UNIT XII

RESEARCH IN COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING

UNIT XII

RESEARCH IN COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING

 Need and significance, Researchable problems in community

health
 Role of Community Health nurse in research activities

NEED OF RESEARCH IN NURSING:

The scientific knowledge that research yields is beneficial to all types of nursing practice.
It can promote for productive health policy and impact the well-being of patients. The
combination of nursing practice and research can elevate delivery of care.

When nurses meet a new patient, they should assess the patient’s situation, analyze
related research, apply the evidence and evaluate the outcome. Research in nursing can alleviate
patient’s symptoms and prevent or delay the onset of a disease or disability.

Public Health Nurses, integrate community involvement with knowledge about the entire
population by understanding the health and illness experiences of individuals and families within
the population. Hence research in community health nursing plays a major importance.

The field of nursing research is growing, and nurses can assume nursing researcher roles.
A nursing researcher works to reveal new advancements in health care. They may conduct
funded studies to collect evidence that can enhance delivery of care in all clinical settings.
Nurses can specialize in different kinds of research such as:

 Clinical research examines patient’s acute and chronic care experiences as well as their
health history. This information can benefit the patients at every health care stage,
including preventative and end of life care.
 Health systems and outcomes research identifies ways through which healthcare
organizations can improve quality, limit spending and prioritize patient’s experiences,
satisfaction rates. These researchers focus on clinical services and the operation of a
healthcare organization.
 Nursing education research examines how nurses apply their knowledge. Researcher’s
determine ways to incorporate technology into nursing education inorder to promote
lifelong learning and encourage nurses to pursue leadership positions.
Nursing research falls largely into two areas:

1. Quantitative research is based in the paradigm of logical positivism and is focused upon
outcomes for clients that are measureable, generally using statistics. Commonly used
research method is the randomized controlled trial
2. Qualitative research is based in the paradigm of phenomenology, grounded theory,
ethnography and others, and examines the experience of those receiving or delivering the
nursing care. The research methods most commonly used are interviews, case studies,
focus groups and ethnography.

Importance of research in nursing:

The main goal of nursing research is to increase successful patient outcomes. Nurses
combine their scientific knowledge and the results of their research to provide optimal health
care. Nurses should understand and implement the latest research.

 Research is an important tool for the continual development of a relevant body of

knowledge in nursing
 Research generates information from nursing investigation which help to define the
unique role of nursing as a profession
 Professional accountability of nurses to their clients /family is demonstrated when nurses
incorporate research evidence into their clinical decisions
 Research facilitates evaluation of the efficacy of nurses, practice which may articulate
their role in the delivery of health services
 Research may allow nurses to make more informed decisions, as each phase of the
nursing process is clarified through research
 Research also enables nurses to understand a particular nursing situation about which
little is known, assess the need for an intervention
 Identify factors that must be considered in planning nursing care
 Predict the probable outcomes of certain nursing decisions
 Control the occurrence of undesired outcomes
 Provide advice to enhance client health
 Initiate activities to promote appropriate client behavior

The importance of community based research:

Health is a broad concept and is influenced by various social, economic and political
determinants. Poor health is caused by microorganisms and is also linked to other societal
issues such as water shortages, deforestation, poverty, racism, financial instability, war, and
conflict.
 Due to the diverse determinants of health, there are many ways to be involved in community-
based research. Community health research is a collaborative process; it can make as of
knowledge from different academic disciplines to study disease and morbidity.

 The social and local environmental factors play a large role in the health status of
rich and poor as well as between racial groups. The research has contributed to
increase knowledge about public health issues and improved health status
 The community-based research is to help us to understand inequity and action gaps.
Community-based research in public health focuses on “social, structural, and
physical environmental inequities through active involvement of community
members, organizational representatives, and researchers in all aspects of the
research process” to enable us to translate knowledge into action.
 The community-based research is a holistic approach to identify local barriers to care
and by empowering the community through participation and advocacy.
 Research helps in understanding hoe local environments impact the health status of a
population. It promotes for closely examining how age, race, gender, and individual
socioeconomic position may affect the impact of community context on individual
health.

Areas for doing research in community health nursing

 Health problems of different age groups, risk factors assessment, available resources,
utilization of various health services, programs, projects etc, satisfaction of public
towards health services etc.
 Age care: accessibility and remoteness, health literacy/awareness
 Health workforce policies, inter-professional learning, mental health in rural and urban
areas, migrant’s health in urban slums
 Oral health, palliative care in rural and urban areas, primary health care for mother and
child
 Urban/rural ageing, geriatric health, urban/rural community health and wellbeing,
urban/rural health education
 Urban/rural indigenous health, determinants of health in urban/rural population
 Nutritional problems, morbidity and mortality of mother and child and age groups
 Status of communicable (TB/ malaria) and non communicable diseases (Hypertension,
Diabetes, Mellitus, CAD, Stroke, Cancer, Obesity)
 Impact of complimentary therapies

The role of community health nurse as a researcher

 Community health nurses engage systematic investigation, collection, analysis to enhance

community health practice.
 Qualities of a nurse researcher include a questioning attitude, careful observation, open-
mindedness, analytical skills
 The task of research includes:
 Identifying problems
 Working with data (collecting, analyzing and interpreting)
 Conducting research
 Assesses health status of individuals, families, and communities; develops plans and
implements appropriate nursing interventions.
 Evaluates and determines health resources necessary to meet individual, family and
community health needs.
 Delivers professional nursing care in an assigned unit, clinic, home, or other setting.
 Educates individuals, families, communities, and members of the health care team about
the principles of disease prevention and health promotion