Module 1
Epifania Marlene R. Purisima
Clinical Faculty
UNP – College of Nursing
Module Description
The development and utilization of nursing knowledge is important for quality
improvement in patient care. Undertaking research in nursing, like in any other
discipline, is vital in establishing your knowledge base for nursing development.
Module 1 deals with the introduction to nursing research. It contains the
essential concepts necessary for the beginning nurse researcher like you to
understand the importance of research in nursing.
Learning Outcome
• You, as a student will be
able to integrate relevant
principles of social,
physical, natural and health
sciences, and humanities in
nursing research.
Research
Definitions •It is a systematic, formal, rigorous, and
precise process
•used to gain solutions to problems or
discover and interpret new facts and
relationships.
Nursing research
•It is a systemic inquiry designed to develop
knowledge about issues of importance to
nurses, including nursing practice, nursing
education, and nursing administration.
Research-based practice
•It is the utilization of research findings to
inform the decisions, actions, and interaction of
nurses with clients.
Significance and Purpose of Research
Nursing research provides scientific basis for the practices
or methodologies used in nursing care management. This
is extremely important since the life of a client is at stake.
Nursing research is undertaken for the continuous
development of and further productivity in health care.
Nursing research develops tools for assessing the
effectiveness of nursing interventions.
Significance and
Purpose of Research
Nursing research provides solutions to problems concerning
health maintenance, health delivery, and health care.
Nursing research develops and evaluates alternative
approaches to nursing education that enable the students to
gain broader knowledge and specialized skills for safe
practice.
Nursing research experience advances the personal and
professional qualifications of a nursing practitioner.
Methodological Foundation
• Research design is the
Major Research Designs researcher’s overall plan of how
the study will be conducted.
• The plan contains such details:
• type of data to be collected
• techniques of obtaining data
• basis for the choice of the subjects
• manner of determining sample size
• instruments to be used and their
validation
• data analysis scheme
A. Quantitative • the researcher is concerned
Research with the use of numbers and
statistical analyses.
• attempt to measure, in
numeric values expressing
quantity.
• the naturalistic method • focuses on gaining
of inquiry of research insights on and an
understanding of an
B. Qualitative • deals with the issue of
human complexity by individual’s
Research exploring it directly. perception of events.
• place heavy emphasis
on understanding • concerned with in-
human experience as it depth descriptions
is lived of people or events
and the individual’s
• Done through careful
interpretation of
collection and analysis events and
of data that are circumstances is of
narrative and importance.
subjective.
C. Mixed Method Research
• investigator collects and analyzes data, integrates the
findings, and draws inferences using both qualitative and
quantitative approaches and methods in a single study or
program of inquiry
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research
QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE
PARAMETER
RESEARCH RESEARCH
Purpose Aims at testing Aims at exploring
theories and underlying ideas and
hypotheses rather than formulating theories
exploring them. or hypotheses later.
It limits the It conducts studies in
Setting contaminating and the field, in natural
confounding variables surroundings, trying to
by conducting capture the normal
investigations in flow of events without
controlled settings. controlling extraneous
variables.
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research
QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE
PARAMETER
RESEARCH RESEARCH
Number of Respondents Relies on many Relies on only a few
respondents respondents.
