NURSING RESEARCH I

UNIT 1: OVERVIEW OF NURSING RESEARCH

BSN 3A | Midterms | 2nd Sem | Ma’am Palompon

●​ concerned with using knowledge to solve immediate

UNIT 1: Overview of Nursing Research problems.
●​ directed toward generating knowledge that can be used in the
Definition near future
●​ often conducted to seek solutions to immediate problems. -
Research primarily concerned with establishing relationships and
●​ a systematic, controlled, empirical, and critical testing theories.
investigation of hypothetical propositions about the
presumed relations among natural phenomena Specific Purposes of Nursing Research
(Kerlinger, 1973).
Identification
Nursing Research
●​ The study of phenomena in which little is known, that the
●​ the systematic, objective process of analyzing phenomena has yet to be clearly identified or named or has
phenomena of importance to nursing (Nieswiadomy, been inadequately defined or conceptualized.
2002). This definition includes all studies concerning Description.
nursing practice, education and administration. ●​ Involves describing, counting, delineating, or classifying
Nursing Research phenomena
●​ A research designed to generate knowledge to guide nursing Exploration.
practice and to improve the health and quality of life of ●​ It investigates the full nature of the phenomenon, the
nurses' clients (Polit & Beck, manner in which it is manifested and the other factors to
●​ 2004). which it is related.
Importance Explanation.
●​ Evidence-Based Nursing Practice ●​ To understand the underpinnings of specific natural
●​ Credibility of Nursing Profession phenomena and to explain systematic relationships among
●​ Accountability for nursing practice phenomena.
●​ Documentation of the Cost-Effectiveness of Nursing Care Prediction and Control.
●​ Nursing informatics .

Historical Development of Nursing Research Paradigms and Methods in Nursing Research

●​ Paradigm is a world view, a general perspective of the
1850s Florence Nightingale studies nursing care during the complexities of the real world.
Crimean War. She called for research that focused on ○​ Paradigms for human inquiry are characterized in
nursing practice. She recorded observations in a terms of the ways in which they respond to basic
systematic way and used statistics to clearly illustrate philosophical dimensions: ontologic, epistemologic,
her findings. axiologic and methodologic.
●​ Positivism - is rooted in the 19th century guided by
1859 Nightingale's Notes on Nursing was published philosophers as Comte, Mill, Newton and Locke. It is the
reflection of a broader cultural phenomenon that in the
humanities is referred to as modernism, which emphasizes
1900 American Nursing Journal begins publication the rational and the scientific. It is also referred to as
logical positivism.
1971 ANA establishes a Commission on Research ●​ Naturalism - (Weber and Kant) is an outgrowth of the
pervasive cultural transformation that is referred as
1972 ANA establishes its Council of Nurse Researchers postmodernism.

1985 ANA Cabinet of Nursing Research establishes research

priorities

1996 The National Center for Nursing Research (NCNR) was

established within the National Institutes of Health

Sources of Knowledge for Nursing

1.​ Tradition
2.​ Authority
3.​ Experience and trial and error
4.​ Logical reasoning

Purposes of Nursing Research

5.​ The general purpose of nursing research is to answer
questions or solve problems of relevance to the nursing
profession.
6.​ Research can be classified based on their purposes.
a. Basic Research
●​ "pure research" or "fundamental research"
●​ generating new knowledge
●​ to test theory or to generate new theories.
●​ objective is to add scientific knowledge and not necessarily to
produce results of Immediate practical solution of a problem.
b. Applied Research

NCM 113 | BONIEL | CASIA | MAGADAN

 NURSING RESEARCH I
UNIT 1: OVERVIEW OF NURSING RESEARCH
BSN 3A | Midterms | 2nd Sem | Ma’am Palompon

Major Assumptions of the Positivist and Nursing Research Process

Naturalistic Paradigms 1.​ Identify the proble
2.​ Determine the Purpose of the Study
Assumption Positivist Naturalist 3.​ Review the Literature
Ontologic (What is the Reality exist; there is Reality is multiple and 4.​ Develop a Theoretical / Conceptual Framework
nature of reality?) a real world driven by subjective, mentally 5.​ Formulate the hypothesis or research questions
real natural cause constructed by 6.​ Define study variables/terms
individuals. 7.​ Select the research design
8.​ Identify the Population
Epistemologic (How is The inquirer is The inquirer with 9.​ Select the Sample
the inquirer related to independent from those researched; are 10.​ Conduct a Pilot Study
those being those being the creation the 11.​ Collect the Data
researched?) researched; findings interactive process 12.​ Organize the Data for Analysis
are not influenced by 13.​ Analyze the Data
the researcher. 14.​ Interpret the Findings
15.​ Communicate the Findings
Axiologic ( What is the Values and biases are Subjectivity values
role of values in the to be held in check; are inevitable and
inquiry?) objectivity is sought desirable Basic Concepts
●​ Phenomenon – the abstract concept under study, most often
Methodologic (How Deductive processes Inductive process used by qualitative researchers in lieu of the term “variable”.
knowledge obtained? ●​
) Emphasis on discrete, ●​ Variable - an attribute of a person or object that varies, that is,
specific concepts Emphasis on entirety takes on different values (e.g. body temperature, age heart
phenomenon, holistic rate)
●​ Continuous Variable – a variable that can take on an infinite
Verification of Emerging grounded in range of values along a specified continuum (e.g. height).
researcher’s hunches experiences ●​ Discrete Variable – a variable with a finite number of values
between two points.
Fixed design ●​ Categorical Variable – a variable with discrete values (e.g.
Flexible design gender) rather values along a continuum (e.g. height).
Tight Controls over ●​ Independent Variable – the variable that is believed to cause
context Context-bound or influence the dependent variable; in experimental
research, the manipulated (treatment) variable.
Emphasis on ●​ Dependent Variable – the variable hypothesized to depend
measured, Emphasis on on or be caused by another variable (the independent
quantitative information; analysis variable); the outcome variable of interest.
information; statistical
analysis

Seeks generalizations
Seeks patterns

Research Methods ( techniques used by researchers to

structure a study and to gather and analyze information
relevant to the research question)
●​ Quantitative Method or Scientific Method – closely allied with
logical positivism, refers to the general set of orderly,
disciplined procedures used to acquire information.
Characteristics:
●​ Systematic – means that the investigator progresses logically
through a series of steps, according to a prespecified plan of
action.
●​ Controlled – involves the imposition of conditions to research
situations so that biases are minimized and precision and
validity are maximized.
●​ Empirical-based – evidences rooted in objective reality and
gathered directly or indirectly through the senses.
Quantitative data – numeric data analyzed using statistical
methods
●​ Generalizable – the desire to go beyond the specifics of the
situation. To understand the phenomena, not in isolated
circumstances, but in broad, general sense.
●​ Qualitative Method – uses naturalistic paradigm.
○​ It attempts to deal with the issue of human
complexity by exploring it directly.
○​ It places emphasis on understanding the human
experience as it is lived, usually through the careful
collection of qualitative materials that are narrative
and subjective.
○​ It usually takes place in the field (Natural setting)
often over an extended period of time.

NCM 113 | BONIEL | CASIA | MAGADAN