N108 Research

Which order would be followed in the research process for conducting a study?

1. Obtain necessary approvals 2. Recruiting the subjects 3. Doing a pilot study 4. Continually assessing study methodology

Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

A randomized controlled trial is an experimental, prospective study in which "participants are randomly allocated into an experimental group or a control group and followed over time for the variables/outcomes of interest."

Systematic Review

A summary of the medical literature that uses explicit methods to perform a comprehensive literature search and critical appraisal of individual studies, and that uses appropriate statistical techniques to combine these valid studies. Systematic reviews provide the strongest type of evidence Synthesize and summarize existing knowledge

Random assignment

An example of random assignment occurs in an experimental study, such as when researchers recruit patients from an outpatient clinic using flyers. The patients are then randomly assigned, or allocated, to an experimental group that receives the independent variable OR a control group.

Random selection

An example of random selection is the the California Board of Registered Nurses randomly selecting 8,000 RNs and mailing them the biannual survey to complete.

Which describes the similarity between grand theory and descriptive theory?

Both theories are nonspecific to a particular nursing intervention

Steps for conducting a systematic review

Clearly articulated objectives and questions to be addressed Inclusion and exclusion criteria, stipulated a priori (in the protocol), that determine the eligibility of studies A comprehensive search to identify all relevant studies, both published and unpublished. Appraisal of the quality of included studies, assessment of the validity of their results, and reporting of any exclusions based on quality. Analysis of data extracted from the included research Presentation and synthesis of the findings extracted. Transparent reporting of the methodology and methods used to conduct the review.

Meta-Analysis

Combines and summarizes quantitative data from multiple studies using sophisticated statistical methodology.

Qualitative research

Credibility Transferability Dependability Confirmability

Ethnography

Describing and interpreting a cultural social group

In one of the sections of an evidence-based article a researcher is writing, the researcher explains how the research study was organized and conducted to answer the research question. Which would the next section of the article.

Details on the results of the study

Grounded theory

Developing a theory grounded in data from the field (process, "how")

External Validity

Effects of selection, interaction of tx and selection of subjects, interaction of tx and settings, interaction of tx and history

Two siblings who live in a camp for migrant workers have contracted measles. The nurse, trying to determine which individuals had contact with the children, identifies those with immunity and assesses the probability of containing the measles to the camp. What technique has the nurse used in managing this situation?

Epidemiological process

Which Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competency does integrating current research with clinical experience and client preference comply with?

Evidence-based practice

A primary health care provider, who is a principle investigator of a study, enrolls 200 subjects who require intravenous (IV) antibiotic therapy. A researcher randomly assigns the subjects into control and treatment groups. in the control group of 100 subjects, te standard chlorhexidine is used as skin site preparation before the IV administration, and in the treatment Povidone-iodine is used. Then the effectiveness of chlorhexidine and Povidone-iodine in reducing the incidence of IV phlebitis is compared. Which type of study is the researcher performing?

Experimental research

Which information is the nurse likely to find in the clinical implications section of an article?

Explanation regarding the method of applying findings in a practice setting

After selecting a PICOT question to ask a clinical question, which is the next step in the decision-making process?

Gathering the most relevant and best evidence

Qualitative Methods

Grounded theory Ethnography Phenomenology

Which example demonstrates clinical decision-making by the nurse?

I identified impaired skin integrity in a pressure ulcer form upon finding redness in the client's hip

Which are characteristics of the abstract section of an article?

It summarizes the purpose of the article It mentions the major themes and implications of the nursing practice. It is a brief summary that informs the reader whether the article is research or clinically based.

Which distinguishes research-based practice as different from evidence-based practice?

