Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ICP ResearchProposal PDF
ICP ResearchProposal PDF
An exploratory qualitative study of patient’s experience with continuous femoral nerve
block, after total knee replacement in a tertiary hospital in Singapore
Background and literature review
During a parliamentary speech held by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, he addressed
that by 2030, one out of five Singaporeans will be aged 65 years and above. This in itself provides
insight that there will be an increased demand for healthcare services, quality of life and a rise in
medical conditions commonly faced by the elderly, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension.
hyperlipidemia and osteoarthritis.
With focus narrowed to elderly clients suffering from osteoarthritis, there is an increasing trend of
elderly Singaporeans undergoing an operative procedure known as Total Knee Replacement
(TKR). TKR is a procedure that involves replacement of a knee joint or knee cap with plastic or
metal counterparts. In 2006, Singapore General Hospital had performed 1024 TKRs, accounting
for 65% of cases in Singapore. Unilateral TKR (91%) was more evident than bilateral TKR (9%).
Females (81%) were more likely to undergo the procedure in comparison to men (19%).
Upon completion of the procedure, pain can be experienced by each individual with differing levels
of intensity. To prevent further negative impacts or complications, the medical team’s prime aim is to
allow the client to manage pain effectively with the variety of interventions available.
Pain relievers are available in different forms: oral, intramuscular, intravenous, intrathecal, epidural or
through the use of nerve blocks. However, the area of interest lies in peripheral nerve blocks, as
they have become the treatment of choice for clients who undergo TKAs. Patient controlled
analgesia, which was once frequently used post operatively (Allen, Liu, Ware, Nairn & Owens,
1998), was scrutinised for its undesirable effects such as inadequate relief from pain, somnolence,
pruritus, nausea and vomiting (Hebl et al., 2005).
Peripheral nerve blocks was introduced in Singapore in year 2007.
It is a local anesthetic is injected along the nerve sheath and/or ganglia outside of the brain and spinal
cord to decrease or eliminate nerve conduction. The knee is innervated by the femoral nerve, which
is the largest branch of the lumbosacral plexus (Allen et al., 1998). Özen et al. (2006) found that the
use of a FNB led to a reduction in postoperative opioid administration and its associated side effects
such as NV and pruritus (Otten & Dunn, 2011).
From patient’s perspective, femoral nerve block involves an insertion of a catheter inserted next to
the femoral nerve. The catheter is attached to an external pump which constantly injects a small
amount of medication, providing continuous pain relieve. Complication of femoral nerve block
includes discomfort, quadriceps weakness, risk of catheter kinks, dislodgement and falls (Sharma et
al., 2010). The proposed study aims to find out patient’s real life experience with a femoral nerve
block and with the information we can improve current pre and post operative protocols to enhance
patient’s satisfaction, comfort and safety.
Gaps
Literatures about the efficacy and comparisons of FNB with other anaesthesia are easily available
and extensive from ProQuest database. But no articles were found about patient’s experiences or
feedbacks of having a continuous femoral nerve block on them.
Study objectives & significance
∙ Translate the research problem / purpose statement / research question / hypothesis into specific objectives
∙ Objectives need to have a specific focus related to gap in knowledge
∙ What is the significance of this study?
Research Objectives
The proposed study aims to gather insight on patient’s experience when they have a continuous
femoral nerve block catheter during the stay in the hospital.
Significance
With the findings from the study, is can be used to improve current pre and post operative protocols
to enhance patient’s satisfaction, comfort and safety.
Research design (HW & XM)
Descriptive qualitative approach will be used as it allows the researchers to understand naturally
occurring phenomena by exploring individuals' attitudes, the beliefs, meanings and values attributed
and their experiences (Schneider et al., 2007). There will be no specific research tradition used as
constructivist method will be employed to describe the phenomena without focusing on cultures,
meaning or social processes (Polit & Beck, 2014, p 106). Qualitative interviews allows participants
to describe their experiences more in details (Holloway, 2005, p 40). So semistructured,
facetoface interviews at patients’ bedside is adopted to conduct data collection.
Is the study retrospective or prospective?
Retrospective
Is the study longitudinal or cross sectional?
Cross sectional
Why is this, the best design to answer the research question or problem?
Qualitative descriptive study is the method of choice when straight descriptions of phenomena are
desired (Sandelowski, 2000).
