. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Schweizer, M. L., Braun, B. I., & Milstone, A. M. (2016). Research Methods in Healthcare Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Stewardship—Quasi-Experimental Designs. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 37(10), 1135–1140. https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2016.117