Introduction to Nursing Research

RESEARCH AND RESEARCH PROCESS

What is Research?

• Research means to or to find out or to discover in and again (KS Rao)
• Research is a course of critical study (oxford dictionary)
• Research is a scientific study, investigation or experimentation in order to establish facts and analyse their significance. (Taber’s Encyclopedia)

Definition of Research

Research is a systematic, controlled, emperical and critical investigation of hypothetical proposition about the presumed relations among natural phenomena. (Kerlinger, 1973)

Nursing Research

• Nursing Research is a systematic approach to examining phenomena important to nursing and nurses.(Talbot)
• Nursing research includes the breadth and depth of the discipline of nursing, which include preventive, curative and rehabilitative aspects. (KS Rao)

Definition of Nursing Research

Nursing Research focuses primarily on developing knowledge about nursing and its practice including the care of persons in health and illness. It is directed towards understanding the fundamental ability of individuals and families to maintain or enhance optimum functioning and minimize the negative effects of illness. (ICN)

Need for Nursing Research

• To develop nursing theories and serve as guide to nursing practice.
• To discover and develop valid ways and means of nursing
• To identify relationships and provide answer to guide the practitioners in decision making process.
• As nurses are accountable to their students or clients, they need to document their role as well as to demonstrate quality of care.
• Nurses are answerable to every aspect of action and nursing research provides a scientific basis for nursing
• The soceity is demanding the required service from the health team of which nurse is an important member. Nursing research helps to validate nursing as a profession.

Scope of Nursing Research

• Professionalism
• Nursing research is needed for planning nursing on a firm scientific basis.
• Scientific investigations would help to broaden the body of knowledge.
• Accountability
• Scientific accontability is essential for teacher in dealing with students, for the nurse practitioner for dealing with the clients and the nurse administrator in dealing with the health care delivery system.
• Social relevance
• Consumers of health care are recognizing health care as a right rather than priveledge.
• Nursing research helps to formulate guidelines for assuring quality care
• Improving nursing practice
• The key to discovery is practice oriented nursing research as it strives for measurable benefits for the clients.
• Improving nursing administration
• Essential in solving persistent problems in the organization
• Knowledge of personal, interpersonal and environmental factors that facilitates job satisfaction can direct nsg administration to maintain satisfying elements and eliminate dissatisfying aspects of the work environment.
• Improving nursing education
• Nurse educators can utilize the findings of NR in
• Structuring the programme of study
• In developing course content
• In designing new methods of teaching
• Curriculum revision
• Selection of students

History of Nursing Research in India

• Report by Florence Nightingale regarding the unsanitary condition of the army was the starting point
• Margarette and Edith Buchanan- pioneers who were interested in starting NR in India at RAK CON, Delhi.
• 1958- Margarette got retired from RAK as principal and motivated senior faculty like Sulochana Krishnan and Aparna Bahduri
• 1959- MSc Nursing started at RAK CON, Delhi. Edith Buchanan was the principal and she sent Sulochana Krishnan to Columbia for PhD.
• 1964- PHN Dr. marie Fergusen came to RAK CON, Delhi
• 1966- Dr. Farrel arrived at RAK. She was engaged in study under Dr. Aparna Bahduri.
• 1960-1990 MSc N students completed many studies. Dr. Pauline and Dr. Ruth started guiding many Indian Nurses at CMC, Vellore.
• 1986 onwards- many M.Phil students completed research studies under Dr. Aparna Bahduri and Dr. Farrel.
• Nursing Research Soceity of India was established. They conducted 2 workshops at RAK CON, Delhi.
• K S Rao was a CHN, she encouraged epidemiological approach in NR of MCH

Research Terminologies

• Data: The pieces of information collected during the course of the study that pertains to the study variables.
• Hypothesis: A statement of expected relationship between the independent and dependent variables.
• Limitations: Uncontrolled variables that limit the generalizability of the findings or weakness of the entire study as the researcher perceives them.
• Operational definition: the definition or description of the study variable that specifies how it will be measured
• Variable: An attribute of a person or object that varies.
• Concept: An abstraction based on observation of certain behaviour or characteristics.
• Assumption: basic principles that are accepted as being true on the basis of logic or reason without proof or verification.
• Population: an entire set of individuals or objects having some common characteristics
• Sample: A subset of a population selected to participate in the study
• Delimitation: It indicates the cut off point beyond which the researcher does not intend to probe. It includes those restrictions that the researcher placedon the study prior to gathering data.
• Construct: it is a concept that is deliberately invented by the researchers for scientific purpose.

