Writing Homework Help

Write a 6 page analysis of two nursing research articles. One article must be quantitative in nature. One article must be qualitative in nature.

Introduction

The master’s-prepared nurse must become a critical consumer of research, as contemporary and emerging research helps to shape the present and future of the profession’s practice. Additionally, as evidence-based practice is becoming foundational for decision-making and practice strategies, it is important that nurses understand how to analyze research sources and mine them for the most relevant and significant pieces of information for their circumstances and practice environments.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Qualitative research uses the scientific method to answer clearly articulated research questions from a subjective perspective. EBP is based on research outcomes that may not include qualitative studies, which may be more appropriate for developing theory and testing hypotheses. Generally, EBP reviews use carefully defined criteria to evaluate the quality of a study and research outcomes. While EBP reviews may be informed or enhanced by qualitative research, they are not based solely on qualitative research outcomes, because of a lack of generally accepted criteria for judging the merit of qualitative studies.

The epistemology of qualitative research incorporates the following views, which are particularly applicable to nursing practice. These views acknowledge (Grove et al., 2015):

• That reality or ways in which we define what we know are socially constructed, containing many points of views and perspectives.
• That what we know is linked intrinsically to who we are.
• That how we approach research is defined by what we value.
• That all knowledge is bound by time and context.

Because the approach to qualitative research is subjective, the research design and approaches are unique and to some, controversial. The extent to which qualitative studies are credible is the degree of rigor that the study has in relationship to data collection and thoroughness of analysis (Grove et al., 2015). There are four commonly accepted approaches used in nursing research—phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and historical. Qualitative research methodologies include coded observations, interview, surveys, focus groups, and questionnaires. Data analysis occurs in three stages—description, analysis, and interpretation. It is presented in narrative or visual format with a focus on the identification of key themes or trends in the data.

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research is a formal and objective process for generating new knowledge about a research topic, sometimes used to test hypotheses. Qualitative research is more subjective and is used to generate theories or develop hypotheses that can be tested quantitatively.

The four types of quantitative research are:

• Descriptive.
• Correlational.
• Quasi-experimental.
• Experimental.

Each of these approaches to research has applications in the health care industry. The differences among these approaches to research are based on the stated objective of the research and the level of measurement used to gather data for analysis. Research design will vary, but each type includes the same steps of the research process defined for qualitative research (Grove et al., 2015):

• Identify the research problem and research purpose.
• Conduct a literature review to determine the evidence base for the problem.
• Identify the study framework or theoretical foundation (for example, Orem, Pender, Watson, et cetera).
• Identify the research objective and state research questions and hypothesis.
• Clarify the study variables and level of measurement.
• State any assumptions that the researcher may make that could impact data analysis (for example, assumptions regarding sampling strategies, population characteristics, et cetera).
• State the limitations to research (for example, sampling limitations, data collection challenges, et cetera).
• Identify the research design.
  • Descriptive.
  • Correlational.
  • Quasi-experimental.
  • Experimental.
• Define the population and sample, including sampling strategies.
• Describe the methods of measurement.
• Collect data.
• Analyze data.
• Describe the outcomes and recommendations.

The master’s-prepared nurse must become a critical consumer of research, as contemporary and emerging research helps to shape the present and future of the profession’s practice. Additionally, as evidence-based practice is becoming foundational for decision-making and practice strategies, it is important that nurses understand how to analyze research sources and mine them for the most relevant and significant pieces of information for their circumstances and practice environments.

Reference

Grove, S. K., Gray, J. R., & Burns, N. (2015). Understanding nursing research: Building an evidence-based practice (6th ed.). Elsevier/Saunders.

Preparation

As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assessment.

• What are the key characteristics of quantitative research?
• How can you identify a research study that is using quantitative methodology?
• Which topics, issues, or areas of quantitative research are the most relevant to your current or future practice?
• What are the key characteristics of qualitative research?
• How can you identify a research study that is using qualitative methodology?
• Which topics, issues, or areas of qualitative research are the most relevant to your current or future practice?
• What are strategies that you could use to help break down a research study?
• How can you identify and address ethical implications within a research study?

