WEEK 1: OVERVIEW OF NURSING
RESEARCH
FOR
EVIDENCE-BASED
NURSING PRACTICE
PRE-MODERNITY (TRADITIONALISM)
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Early societies are marked with longevity,
stability, and continuity (i.e., tradition).
The world, social realities, are given; the world
has a basic order and this order is the way things
ought to be.
MODERNITY (MODERNISM)
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Modernity is more concerned with transforming
rather than preserving itself – “has always been
associated with progress” (Wagner, 2012)
Innovation and change rather than tradition and
continuity.
SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE FOR NURSING PRACTICE
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OVERVIEW OF PARADIGMS AND METHODS FOR
NURSING RESEARCH – POSITIVIST
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PREMODERNITY TO MODERNITY – SO WHAT?
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Doing research is one way we become modern
beings.
Research has helped humanity be free from the
state of naivete or ignorance.
Research contributes to the development of the
lives of the people.
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RESEARCH
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Systematic inquiry that uses disciplined methods to
answer questions or solve problems.
The ultimate goal of research is to develop and
expand knowledge.
NURSING RESEARCH
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A systemic inquiry designed to generate
trustworthy evidence about issues of importance to
the nursing profession, including nursing practice,
education, and administration.
Research findings from rigorous studies provide especially
strong evidence for informing nurses’ decisions and actions.
– Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)
CONSUMERS OF RESEARCH
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Reads research reports or research summaries to
keep up-to-date on findings that might affect their
practice.
EBP depends on well-informed nursing research
consumers.
PRODUCERS OF RESEARCH
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Design and conduct research.
Tradition: Certain “truths” are accepted as given,
and such “knowledge” is so much a part of a
common heritage that few seek verification.
Experts: People with specialized expertise
Clinical Experience: Prior knowledge and skills of
the health worker.
Trial and Error: Alternatives are tried successively
until a solution to a problem is found.
Disciplined research
Ontology – Reality exists (realism); there is a real
world driven by real natural causes and
subsequent effects (determinism).
Positivists value objectivity and attempt to hold
personal beliefs and biases in check to avoid
contaminating the phenomena under study.
The positivists’ scientific approach involves using
orderly, disciplined procedures with tight
controls of the research situation to test hunches
about the phenomena being studied.
Fails to capture full breadth and depth of the
human experience.
Related to traditional and quantitative
information.
OVERVIEW OF PARADIGMS AND METHODS FOR
NURSING RESEARCH – POSITIVIST
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Constructivism is about the construction of reality
and knowledge.
Ontology: there are many forces that could
shape the existence of reality and knowledge
(relativism).
Subjective interactions are important to be able
to capture the voices and interpretation of those
under study.
Rely on flexible, evolving procedures.
May fail to provide generalizable research.
THE PARADIGMS ARE COMPLEMENTARY
PURPOSES OF NURSING RESEARCH
Research for varying levels of explanation
Identification
“What is this phenomena? What is
its name?” (QUAL)
Description
“How
prevalent
is
this
phenomenon?” (QUAN)
“What are the dimensions or
characteristics of the phenomenon?”
(QUAL)
Exploration
“What factors are related to the
phenomenon?” (QUAN)
“What is the full nature of the
phenomenon?” (QUAL)
Prediction
or “If phenomenon X occurs, will
Control
phenomenon Y follow?” (QUAN)
“Can
the
phenomenon
be
prevented?” (QUAN)
Explanation
“What is the underlying cause of the
phenomenon?” (QUAN)
“What does the phenomenon
mean?” (QUAL)
Research purposes linked to evidence-based practice
Therapy
or To learn the benefits of specific
intervention
actions, treatments, products, or
processes
for
improving
or
preventing health problems.
Diagnosis and Concern with rigorous development
Assessment
and testing of formal instruments.
Prognosis
Aims to understand the outcomes or
consequences associated with a
disease or a health problem.
Etiology
Focuses on finding the what causes
harm or health problems.
Description
Aims to describe health-related
phenomena
Meaning and Focuses on understanding the
Processes
meanings of the health-related
phenomena and experience.
EBP VS RESEARCH UTILIZATION
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In Research Utilization, the emphasis is on
translating new knowledge into real-world
applications.
EBP is a broader concept than RU because it
integrates research findings with other factors.
SOURCES OF BEST RESEARCH EVIDENCE
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Primary Studies
o Research article that is an author’s
original research.
o Almost always published in a peerreviewed journal.
o Reports on the details, methods, and
results on a research study.
Systematic Review
o Rely on primary studies
o Meta-analysis integrates findings from
primary quantitative studies.
o Meta-synthesis
reviews
primary
qualitative studies to amplify and
interpret further the qualitative data.
EVIDENCE-BASED NURSING PRACTICE
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The process of
shared decisionmaking between
practitioner,
patient,
and
others significant
to them based
on
research
evidence,
the
patient’s
experiences and preferences, clinical expertise or
knowhow, and other available robust sources of
information.”
o (Sigma Theta Tau International Honor
Society of Nurses, 2008, p. 57
“…In nursing, best evidence refers to research findings
that are methodologically appropriate, rigorous, and
clinically relevant for answering persistent questionsquestions not only about the efficacy, safety, and cost
effectiveness of nursing interventions but also about the
reliability of nursing assessment tests, the causes and
consequences of health problems, and the meaning and
nature of patients’ experiences.”