Nursing Research
NCM 95
What is the research?
 The word was derived from the old French word.
“cerchier,” meaning to seek or search.
 The prefix “re” means again and signifies
replication of the search.
 One seeks new knowledge or two directly utilize
knowledge specific to life situations.
Definition of research.
 Research is a problem-solving process, a
systematic intensive study directed towards full
scientific knowledge of the subject studied
(French Ruth, 1968).
 Research is a process which systematically
searches for new facts and relationships.
Definition of nursing research.
 Polit and Beck (2004) - systematic inquiry
designed to develop knowledge about issues of
importance to the nursing profession, including
nursing practice, education, administration and
informatics
 Burns and Grove (2005) - define nursing
research as a scientific process that validates
and refines existing knowledge and generates
new knowledge that directly and indirectly
influences clinical nursing practice.
Terminologies related to research.
 Abstract - a clear, concise summary that
communicates essential information about the
study in research journals. It is usually located at
the beginning of an article.
 Assumption - basic principle that is being true on
the basis of logic or reason, without proof or
verification.
 Hypothesis - a statement of the predicted
relationship between two or more variables in a
research study; an educated or calculated guess
by the researcher.
 Population - the entire set of individuals or
objects having some common characteristics
selected for research. Study is referred to as
population.
 Target population - The entire population in
which the researchers are interested and to
which they would like to generalize the research
findings.
 Accessible population - the aggregate of cases
that conform the designated inclusion or
exclusion criteria and that are accessible as
subjects of the study.
 Research setting - The study setting is the
location in which the researcher is conducted, it
could be natural, partially controlled and
environment or laboratories.
 Reliability - the degree of consistency or
accuracy with which an instrument measures
the attributes it is designed to measure.
 Pilot study - study carried out at the end of the
planning phase of research in order to explore
and test the research elements to make relevant
modifications in research tools and
methodology.
 Analysis - method of organizing, sorting and
scrutinizing data in such a way that the research
question can be answered or meaningful
inferences can be drawn.
 Literature review - A critical summary or
research on a topic of interest, generally
prepared to put a research problem in context
or to identify gaps and weaknesses in prior
studies so as to justify a new investigation.
 Phenomenon - a fact, or situation that is
observed to exist or happen, especially one
whose cause or explanation is in question.
 Concept refers to a mental idea of a
phenomenon. Concepts are words or terms that
symbolize some aspects of reality. E.g., love,
pain.
 Construct - is a highly abstract and complex
phenomenon or concept which is denoted by a
made-up or constructed term.
 A constructed term is used to indicate a
phenomenon that cannot be directly
observed, but must be inferred by certain
concrete or less abstract indications of the
phenomenon. E.g., Self esteem.
Some myths about research.
 The purpose of research is to prove or confirm a
theory.
 Research findings are presented as complete
and conclusive answers.
 There is a hierarchy of research methodology
that places true experimental research at the
top.
Purposes of research.
 To have a research-based practice.
 To document contributions to nursing and
overall health care.
Nursing Research
NCM 95
 To generate knowledge
 To improve image of nursing.
Purpose of nursing research: what does research do?
 Research enables nurses to;
 Describe the characteristics of a particular
nursing situation about which little is known,
E.g., nurses work stress.
 Explain phenomenon that must be
considered in planning nursing care
E.g., Nurses working concept, NPR,
teamwork, nursing care/concepts of
psychiatric, pediatric and OBG clients, water
birth.
 Predict the probable outcome of certain
nursing decisions made in relation to client
care. E.g., - oral care, lemon salt or
Chlorhexidine.
 Control the occurrence of undesired client
outcomes. E.g., muscle dystrophy
prevented/controlled by active passive
exercise.
 Initiate with a fair degree of confidence
activities that will achieve desired client
behavior. EG good or better IPR makes good
or better client behavior.
 Provide the scientific basis for nursing
profession
 Develop and evaluate new techniques for
delivering patient care that is vital to
patient’s health needs.
 Develop tools for assessing effectiveness of
nursing interventions.
 Provide solutions to problems concerning
health maintenance, health delivery and
health care.
 Help determine the areas of need relative to
nursing practices, such as patient teaching
and nursing patient relationships.
 Develop and evaluate alternative
approaches to nursing education that would
enable that student to gain broad
knowledge and specialized skills for safe
practice.
 To prepare oneself to be a diligent
practitioner of research. Need for nursing
research? For the continuous growth of
nursing profession. Helps nursing to achieve
its own professional identity. Helps to
identify the boundaries of nursing to define
the parameters of nursing. For cost
containment practices. Importance of
research in nursing validation as a
profession scientific basis for practice
research in nursing nursing research.
