Intro to Nursing Research – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
What is the definition of research?
answer
a systematic (rules and steps) inquiry using disciplined methods to answer questions and solve problems
question
Knowledge is developed, refined, and expanded through what?
answer
research
question
What is the definition of nursing research?
answer
a systematic inquiry designed to develop knowledge/evidence about nursing issues (important for nurses and clients)
question
What does clinical nursing research focus on?
answer
practice problems
question
What is the purpose of nursing research?
answer
to guide nursing practice and help to improve care of clients
question
What is the definition of EBP?
answer
the use of best evidence in making patient care decisions
question
What does EBP lead to?
answer
clinically appropriate, cost effective care; positive patient outcomes, and practice changes
question
Who is expected to understand/undertake research and use EBP?
answer
nurses
question
Where does best evidence come from?
answer
research studies (conducted by nurses and healthcare professionals)
question
What are the roles of the consumer?
answer
read research reports, develop new skills, keep up-to-date, experience ongoing learning
question
What is the nurses role in research?
answer
participate in a journal club, attend presentations, help in developing ideas, assist with data collection, offer advice to clients, and evaluate it for use in practice
question
What is a journal club?
answer
one person on unit reads study/reports findings to others
question
Why is it important for nurses to attend presentations?
answer
to hear the reports from consumers of research studies
question
How can you help in developing ideas?
answer
staff nurse encounters problem, can suggest and help in research to solve the problem
question
What are future roles for MSN or PhD nurses?
answer
conduct a full EBP project, review proposals for feasibility, serve on institutional ethics committees; producer/active researcher--doctorate level
question
What took place in 1860s?
answer
Florence Nightingale; first nursing researcher, proved effectiveness of her methods
question
What took place in 1900s-1940s?
answer
Nursing education; studies appeared related to nursing education, there was some publication of nursing research (mainly education related)
question
What took place in 1950s?
answer
more nurses with advanced degrees; establishment of Nursing Research--the first journal to focus on research
question
What took place in 1960s?
answer
beginning of practice focus in research, more nursing journals were established
question
What took place in 1970s?
answer
improving patient care, focus on using findings; there was now enough research, which started to be implemented in care; focus in research was not only education related anymore
question
What took place in 1980s?
answer
national development and visibility of nursing research
question
What took place in 1986?
answer
establishment of National Center for Nursing Research (NCNR); at NIH (National Institute of Health) under medicine ; training nurse researchers in research related to nursing care
question
What is the purpose of the NCNR?
answer
promotion of research on patient care (that's the studies the NCNR would finance)
question
What took place in 1990s?
answer
increasing EBP focus and funding (term EBP started to be used)
question
What took place in 1993?
answer
establishment of the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), NINR has full institute status, international focus on research and EBP
question
What is NINR in control of?
answer
nursing control, increasing budget, sets priorities (CORPs)
question
What are future directions for nursing research?
answer
continued focus on EBP, involve all nurses in using EBM, improve skills in locating, understanding, critiquing, and using studies, stronger evidence base through confirmatory strategies, stronger designs, confirmation by replication with different client and settings, and developing nurse scientists by testing study results
question
What are systematic reviews?
answer
cornerstone of EBP; integrate research info on a topic, so conclusions about the state of evidence can be reached
question
What are characteristics of expanded local research?
answer
directly done in healthcare settings, solves local problems (high infection rate), related to magnet status
question
How is magnet status awarded?
answer
by the ANA for facilities with high quality nursing care (stamp of excellence)
question
How can findings be disseminated?
answer
internet and on-line access; allows for faster and wider spread of results; easy promotion of research findings
question
Why is there increased focus on cultural issues and health disparities?
answer
to raise awareness for cultural sensitivity of interventions, research must be sensitive to diverse populations, and research addresses beliefs, behaviors, epidemiology and values of culturally/linguistically diverse population
question
What are the current NINR priorities?
answer
health promotion and disease prevention, improve quality of life managing symptoms/self-management of acute and chronic illness, improve caregiving, palliative-and end-of-life care
question
What are characteristics of tradition?
answer
become custom, can undermine problem solving
question
What are characteristics of authorities?
answer
faculty and authors, not infallible or all knowledgeable
question
What are characteristics of experience?
answer
narrow and can be biased
question
What are characteristics of trial and error?
answer
practical but haphazard and solutions may be idiosyncratic (unique to individual)
question
What are characteristics of intuition?