Sampling & recruitment (Fatin)
A purposive sampling will be used as it will allows the researcher to choose the participants that are
best to contribute to the study (Polit & Beck, 2014). According to Polit and Beck (2014),
phenomenologic studies involve 10 or lesser participants. Therefore, the sample size will be 10 as
recommended or when data saturation is achieved.
Participants will be recruited from the orthopedic wards of the hospital where the research will be
conducted. Participants will then be recruited according to the inclusion criteria set by the
researcher. The inclusion criteria are that the partipant must be of 45 years old and above to
increase the chances of more participants participating. The age group that will be researched were
based on researches done in China by Yang, Yu, Gong, Chen, Wang, Wang, and Ma (2012)
whereby particpants were aged between 65 to 74 years old while the common age group of patients
underwent TKRs in America were between 50 to 80 years old (Greengard, 2012). Other criterias
that particpants are required to meet includes the ability to converse in English, alert and orientated
while being interviewed, had a successful TKR and those who were on a continous femoral nerve
block for at least 48 hours and above. Otherwise, patient with history of comorbidities or mental
disability will be excluded from the study.
Who will recruit participants?
Data collection
Data will be collected via interviews as these are commonly used as accordance to Polit and Beck
(2014). Semistructured interviews will be used as it involves broad questions that will be required
to cover the topics that will be researched on. A topic guide will be used with prospective question
shown in Appendix 1. Formulated questions are based on research objectives of patient’s
satisfaction, comfort and safety.
Interviews will be conducted within 24 hours of removal of FNB which is usually on the seond or
third post operative day so as to capture the particiapnts experience of the FNB while they still
remember. Prior to the interview, participants’ progress while on FNB will be collected from the
Staff Nurse (SN) incharge and pain team. Interviews will be done in a seperate interview room
when available for privacy or at bedside in accordance to participants preferrance. In an event that
bedside interview will be conducted, arrangement with the SN incharge of the participant will be
done to avoid interruption during interview.
Audio recording of the interview will be done for data collection. Active listening by the researcher
will be adopted and field notes on the observations of participants’ expression, nonverbal ques and
hesitation in their responses will be documented down.
Study setting (HW & XM)
The 6 months study will be conducted in four orthopaedic wards in a public tertiary hospital in
Singapore. A total number of 471 cases of total knee arthroplasty were done in the hospital since 1
August 2013 to 31 July 2014 (MOH, 2014). A purposive sample of 10 patients was recruited
within 3 days after the operation (Polit & Beck, 2014, p. 270). As mentioned by Edwards,
Fillingim, & Keefe. (2001), ethnic factors may have a major influence on how pain is appraised and
responded to emotionally and behaviorally. Thus participants were purposively selected based on
the ethnic proportion in Singapore.
Data analysis
Method of data analysis
Since participants are encouraged to share their experience from the broad questions, the
information shared by them can vary widely and rich in information.
Thematic analysis will be used as a method to identify, analyse, discover patterns and develop
themes within the data. Researchers will review their data, make notes and begin to sort it into
themes. Theme are patterns across data sets that are important to the description of a phenomenon
and are associated to a specific research question (Braunand & Clarke, 2006).
Rationale for using this method
Thematic analysis provides a flexible and useful research tool, which can potentially provide a rich
and detailed, yet complex, account of data (Braunand & Clarke, 2006).
Description of the process of analysis
Data analysis will be ongoing
in conjunction with data collection . Transcription will be performed by (who?),
Ethical Consideration
Letters for approval of conducting this study will be sent to Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the
participating hospital, where the study is going to be conducted. The researchers only conduct this
study after the approval of IRB and the participating hospital.
Written informed consent will be obtained from participants prior commencement of the study.
Participants’ voice recordings and transcriptions will be saved and kept in both thumbdrive and a
laptop with a password. Only the researchers have the access to the thumbdrive and the laptop.
Hard copies of participants’ data sheet and field notes will be locked in a locker, where only the
researchers can access the locker. Hard copies of participants’ data will be disposed 3 years after
the completion of the study. The research will get another person to witness for proper disposal of
data sheets.
Adverse events safety issue, such as risk for fall, will try to minimise, such as the research er will
get information from the staff nurse in charge on patient’s condition and status, pior to transfer
patient into a wheelchair to the interview room.