It uses knowledge based only on research studies. (EBP is a problem-solving approach to clinical practice)

Hawthorne effect

Loss of participant's behavior because they are aware that others are observing them

Credibility

Persistent observation, peer debriefing, referential adequacy, member checks

Systematic Review

Predominantly objective •Uses a rigorous method in attempt to uncover "all" of the evidence relevant to a question •Analyzes findings •Informs clinical decision-making

Literature Review

Predominantly subjective •Rely on author's knowledge and experience •Conducted frequently with no stated methodology •Provides a limited presentation of a topic •At risk for bias or systematic error •Discusses findings

The three essential characteristics of an experimental study are:

Randomization (subjects are randomized to an experimental and control group) Control group (a group that does not receive the independent variable) Manipulation of the independent variable

Dependability

Record keeping, reflective writing, peer debriefers

Construct Validity

Reliability of instrument

Internal Validity

Selection bias, History, Maturation, Testing, Instrumentation, Mortality

Which information is accurate regarding exemplary professional practice according to the revised magnet model?

Strong professional practice is established, and accomplishments of the practice are demonstrated

The nurse is using the Cochrane library to study systematic review articles and meta-analyses of clinical trials. Which difference will the nurse find in both?

Systematic review articles draw conclusion without statistics; meta-analyses uses statistics for conclusions.

Which are sources of evidence-informed practice?

Theory Research Clinical expertise

Transferability

Thick descriptions, audit trail, adequate sampling

Phenomenology

Understanding the essence of experiences about a phenomenon

Which describes the primary purpose of evidence-informed nursing practice (EIP)?

Using results from research to improve the outcome of nursing care

The literature review provides

a context for the research question that described relevant theory and results of previous studies

Parametric statistics

are used for data analysis, the level of measurement must be at least at the interval or ratio-level and the data must e distributed with a normal curve.

Phenomenologcal approach

focuses on lived experiences

Rating the Quality of the Evidence

includes considerations of factors such as sample size (power of study to detect true differences), extent to which you can generalize the findings from a sample to an entire population, and validity (indicates findings truly represent the phenomenon you are claiming to measure).

Research hypothesis

indicates a relationship among 2 or more variables

Reliability

is if the instrument is consistently measuring what it's supposed to measure. You may see reliability addressed in research studies as Cronbach's alpha or inter-rater reliability.

Probability sampling

is randomly selecting from a population. There are four types: Simple Random Sampling, Stratified Random Sampling, Cluster Random Sampling and Systematic Random Sampling.

Validity

is the degree that the instrument is supposed to measure (e.g. a watch measuring time or a scale measuring weight). You may see validity addressed in studies as face or content validity or concurrent and predictive validity.

Dependent variable

is the outcome the researcher is trying to predict.

Independent variable

is the presumed cause or ifluence on the depedent variable

Correlation research

is the study of relatinships between 2 or more variables.

T test

is used to compare the mean performance of 2 independent groups

Factor analysis

is used to demonstrate that the items in the tool measure that in which it was intended

The Cronbach's alpha score

is used to determine the strength of relationships betwee the items within the instrumen. A score >0.70 indicates consistecy between the items

Confirmability

open-ended interview questions, member checks, record keeping

Systematic review and Review articles

systematic reviews are conducted to answer a specific clinical foreground question review articles provide a broad overview on a topic to answer background questions.

Skewing

the distribution should be describedas a limitation of he study

Qualitative study focuses on

the feelings and perceptions of human experiences in a natural setting

Theoretical framework

the nurse will secify the problem, identify how the hyposthesis will be developed and tested, and determine how the findings will be interpreted and generalized for use

Representativeness in quantitative research:

we want the samples to be as similar to the known variables in the population. This is important for reducing sampling error or sampling bias AND for generalizing findings to a population (i.e. external validity).

Sample Size

what is an appropriate number? It depends on a number of factors, such as research design, effect size or cost. Generally, in quantitative studies, the bigger the sample size, the more confidence we have that the sample more likely represents the population it was drawn from. Qualitative studies commonly have small sample sizes; 10-15 subjects.

What is a meta-analysis?

●Statistical method that combines the results of a number of studies into single quantitative analysis ●"Pooling" of data ●Can be part of the systematic review process