answer
hunches based on reasoning and instruction
question
What is an issue regarding using textbooks?
answer
information may be out of date
question
Benchmarking data
answer
rates of procedures or incidence of disorders/conditions (infections, STDs)
question
Quality improvement and risk management data
answer
incident reports on falls or med errors; may be used to assess practice and determine need for practice change; no way to know if patient outcome improved
question
What is the best method for acquiring reliable knowledge?
answer
disciplined research: rigorous, systematic process, leads to cumulative evidence, provides best evidence for practice
question
What is local reasoning?
answer
combines experience, intellectual ability and formal systems of thought
question
Inductive
answer
develops generalizations from specific observations: lead to theory development
question
Deductive
answer
develops specific predictions from general principles
question
What is a paradigm?
answer
world view of individual; way of seeing or examining the world; general philosophical perspectives
question
What are the two types of paradigm?
answer
Positivist and Constructivist/Naturalistic
question
What are characteristics of Positivist paradigm?
answer
based on work of Newton, Locke, & Comte (1800s), reality exist--real world, objective, determinism, scientific, rational method; much research is aimed at understanding the underlying causes of natural phenomena
question
Determinism
answer
events have antecedent causes, are not haphazard
question
Assumption
answer
is a principle believed to be true, without any verification
question
What are characteristics of Post Positivism?
answer
still believe in reality but question the ability of persons being able to be truly objective, impossible to be completely objective, strives for objectivity and neutrality, there are impediments in certainty of reality; learning what is probably true, not absolutely true
question
What are characteristics of Constructivist/Naturalistic?
answer
based on work of Kant & Weber, relativism, be aware of each clients individual situation, subjective reality, multiple interpretations of reality, naturalistic, interactive, understand others view/experience is important
question
Relativism
answer
individual and multiple realities, depends on context (situation/environment)
question
How is Positivist paradigm linked with quantitative research?
answer
systematic process, deductive reasoning, explores discrete, specific concepts, gathers empirical evidence, uses a fixed design or plan, involves control to decrease bias, uses formal instruments to collect info, numerical info, seeks generalizations beyond subjects, focus on product
question
Empirical evidence
answer
evidence rooted in objective reality, gathered through the senses
question
Generalizability
answer
evidence can be generalized to individuals other than study participants
question
What are issues with the quantitative approach?
answer
it is preplanned, considered the "best" by many, problem with measuring certain concepts, focus is on a discrete (single) aspect when human beings are complex individuals, obscures insights, reductionism, narrow, inflexible view, numbers will be subjective (for psychological phenomena, e.g. pain rating)
question
How is Constructivist/Naturalistic paradigm linked with qualitative research?
answer
holistic, dynamic, individual aspects, emerging insight based on others experiences: start with a broad question then it becomes more specific, flexible, evolving design, context-bound, inductive reasoning, naturalistic settings, narrative, subjective data, narrative analysis, end result is rich in-depth understanding of subject, focus on process as well as product
question
What are issues with qualitative approach?
answer
human beings are the research tool (fallible: analysis made by interpretation--subjective), results can be trivial, idiosyncratic, small number of participants in the study, cannot generalize the results to non-participants of the study
question
Which paradigm? Reality exists (regardless of human observation)
answer
Positivist
question
Which paradigm? Reality is multiple and subjective (mentally constructed by individuals)
answer
Constructivist
question
Which paradigm? The researcher is independent from those being researched
answer
Positivist
question
Which paradigm? The researcher interacts with those being researched. Findings are the creation of the interactive process.
answer
Constructivist
question
Which paradigm? Values and biases are to be held in check; objectivity is sought
answer
Positivist
question
Which paradigm? Subjectivity and values are inevitable and desirable
answer
Constructivist
question
Which paradigm? Deductive process--hypothesis testing. Emphasis on discrete, specific concepts (product). Focus on the objective and quantifiable
answer
Positivist
question
Which paradigm? Inductive process--hypothesis generation. Emphasis on the whole (process and product). Focus on the subjective/non-quantifiable
answer
Constructivist
question
Which paradigm? Corroboration of researchers' predictions. Fixed, pre-specified design. Controls over context. Measured, quantitative information. Statistical analysis. Seeks generalizations
answer
Positivist
question
Which paradigm? Emerging insight grounded in participants' experiences. Flexible, emergent design. Context-bound, contextualized. Narrative information. Qualitative analysis. Seeks in-depth understanding.
answer
Constructivist
question
What is the ultimate goal of both types of research?
