Introduction to Nursing Research

Key Concepts

Nursing Research vs. Research in Nursing

• Nursing Research: Studies on the process of providing care and associated problems.
• Research in Nursing: Broader study of the profession, including historical, ethical, and developmental aspects.
• Examples:
  • Studying nurse quality of life: Research in Nursing
  • Comparing treatments for patients: Nursing Research

Importance of Nursing Research

1. Improves health practices
2. Bridges gap between knowledge and practice
   • Focus on evidence-based practice
3. Enhances decision-making for client problems
4. Optimizes care for clients
5. Identifies clinical problems, their causes, and evaluates nursing care outcomes
6. Describes, explains, predicts, and controls phenomena
7. Implements nursing care services based on evidence

Goals of Nursing Research

• Efficiency and effectiveness in nursing care
• Optimum care for clients
• Serving society with accurate knowledge
• Identifying and addressing clinical problems

Roles of Nurses in Research

• Principal Investigator: Leads and oversees the entire project
• Member of a Research Team: Contributes to different aspects of research
• Evaluator of Research Findings: Judges the usability and significance of research
• Consumer of Research Findings: Uses findings to improve patient care
• Client Advocate in Research: Ensures patient understanding and consent
• Subjects of Research: Nurses can be participants in studies
• Responsibilities of Beginning Nurse Researchers:
  • Engage in nursing-related research
  • Evaluate research studies
  • Apply research to improve patient care

Research Problem and Its Characteristics

• A research problem is an expression of a dilemma
  • Examples: Effective sleeping habits, treatment for COVID-19
• Characteristics of a Good Research Problem:
  • Interest and qualification of the researcher
  • Importance and social value
  • Feasibility and observability
  • Clear definition and relationship between variables
  • Specifies population and implies empirical testing

Stating the Research Problem

• Can be stated as a question, declarative sentence, or a combination
  • Example Question: What is the social quality of life of a child with epilepsy?
  • Example Declarative: This study aims to determine the cognitive quality of life of a child with epilepsy

Sources of Research Problems

• Issues: Current events, societal problems
• External Sources: Journals, other references
• Personal Experience: Observations and experiences
• Literature: Conflicts or gaps
• Theories: Validating or testing theoretical frameworks

Characteristics of a Good Problem Statement

• Clear, specific, and identifies study variables
• Shows relationship between variables
• Specifies population and setting
• Implies empirical testing is possible

Creating a Title

• Should be clear and specific
• Includes variables, relationship, target population, and setting
• Maximum of 20 substantive words
• Should capture the essence of the research
• Example: "Study Habits and Academic Performance of Student Nurses in a Private University in Iloilo"

Types of Research

• To be discussed in future lectures

Summary

• Differentiate between Nursing Research and Research in Nursing
• Understand the importance and goals of nursing research
• Recognize various roles and responsibilities of nurses in research
• Identify a good research problem and articulate a clear problem statement

Note: More details on types of research will be covered in subsequent discussions.