Nursing 220 Exam 1

1. Discovery (pursuit of knowledge through research and investigation)
2. Integration (information across disciplines, making connections and creating new insights)
3. Application (use of research and knowledge to solve real world problems)
4. Teaching (The study and improvement of teaching practices, sharing knowledge, and fostering learning in others)

Process in which observable, verifiable data are systematically collected from surrounds using our senses to describe, explain, or predict events (if this/then ...)

the generation, synthesis, translation, application, and dissemination of knowledge that aims to improve health and transform health care

Research that is done to examine findings of another researcher using the same methods but different subjects; increases the extent to which findings can be generalized

Widely used
Emphasizes measurement, testing hypotheses, & analyzing data
Uses traditional approaches, such as experiments & surveys

Used in research of subjective experiences
Emphasizes verbal descriptions & meaning for the individual
Emphasizes understanding of the experience from the individual perspective
Uses participant observation, in-depth interviews (“How was your experience?”)

Uses both quantitative & qualitative methods
Also describes use of various combinations of research design

competent

Integrity of knowledge
Collegiality
Honesty
Objectivity

Structure, Process, Outcomes

to continuously improve systems

circular

1. selecting and defining th eproblem
2. selecting a research problem
3. collecting data
4. analyze data
5. using the research findings

“Pure Research” Purpose is to obtain empirical data that can be used to develop, refine, or test a theory

purpose is to gain knowledge that can be used

Researcher manipulates and controls 1 or more variables and observes the effect of manipulation on the other variables

Examines data collected in the past (Reviewing medical records)

collects with no follow up

follows a group/cohort and collects over time

Articles of the Nuremberg Code (1947)
Declaration of Helsinki (1964)

Provide potential subjects with sufficient information about participation
Assure them it is voluntary
Simple, understandable language
Must be provided to the IRB, which stands for: Institutional Review Board

Problem-solving approach that considers clinical experience
Combines evidence, knowledge, and theory
Allows patient voices to be heard

Knowledge-focused trigger
Encountered either by reading in a journal, attending conferences, or through federal guidelines

Problem-focused trigger
Identified in the context of clinical practice "real life" (quality improvement, risk surveillance, benchmarking)
"Why do we do it this way?"
"Is there a better way to do this?"

Level I: Systematic reviews and randomized clincical trials (RCTs)
Level VII: Expert opinion of authorities and/or reports from expert committees

The first and most important step in the research process
Provides direction for research design
Must be researchable
Create operational definitions
Must be significant enough to warrant research
Should have potential for extending the body of knowledge

Appropriate?
Available?
Any constraints?
Resources?
Ethical considerations?

Identifies why the problem is being studied
Specifies overall goal and intent of research
Should include:
-What the researcher intends to do
-Location where research will take place
-Population participating in the study

1. Clinical sources: derived from clinical practice or the investigator’s own experience
2. Literature sources: examining the literature to generate ideas for possible areas
3. Theoretical sources: less likely to involve a clinical problem and is usually concerned with explanations of phenomena
4. Replication sources: determines whether a previous study can be repeated

primary sources offer original, unmediated information, while secondary sources provide interpretation and context around that information

Electronic Databases, Indexes, Abstracts

It is needed to integrate, organize, and classify accumulated facts into something meaningful

Summarize existing knowledge
Give meaning to isolated findings
Provide a structure or a framework that provides means of collecting data to describe, explain, & predict nursing practice

Involves collecting observations that lead to conclusions or hypothesis
Begins c specific observation & moves to testable, general statements

Generates theory by beginning c known facts & moving from the general to the specific
Used to test predictions & validate existing relationships
Helps unveil existing relationships

Refers to the primary phenomena of interest to discipline
-Person
-Environment
-Health
-Nursing

Complex and broad in scope
Attempt to explain large scopes & include numerous concepts that are not well defined
Not grounded in empirical (experimental) data
Use of a systems approach that focuses on human needs