answer
knowledge: answer questions and solve problems
question
What are the major similarities of quantitative and qualitative research?
answer
external evidence is gathered on/from others using senses, depend on reliance of human cooperation, ethical constraints limits the ability to explore certain areas, fallibility of disciplined research (no one study every completely answers a question--all have limitations)
question
What are the main purposes of research?
answer
indicate broad range of questions that can be asked and indicate differences in qualitative and quantitative
question
What are the two different ways to classify goals of studies?
answer
explanation/cause-based or EBP-related
question
What are the five levels of explanation/cause probing research?
answer
identification, description, exploration, prediction and control, explanation
question
What is identification?
answer
naming, identifying; QUALITATIVE only; What is it? What is the phenomenon?
question
What is description?
answer
observe, count, delineate, elucidate, or classify Quantitative: prevalence, incidence, frequency, size, measurable attributes or characteristics of the phenomenon Qualitative: nature, dimensions, importance of the phenomenon
question
What is exploration?
answer
examine nature of a phenomenon; how does it manifest itself Quantitative: related factors, antecedents of the phenomenon Qualitative: process or evolution of experience, what is really happening with the phenomenon, full nature of the phenomenon
question
What is explanation?
answer
explain the cause or full nature of the phenomenon; to explain a phenomenon, it has to be linked to theories Quantitative: what factors causing the phenomenon? Does the theory explain phenomenon? Test specific aspects of theory. Deductive reasoning Qualitative: Why does it exist? What is the meaning? How did it occur? Develops a theory (constructivist)--which is then tested by quantitative stories. Inductive reasoning. In-depth, experiential evidence
question
What is predict and control?
answer
cause and effect, QUANTITATIVE only. If phenomenon X occurs will phenomenon Y follow? Can the occurrence of the phenomenon be controlled or prevented? Must introduce an intervention or a treatment.
question
Identification
answer
Qualitative: What is this phenomenon? What is its name?
question
Description
answer
Quantitative: How prevalent is the phenomenon? How often does the phenomenon occur? Qualitative: What are the dimensions/characteristics of the phenomenon? What is important about the phenomenon?
question
Exploration
answer
Quantitative: What factors are related to the phenomenon? What are the antecedents of the phenomenon? Qualitative: What is the full nature of the phenomenon? What is really going on here? What is the process by which the phenomenon evolves?
question
Predict and Control
answer
Quantitative: If phenomenon X occurs, will phenomenon Y follow? Can the phenomenon be prevented or controlled?
question
Explanation
answer
Quantitative: What is the underlying cause of the phenomenon? Does the theory explain the phenomenon? Qualitative: Why does the phenomenon exist? What does the phenomenon mean? How did the phenomenon occur?
question
What are the research purposed linked to EBP?
answer
Treatment, therapy or intervention research; quantitative only; diagnosis and assessment studies, prognosis studies, harm and etiology studies, meaning and process studies; qualitative only
question
What is treatment, therapy or intervention research?
answer
Quantitative only: intervention research, study very specific interventions, treat or prevent health problems and adverse outcomes, leads to EBP
question
What is diagnosis and assessment research?
answer
development of formal screening/assessment tools; tools for use in screening, diagnosing and assessing patients, tools needed for clinical practice and research
question
What is prognosis research?
answer
which group of people is more likely to develop something, examines consequences of a disease or health problems, explore factors that can modify outcomes (prognosis), determine when these outcomes are most likely, used to guide lifestyle changes
question
What is etiology and harm?
answer
factors and exposures that will lead to illness, morbidity, and mortality
question
What is meaning and process?
answer
Qualitative only: study the meaning of health and illness to clients, barriers to positive health practices, and processes during transitions through a health care crisis
question
Therapy/Intervention
answer
What therapy or intervention will result in better health?
question
Diagnosis/Assessment
answer
What test or assessment procedure will yield accurate diagnoses or assessments of critical patient conditions and outcomes?
question
Prognosis
answer
Does exposure to a disease or health problem increase the risk of subsequent adverse consequences?
question
Etiology/Cause/Harm
answer
What factors/exposures cause or contribute to the risk of a health problem or disease?
question
Meaning/Process
answer
What is the meaning of life experiences, and what is the process by which they unfold?
question
How do you conduct a preliminary overview of a research report?
answer
relevance to the practice of nursing and priority area, paradigm or approach, underlying purpose of the study, clinical implications, and application--who and how
