By: Omar AL-Rawajfah, RN, PhD

What Is Nursing Research?What Is Nursing Research?

Research: diligent  systematic Research: diligent, systematic inquiry that used disciplined method to answer question or solve method to answer question or solve problemNursing Research: issues related Nursing Research: issues related to the profession of nursing, nursing education, administration, nursing education, administration, practice & informatics

Examples of nursing researchExamples of nursing researchPractice

A comparison of patients' and nurses' assessments of A comparison of patients  and nurses  assessments of pain intensity in patients with coronary artery disease

EducationN i   d   i d   d  i   h Nursing students attitudes toward nursing research course

AdministrationNurse Staffing and Patient Mortality in Intensive Care Units 

ProfessionalProfessionalCreating a Healthy Workplace for New‐Generation Nurses

InformaticsUse of computerized nursing documentation system

f hImportance of Nursing Research

Evidence‐based practicepDocument the social relevanceUnderstand the different di i   f th   f i   f dimensions of the profession of nursingu s g

Level of Nurses in the Research ProcessProcess

Evaluator of nursing Evaluator of nursing research

Producer of nursing research

Utilization of nursing hresearch

C   f  i  Consumer of nursing research

Hi t i l B k dHistorical BackgroundThe word “nurse” originates from the Latin word The word  nurse  originates from the Latin word “Nutricius” which means something that nourishes, fosters and protects. NURSING AS AN ART means that the nurse 

 d l   kill d  h i  i   h  must develop skilled techniques in the performance of the various procedures required for giving adequate care to the patient. NURSING AS A SCIENCE means that the NURSING AS A SCIENCE means that the underlying principles of nursing care depend on knowledge of biological sciences such as anatomy, physiology, microbiology and y, p y gy, gychemistry. NURSING AS A SPIRITUAL QUALITY means that the primary aim is to serve humanity, not 

l  b   i i   ti    t  th  b di   f th  only by giving curative care to the bodies of the sick and injured, but by serving the needs of the mind and the spirit as well”. (Alice L. Price) 

Hi t i l B k dHistorical BackgroundIn 1859, Miss Nightingale published h  fi   l i l b k  i l d “N  

59, g g pher first classical book titled “Notes On Nursing: What It Is, And What It Is Not” Nightingale to 1950s

1900 American Journal of NursingResearch on nursing educationResearch on nursing educationThe Journal of Nursing Research 1952

R h i   6Research in 1960sMore concern about lack of research in practicepThe International Journal of Nursing Studies

Hi i l B k dHistorical BackgroundResearch in 1970sResearch in 1970s

More Journal in NursingMore concern about practice researchresearchResearch on psychological and sociological backgrounds

Research in 1980sResearch in 1980sEvidence‐Based MedicineIncreased of research utilizationS   i i i  f   i  Set priorities for nursing researchSpecialized institutions in nursing research started e g  nursing research started e.g., NCNR at the NIH

Historical Background

Research in 1990s ‐ PresentN i l I i   f N i  National Institute of Nursing Research2010 budget $144 millionMore research on intervention More collaboration with other health care disciplineshealth care disciplinesMore randomized clinical trialsMore publication on other health care related journalshealth care‐related journals

Future Direction of Nursing ResearchFuture irection of Nursing ResearchOutcome research: effectiveness of healthcare 

iservicesIncreased focus on biophysiologic researchPromotion of evidence‐based practiceUse confirmatory researchyMultidisciplinary collaborationsExpand dissemination of research findingsExpand dissemination of research findingsIncrease the visibility of nursing research

Sources of Nursing KnowledgeSources of Nursing Knowledge

TraditionTradition

Authorities

Personal Experience

Trial and Error

Logical Reasoning:Logical Reasoning:Inductive reasoning

Deductive reasoning

Disciplined ResearchDisciplined Research

Logical Reasoning g gInductive reasoning

Part‐to‐whole: where the whole is assumed to be like individual parts (only bigger).Extrapolations: where areas beyond the area of p ystudy are assumed to be like the studied area. Predictions: where the future is assumed to be like the past.the past.

Mohammed is Jordanian. (premise)Most Jordanians eat Mansaf. (premise)Mohammed ate Mansaf. (conclusion)

Deductive reasoningAll infections are associated with fever. pneumonia i  i f i  Th f   i  i   i d is infection. Therefore pneumonia is associated with infection .All chemists are smart, since chemists are scientists and all scientists are smart.

Qualitative vs Quantitative ResearchQualitative vs. Quantitative Research

Quantitative Research Qualitative Research

Qualitative ModeQuantitative Mode

AssumptionsAssumptions• Reality is subjective• Variables are complex, interwoven,

and difficult to measureE i (i id ' i t f i )

• Objectivity of reality• Variables can be identified and

relationships measuredEti ( t id ' i t f i ) • Emic (insider's point of view) • Etic (outside's point of view)

Purpose• Contextualization

Purpose• Generalizability • Contextualization

• Interpretation• Understanding actors' perspectives

• Generalizability• Prediction• Causal explanations

ApproachApproach Approach• Ends with hypotheses and

grounded theory• Emergence and portrayal

Approach• Begins with hypotheses and

theories • Manipulation and control Emergence and portrayal

• Researcher as instrument• Naturalistic• Inductive

Manipulation and control• Uses formal instruments• Experimentation• Deductive

• Searches for patterns• Makes minor use of numerical

indices

• Component analysis• Reduces data to numerical

indices

Researcher Role• Personal involvement• Empathic understanding

Researcher Role• Detachment • Objective

Basic vs Applied Nursing ResearchBasic vs. Applied Nursing Research

Basic Research Applied Research

Basic vs. Applied Nursing ResearchBasic Research (fundamental or pure research)

Primary objective the advancement of knowledgeIt is conducted without any practical end in mindTheoretical understanding of the relations among variablesvariables

Applied Nursing Research:Primary goal is finding solution of immediate problemsPrimary goal is finding solution of immediate problemsFindings can be used to generate basic research questionsq

Questions and Answers