Surveys Interviews
Data Collection Methods
Longitudinal Studies Focus group discussions
Cross-sectional Studies Observational methods
One-on-one Interviews Document analysis
Computer Assisted
Personal Interview
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research
QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE
PARAMETER
RESEARCH RESEARCH
Type of Data Counter Structured text (writings,
Measurements of physical stories, survey comments,
objects news articles, books)
Sensory calculation Unstructured text
Projection of data (transcription, interviews,
focus groups, conversation)
Audio recordings/music
Video recordings (graphics,
art, pictures, visuals)
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research
QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE
PARAMETER
RESEARCH RESEARCH
Descriptive Analysis Content analysis
Mean Narrative analysis
Mode of Analysis Median Discourse analysis
Mode Grounded theory
Percentage
Frequency
Range
Inferential Analysis
Correlational
Regression
Analysis of variance
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research
QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE
PARAMETER
RESEARCH RESEARCH
EXPERIMETAL DESIGNS NON-EXPERIMENTAL
True Experimental Designs DESIGNS
Pretest-Posttest Control Action Studies
Types Design Comparative Studies
Posttest Only Control Correlational Studies
Group Developmental studies
Solomon Four-Group Evaluation Studies
Quasi-experimental Meta-analysis
Designs Methodological Studies
Non-equivalent Groups Needs Assessment Studies
Design Secondary Analysis Studies
Time Series Survey Studies
Pre-experimental Designs
One-shot Case Study
One Group Pretest-Posttest
C.
Levels
of
Eviden
ce
Evidence
Types and
Levels
A. Filtered Resources
- appraise the quality of studies
and often make recommendations for practice.
1. Systematic reviews - type of literature review that uses systematic
methods to collect secondary data, critically appraise research
studies, and synthesize findings qualitatively or quantitatively.
• include only experimental, or quantitative, studies, and often include
only randomized controlled trials.
Filtered Databases for Systematic Reviews:
• Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
• Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database
• Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE)
2. Critically-appraised topics - evaluated and synthesized
multiple research studies.
- like short systematic reviews focused on a
particular topic.
- Sources: Annual reviews, Joanna Briggs Institute
EBP, Database, guideline central
3. Critically-appraised individual articles -
individual research studies that are
evaluated and synopsized.
- Sources: EvidenceAlerts, ACP
Journal Club
B. Unfilter
ed Databases for Unfiltered
resources – Resources:
this includes • CINAHL with Full Text
• MEDLINE with Full Text
the primary
or unfiltered
literature
1. Randomized controlled trials - A study design that
randomly assigns participants into an experimental
group or a control group. As the study is conducted,
the only expected difference between the control
and experimental groups in a randomized controlled
trial (RCT) is the outcome variable being studied.
2. Cohort studies - A study design where one or
more samples (called cohorts) are followed
prospectively and subsequent status evaluations
with respect to a disease or outcome are conducted
to determine which initial participants exposure
characteristics (risk factors) are associated with it.
3. Case-controlled studies, case series, and case
reports
• Case-controlled studies - A study that compares patients who have a
disease or outcome of interest (cases) with patients who do not have
the disease or outcome (controls), and looks back retrospectively to
compare how frequently the exposure to a risk factor is present in
each group to determine the relationship between the risk factor and
the disease.
• Case series - a type of medical research study that tracks subjects
with a known exposure, such as patients who have received a similar
treatment, or examines their medical records for exposure and
outcome.
• Case reports - An article that describes and interprets an individual
case, often written in the form of a detailed story.
C. Background information, expert opinion
- not necessarily backed by research studies.
- They include point-of-care resources, textbooks, conference proceedings,
etc.
• Sample Sources:
• Family Physicians Inquiries Network: Clinical Inquiries
• Harrison, T. R., & Fauci, A. S. (2009). Harrison's Manual of Medicine
. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional.
• Lippincott manual of nursing practice
(8th ed.). (2006). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
• Medscape: Drugs & Diseases
Keypoints:
Research is a methodical examination that uses regimented techniques to resolve questions or decipher
dilemmas.
Research design is the researcher’s overall plan of how the study will be conducted. The type of data to
be collected, techniques to obtain data, choice of subjects, sample size, instruments, data analysis and
statistical tool to treat data.
Quantitative research manipulates and control research situations and verifies results, using empirical
data gathered through senses, concerned with objective meaning of experience to an individual, and
considered as “hard science,” characterized by replicable and reliable data.
Qualitative research focuses on insights into and understanding of an individual perceptions on the
phenomenon under study and is considered as “soft science” which is considered with the subjective
meaning of experiences to an individual.
Thank you very much!