Scenario

Some of the most significant current information on patient care in nursing comes from scholarly, peer-reviewed journals and articles. Within this category of information sources, we can further categorize the studies into qualitative and quantitative sources, each with their own set of methods and standards. Within each of these categories, nurses must be able to differentiate between sources of published data that are used to develop evidenced-based practices (EBP).

Instructions

Part 1

For the first part of this assessment, choose a topic, an issue, or a phenomenon that informs nursing practice and that has been researched quantitatively. Select a nursing quantitative research article, published in a peer-reviewed journal within the past five years on your chosen topic, issue, or phenomenon.

After selecting the article, complete the following (Note: The main bullet points below correspond to the assessment grading criteria, while the sub-bullets may help guide you to ensure that you are fully addressing the criteria):

• Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a quantitative research study.
  • Summarize the quantitative research study.
  • Describe the problem, purpose, and hypothesis of the study.
  • Identify and describe the quantitative study methodology (experimental, quasi-experimental, non-experimental, descriptive, or clinical trial).
  • Describe the data collection, data analysis, and reporting procedures.
  • Critique the entire study.
• Analyze the ethical implications of a quantitative research study when applied to the patient care setting.
  • Why are ethical standards important in research when applied to patient care in a health care setting?
  • To what extent do any ethical considerations impact human subjects?
• Analyze the significance of a research problem in a quantitative research study.
  • How is the research problem significant to nursing practice?
  • How could study of the research problem lead to improvements in health care?
• Evaluate a quantitative research study as an appropriate source of information for informing patient care decision making.
  • How does the study provide information related to patient care?
  • To what extent is the information in the study valid, reliable, and aligns with best practices?

Part 2

For the second part of this assessment, choose a topic, an issue, or a phenomenon that informs nursing practice and that has been researched qualitatively. Select a nursing qualitative research article published in a peer-reviewed journal within the past five years on your chosen topic, issue, or phenomenon. Please view the Qualitative Versus Quantitative Analysis Quiz to help you find an appropriate qualitative research article.

After selecting the article, complete the following (Note: The main bullet points below correspond to the assessment grading criteria, while the sub-bullets may help guide you to ensure that you are fully addressing the criteria):

• Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a qualitative research study.
  • Summarize the qualitative research study, including the problem, purpose, and hypothesis of the study.
  • Identify and describe the qualitative study methodology (ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, or case study).
  • Describe the data collection, data analysis, and reporting procedures.
  • Critique the entire study.
• Analyze the ethical implications of a qualitative research study when applied to the patient care setting.
  • Why are ethical standards important in research when applied to patient care in a health care setting?
  • To what extent do any ethical considerations impact human subjects?
• Analyze the significance of a research problem in a qualitative research study.
  • How is the research problem significant to nursing practice?
  • How could study of the research problem lead to improvements in health care?
• Evaluate a qualitative research study as an appropriate source of information for informing patient care decision making.
  • How does the study provide information related to patient care?
  • To what extent is the information in the study valid, reliable, and aligns with best practices?

Assessed Throughout

• Write clearly and concisely, with correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
• Integrate relevant and credible sources of evidence to support assertions, correctly formatting citations and references using current APA style.

Additional Requirements

• Length of submission: 6–8 typed, double-spaced pages, not including the title and reference pages. Your report should be thorough, but concise. No abstract is required for this assessment.
• Number of references: Cite a minimum of three sources of scholarly or professional evidence. Resources should be no more than five years old.
• APA formatting: Use the APA Style Paper Tutorial [DOCX] to help you in writing and formatting your analysis.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Analyze how research can be used to improve nursing practice.
  • Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a quantitative research study.
  • Analyze the significance of a research problem in a quantitative research study.
  • Evaluate a quantitative research study as an appropriate source of information for informing patient care decision making.
  • Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a qualitative research study.
  • Analyze the significance of a research problem in a qualitative research study.
  • Evaluate a qualitative research study as an appropriate source of information for informing patient care decision making.
• Competency 4: Explain how ethical protections can be implemented in research and evidence-based nursing practice.
  • Analyze the ethical implications of a quantitative research study when applied to the patient care setting.
  • Analyze the ethical implications of a qualitative research study when applied to the patient care setting.
• Competency 5: Communicate effectively across disciplines, demonstrating respect for self and others.
  • Write clearly and concisely, with correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
  • Integrate relevant and credible sources of evidence to support assertions, correctly formatting citations and references using current APA style.