Research Trustworthiness
Strategies to ensure credibility Credibility refers to confidence in the truth value of the data and
interpretations of them.
Strategies to ensure dependability Dependability refers to the stability (reliability) of data over time
and over conditions. The dependability question is: Would the study fi ndings be repeated if the
inquiry were replicated with the same (or similar) participants in the same (or similar) context?
Strategies to ensure confirmability Confirmability refers to objectivity, that is, the potential for
congruence between two or more independent people about the data’s accuracy, relevance, or
meaning. This criterion is concerned with establishing that the data represent the information
participants provided, and that the interpretations of those data are not imagined by the inquirer.
Strategies to ensure transferability the extent to which qualitative findings can be transferred to or
have applicability in other settings or groups
Interview questions will be reviewed by the hospital’s pain management team, which consist of
doctors, occupational therapist and nurses experts. < decide is which part above.
Pilot study. preparation for a major study or to assess feasibility. A pilot study is used to prepare
and assess feasibility of a larger study. It helps test study measures, estimation of interviews, testing
validity of tools and estimation of outcome. Researchers benefit from carrying out a pilot study prior
to the main study as it allows for the identification of any weaknesses in the plans and allows time to
rectify any necessary amendments before carrying out the remainder of the study. < decide is which
part above.
Reference (Draft)
Sharma, S., Iorio, R., Specht L. M., DaviesLepie S. & Healy W. L. (2010). Complications of
femoral nerve block for total knee arthroplasty. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research,
468(1), 13540. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s1199900910251 Retrived from Proquest.
Knee replacement. (2011). The Journal of the American Medical Association. Retrieved from
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/data/Journals/JAMA/18287/jpg0223_844_844.pdf
Ng, F, Y, Chiu, K, Y., Yan, C. H. & Ng, K.F. (2012). Continuous femoral nerve block versus
patientcontrolled analgesia following total knee arthroplasty. Retrieved from Proquest.
Martin, G.M. (2014). Patient information: Total knee replacement. Retrieved from
http://www.uptodate.com/contents/totalkneereplacementarthroplastybeyondthebasics?view=p
rint
Otten, C., Dunn, K. & Warren, M.I. (2011). Mulitmodal Analgesia for Postoperative Total Knee
Arthroplasty.
Polit, D., & Beck, C. T. (2014). Essentials of nursing research : appraising evidence for nursing
practice (8th ed.). United States of America: Wolters Kluwer Health, Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins.
Boezaart A. P. (2006). Continuous femoral nerve block. Retrieved from
http://www.nysora.com/files/2013/pdf/%28v11p4147%29continuous_femoral_nerve_block.pdf
Otten, C., & Dunn, K. (2011). Mulitmodal analgesia for postoperative total knee arthroplasty.
Orthopaedic Nursing, 30(6), 37380; quiz 3812. Retrieved from ProQuest
Xu, G. G., Sathappan, S. S., Jaipaul, J., Chan S. P. & Choon H. L. (2008). A Review of Clinical
Pathway Data of 1663 Total Knee Arthroplasties in a Tertiary Institution in Singapore. Annals
Academy of Medicine. Retrieved from
http://www.annals.edu.sg/pdf/37VolNo11Nov2008/V37N11p924.pdf
Edwards, C.L., Fillingim, R.B., & Keefe, F. (2001). Race, ethnicity and pain. Retrieved from
http://www.sciencedirect.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/science/article/pii/S0304395901004080
http://www.singhealth.com.sg/NR/rdonlyres/DE3D7C37B7EB4120ABCA96FED062BBAD/0
/HSRSGHTKR2004Analysis.pdf
Knee replacement surgery (2014), retrieved from
http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/costs_and_financing/HospitalBillSize/knee_replace
mentsurgery.html
National defence research institute. (2009). Data Collection Methods: SemiStructured Interviews
and Focus Groups. Retrieved from
http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/technical_reports/2009/RAND_TR718.pdf
Braunand, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in
Psychology. Retrieved from ProQuest.
Whatever happened to qualitative description?
Appendix 1
Focused questions
1. In your own words, how is it like have a continous femoral catheter.
2. Have it caused any inconvenience to you? (so nursing can improve on any issue raised)
3. Have you experienced any anxiety with the continous femoreal catheter? (improve PFE?)