Appropriate for defining or refining substantive component of nursing science & practice
Describe, explain, & predict phenomena
Explicit & testable

More specific that middle-range theories & produce specific directions or guidelines for practice
Can cover particular element of a specialty
Typically describe elements of nursing care

Based on theoretical work from other disciplines, such as sociology
Useful if the fit & relevance to nursing are clarified

Synonymous with terms such as “conceptual framework” & “conceptual system”
Represent ideas or notions put together in unique way to describe a particular area of concern
Idea of experiencing the world “by walking in someone else’s shoes”

Statements that explain or predict a relationship or a difference between variables in terms of expected outcomes

Guide scientific inquiry
Provide direction for research design
Provide basis for selecting a sample
Provide framework for reporting conclusions

testable

Simple hypotheses typically focus on a clear and direct relationship, while complex hypotheses involve more intricate relationships, often exploring how various factors interact with each other.

Non-directional hypotheses suggest that a relationship exists but do not specify whether it is positive or negative, while directional hypotheses explicitly indicate the expected direction of the relationship based on prior knowledge or theory.

States no relationship (or difference) exists between 2 variables

States that a relationship or difference exists between variables
Indicates what researcher expects to find when conducting study

A concise, focused statement that includes 1 or more variables or concepts

Independent variable = manipulated variable
-Introduced or manipulated to determine the effect it has.
-May be classified as: experimental, treatment, intervention, or predictor variable.
Dependent variable = outcome variable
-The variable that is observed for change or reaction after the “treatment” is applied.
-The variable that is under investigation.

Characteristics not under investigation but may be relevant to study

A well-defined group whose members possess specific attributes

A small subset of that population
Representative of the population

Every subject has an = and independent chance of being chosen
Method: Randomly and blindly select individuals

Selecting a sample to identify sub-groups in the population that are represented
Achieves greater degrees of representation cin the population

Groups, not individuals, are randomly selected
Used for convenience in:
-Large populations & populations that are spread over a large geographic area

Individuals or elements of the population are selected from a list by taking every kth individual
Each member does not have an independent chance of inclusion
Considered random sampling if list is randomly ordered
Data collected conveniently and efficiently

Chance plays no role in determination of sample
Limits ability to make generalizations about findings

Collection of data from subjects or objects easily accessible to the researcher

Useful when list of individuals who share a particular characteristic cannot be obtained
Members identified to be a part of a group identify other members of the group
Useful when networking

Identifies the strata of the population based on specific characteristics
Computed proportionally or disproportionally to the population under study

Researcher “handpicks” or selects certain cases thought to be best
Commonly used in qualitative research

Control group
Random group
Manipulation/”Intervention”

Randomized pretest-posttest control group
-“Before-and-after” method
-Evaluate dependent variable before the independent variable is introduced
Randomized posttest-only control group
-Usually requires groups be randomly assigned
-Used when the pre-test is inappropriate or impossible
One-group pretest-posttest design
-Pre-tested on dependent variable then post-tested after treatment
-There is NO comparison group

Outcome is “predicted” by theory and research
No random assignment and/or control groups

Mortality or Attrition
Instruments
Time/History

Identification of a research problem

To gather existing knowledge and identify gaps in research

A prediction of the expected relationship between variables

Elements or characteristics that can vary and are measured in research studies

Qualitative research explores concepts in-depth, while quantitative research focuses on numerical data

The variable that is manipulated or controlled in a study

The variable that is measured or affected by the independent variable

It ensures participants understand the study and agree to participate voluntarily

A method where each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected for the study

To clearly define the issue the research aims to address

The consistency of a measurement tool or research findings over time

The degree to which a tool measures what it is intended to measure

Experimental research involves manipulation of variables, while non-experimental research observes variables without manipulation

To improve patient care and outcomes through evidence-based practices

Scholarly articles that have been evaluated by experts in the field before publication