Areas of Research in Nursing

• Health and Illness
• Health promotion,
• prevention of illness,
• control of symptoms,
• living with chronic condition and enhancing quality of life,
• caring for clients experiencing changes in their health and illness,
• assessing and monitoring client problems,
• providing & testing nursing care interventions and outcome.
• Delivery of Health care services
• Quality and cost effectiveness of nursing care
• Community based care
• Nursing workforce and health care reformation
• Impact of nursing intervention on client outcome
• Evidence based nursing practice
• Primary health care
• Quality of nurses work life, retention & satisfaction
• Programme planning and evaluation
• Financing of health care.

Scientific Method

A set of orderly, systematic controlled procedurefor acquiring dependable, emperical and typically quantitative information.

Steps of Scientific Method

1. Identification & Statement of the problem

• First step in which scientific enquiry begins with the identification of a problem
• It should be stated carefully because a vague stated problem can misdirect research and may lead to wrong conclusion
• It is important to have  a precise and clear understanding of the problem before one starts investigating.

2. Collection of data

• Second step is to collect relevant facts through observation, experiment or interview.
• The data is considered reliable only if the conditions under which the observations are made fulfill certain requiremnets:
• Observer-background knowledge
• Physical environment- favourable
• Observer –personal emotions not to interfere with observations

3. Classification and Organization of the data

• In this step, the collected data is classified or arranged.
• By classifying the facts one is able to:
• Identify the properties and behaviour of objects
• Identify if any relationship exists among the facts and type of relationship that exists
• Generalize on the basis of observed facts.

4. Formulation of hypothesis

• Based on observed and classified facts of the given problem, set of hypothesis are formulated.
• Hypothesis is a statement that gives the relationship between various facts of the problem
• It is a tentative solution or explanation of the problem
• It suggest possible cause-effect relation of the phenomena
• It shows possible correlation between two or more things.

5. Deducing the consequences

• In this step we deduce the consequences of the suggested hypothesis by selecting suitable alternatives and most predicted outcome.
• We may have only the most suitable alternative for the present problem and judge the various consequences for the best outcome.

6. Verification of the hypothesis

• Here the deduced consequences of the hypothesis are tested by collecting relevant evidence.
• Here the hypothesis is verified as to whether it is relevant and provides a satisfactory solution to the problem
• When sufficient number of consequences are verified and found to be correct, it becomes a law.

7. Drawing conclusions

• In this last step of scientific method, the conclusions are drawn from the proved hypothesis in the form of generalizations.
• It consists of facts, concepts and principles that would form a body of knowledge in a discipline.

Characteristics of a Good Research

A good research should employ a scientific method and should satisfy the following criteria:

1. The purpose of research should be clearly defined
2. The objectives the study should be clearly stated in measurable and observable terms
3. The research procedure used should be described in sufficient detail to permit another researcher to repeat the study for further advancement keeping the continuity of what has been already attained.
4. The research design should be carefully planned to yield results that are as objective as possible.
5. The validity and reliability of the research tools should be checked carefully
6. The analysis of data should be sufficiently adequate to reveal its significance and the methods of analysis should be appropriate.
7. Conclusions should be confined to those justified by the data of the research and is limited to it.
8. The researcher should report with complete frankness, flaws in the research design and estimate their effects upon the findings.
9. Informed consent should be taken from the participants after informing them about the study in terms of their physical effects, psychological and emotional effects.
10. Principle of privacy, anonymity and confidentiality should be followed.