Accountability. Improvement in nursing
care. Identifying the role of nurse in
changing society. Discovering new measures
for nursing practice. Helps to take prompt
decisions. Improve standard of nursing care.
We’re finding existing theories and
discovering new theories. Features of
research. With the numonics ROCES.
Reliability or generalization findings can be
applied to situation or population larger
than one studied order. See control,
minimize bias, and maximize the precision
and validity of data gathered. Empiricism,
objective methods of seeking information,
and as systematic. Systematic function from
identifying a problem to conclusions and
recommendations. Characteristics of good
research. Orderly and systematic process
based on current professional issues begin
with clearly defined purposes. Emphasis to
develop and refine and expand professional
knowledge directed towards development
or testing theories. Finding solution no
problem dedicated to developing empirical
evidence. Generate findings or refine and
improve professional practices. Use of
appropriate methodology conducted on
representative sample conducted to
appropriate use of methods and tools of
data collection. Use a valid and reliable data
collection tools, carefully recorded and
reported adequately and appropriately
analyzed research. Patiently care dot activity
researchers expertise, interest, motivation,
and courage. Adequately communicated.
Qualities of good researcher. With the
numonics researcher. Research oriented.
Efficient scientific. Effective. Active.
Resourceful. Creative. Honest, economical,
religious. Characteristics of researchers
according to Kristoff 1991. Intellectual
curiosity. Creative thinking. Critical thinking.
Ability to relate, to study to unknown
theory, patience and discipline to push this
study through. Intellectual honesty. Sense of
humor. Sources of knowledge. With the
Numonics castle. See customs and tradition.
We’ve always done it that way. A assembled
information example, quality improvement
data. Scientific research. The most objective
Nursing Research
NCM 95
in the source of nursing knowledge, trial and Scope in area of nursing, research, nursing
error. If it works, we’ll use it. L logical education, nursing administration, nursing
reasoning, inductive and deductive experts service, nursing informatics. So based on
or authorities. So what are the roles of purpose, number one, basic pure research, it
nurses in research? Preparing trial protocols is done for the intellectual pleasure of
and other trial related documentation. learning, to search for knowledge for its own
Submitting study proposals for a regulatory sake and eventually filter down the result
approval. Coordinating the initiation, into real life situation. Number two, applied
management, completion of the research, research. It results from present problems or
collecting and recording pertinent data. from socially disorganized situation. It
Advocate of client or respondents during frequently raises theoretical questions that
study. Evaluator over research findings. must be answered by basic pure research.
Research problem identifier in four months #3 action research the process involves the
respondents, subjects, participants, or study of certain problem and from that
sample population. Consumer research experience, decisions, actions and
findings. Associate or member of the conclusions are not. Findings are limited to
research team. Research and nursing settings actually studied. So based on
process. The nursing process is an orderly approach quantitative research, quantitative
and systematic manner of determining the research is a formal, objective and
client’s problems, making plans to solve systematic process in which the numerical
them, initiating plans or assigning others to data are used to obtain information. It is
implement them, and evaluating the used to describe variables, examine
effectiveness of these plans. So the research relationships among variables. Qualitative
and nursing process. Nursing research. 1. research qualitative research is a systematic
Problem identification conceptualized topic, and interactive subjective approach used to
curiosity about the topic, brainstorm with describe life experiences and give them
peers, review related literature, developed meaning. According to Marshall and
conceptual framework, state specific Rossman 2006 and Manhal, 2001, it is
problem. Nursing process one assessment conducted to describe and promote.
phase. Collect data from various sources Understanding of human experience such as
using appropriate techniques. Nursing pain, caring, and comfort.
research, too. Methodological development.
Identify your variables, formulate
hypothesis, develop something size, develop
instruments needed and validate balance
validity with reliability. Nursing process two
diagnosis face. Validate, organize data.
Analyze and interpret actual and potential
health problems. Formulate nursing
diagnosis. Nursing research 3. Data
management. Collect and organize data.
Analyze data, interpret results of study.
Nursing process three planning phase
prioritize health problems. Identify
components of care resources needed. Set
goals formulate plan of care select nursing
actions set evaluation parameters update.
Modify as needed. Nursing research for
disseminate findings. Publish findings.
Review findings. Critique findings. Nursing
process for implementation phase.
Implement plan of care, collaborate with
other members, modify plan as needed.