INTRODUCTION

• The word research means “to search again” or “to examine

carefully”.
• Research is scientific, systematic, controlled, orderly, and objective
investigation to develop, refine, and expand body of knowledge.
• The ultimate purpose of nursing research includes, identification,
description, exploration, explanation, prediction and control of facts thus
develops body of knowledge in nursing.
• Nursing research help the nurses in a variety of settings answer
question about patient care, education and administration. Research
ensures that the practices are based on evidence rather than tradition.

NEED OF RESEARCH IN NURSING:

• To develop, refine, extend the scientific base of knowledge, which
is required for quality nursing care, education, and administration.
• To enhance the body of professional knowledge in nursing.
• To provide foundation for evidence-based nursing practices.
• To define the parameters of nursing, which will help nurses to
identify boundaries of nursing profession.
• To develop new technique of nursing intervention.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of new nursing techniques.
• To answer problem relating to nursing practices, nursing
education, and nursing administration.

HISTORICAL LANDMARKS IN NURSING RESEARCH:

• 1859: Nightingale’s Notes on Nursing is published
• 1900: American Journal of Nursing begins publication
• 1923: Columbia University establishes 1st doctoral program for
nurses Goldmark Report with recommendations for nursing education is
published
• 1936: Sigma Theta Tau awards first nursing research grant in the
United States
• 1948: Brown publishes report on inadequacies of nursing
education
• 1952: The journal Nursing Research begins publication
• 1955: Inception of the American Nurses Foundation to sponsor
nursing research
• 1957: Establishment of nursing research centre at Walter Reed
Army Institute of research
• 1963: International Journal of Nursing Studies begins publication
• 1965: American Nurses Association (ANA)sponsors nursing
research conferences
• 1969: Canadian Journal of Nursing Research begins publication
• 1972: ANA establishes a commission Research and Council of
Nurses Researchers
• 1976: Shelter and Marram publish guidelines on assessing
research for use in practice Journal of Advanced Nursing begins
publication
• 1978: Research in Nursing & Health and Advances in Nursing
Science begins publication
• 1979: Western Journal of Nursing Research begins publication
• 1982: Conduct and utilization of research in Nursing
(CURN)project publishes report
• 1983: Annual Review of Nursing Research begins publication
• 1985: ANA Cabinet on Nursing Research establishes research
priorities
• 1986: National Centre for Nursing Research (NCNR) is establishes
within U.S. National Institute of Health
• 1988: Applied Nursing Research and Nursing Science Quarterly
begin publication;
• Conference on Research Priorities is convened by NCNR
• 1989: U.S. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research
(AHCPR)is established
• 1993: NCNR becomes a full institute, the National Institute of
Nursing Research (NINR)
• The Cochrane Collaboration is established
• Magnet Recognition Program makes first awards
• 1994: Qualitative Health Research begins publication
• 1995: Janna Briggs Institute, an international EBP collaborative,
established in Australia
• 1997: Canadian Health Services Research Foundation is
established with federal funding
• 1999: AHCPR is renamed Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality (AHRQ)
• 2000: NINR’s annual funding exceeds $100 million
• The Canadian Institute of Health Research is launched
• Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science (CANS)is
established
• 2004: Worldviews on Evidenced Based Nursing begins publication
• 2006: NINR issues strategic plan for 2006-2010
• 2010: NINR budget exceeds $140 million
•
NURSING RESEARCH PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
THE EARLY YEARS: FROM NIGHTINGALE TO THE 1960s
 Research in nursing began with Florence Nightingale. Her
landmark publication, Notes on Nursing (1859), described her
early interest in environmental factors that promote physical and
environmental wellbeing.
 Most studies in the early 1900s concerned nurse’s education.
 Sigma Thetu Tau (which became Sigma Theta Tau International in
1985) was the first organization to fund nursing research in the
 United States awarding a $600 grant to Alice Christ Malone in
1936
 During the 1940s, government-initiated studies of nursing
education continued, spurred on by the high demand for nursing
personnel during World War ll
 an increase in the number of nurses with advanced degrees, the
establishment of a research centre at the Walter Reed Army
Institution of Research, increased availability of funding and the
inception of the American Nurses Foundation-which is devoted to
the promotion of nursing research-provided impetus to nursing
during period
 In the 1960s, nursing leaders began to express concern about
dearth of research in nursing practice
NURSING RESEARCH IN THE 1970s
• By the 1970s, the growing number of nursing studies and
discussions of theoretical and contextual issues created the need for
additional communication outlets
• During the 1970s, there was a change in emphasis in nursing
research from areas such as teaching and nurses themselves to
improvements in the client care-signifying a growing awareness by
nurses of the need for an evidence base from which to practice
• During 1970s, several journals were established including
Advance in Nursing Science, Research in Nursing & Health, and the
Western Journal of Nursing Research
• Nursing research also expanded internationally.

NURSING RESEARCH IN THE 1980s

• The 1980s brought nursing research to a new level of development
• More attention was paid to the types of questions being asked, the
methods of collecting and analysing information being used, the linking
pf research to theory and the utilization of research findings in practice
• In 1986 in the Unites States, was the establishment of The National
Centre for Nursing Research (NCNR)at the National institute of health
(NIH) by congressional mandate. The purpose of NCNR was to promote
and financially support research projects and training relating to patient
care.
• Several nursing groups developed priorities for nursing research during
the [Link] example, in the American Nurses’ Association Cabinet on
Nursing Research established priorities that helped focus research more
precisely on aspects of nursing practice
• Nurses also began to conduct formal projects specifically designed to
increase research utilization, such as conduct and utilization of research
in nursing projects
• In 1989, the US government established the agency for healthcare
policy and research (AHCPR)

NURSING RESEARCH IN THE 1990s

• In 1993, the National institute of Nursing Research (NINR) was
born.
• In 1986, the NCNR had a budget of 16$ million, whereas in fiscal
year 1999, the budget for NINR had grown to about $70 million
• Journals were established during the 1990s in response to the
growth in clinically oriented research and interest in EBP among nurses,
including clinical nursing research, clinical effectiveness, and outcomes
management for nursing practice
• Cochrane Collaboration was inaugurated in [Link]
collaboration, an international network of institutions and systematic
reviews of hundreds of clinical interventions to facilitate EBP
([Link])

TRENDS OF NURSING RESEARCH IN THE 21ST

CENTURY:

• Continued focus on EBP

• Development of stronger evidence base through multiple,
confirmatory strategies
• Greater emphasis on systematic reviews
• Expanded local research in healthcare settings
• strengthening of interdisciplinary collaboration
• Expanded dissemination of research findings
• Increasing the visibility of nursing research
• Increased focus on cultural issues and health disparities
• Shared decision making

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF NURSING RESEARCH

INDIA:

• 1871-School of nursing started in general hospital, Madras

• 1908-TNAI established

• 1809-Bombay presidency association

• 1911-South Indian board of nursing association

• 1912-Nurses registration act was formed at Madras

• 1930-Chirstian nurses auxiliary formed

• 1941-Standardized pay scales and terms of services formed in

Madras
• 1946-Bhore Committee submitted report with recommendation of
various aspects of nursing profession

• 1959: Master of nursing programme was started on R.A.K college

of nursing

• 1961: Mudhaliar committee established to make to improve

nursing profession

• 1964: Dr. Mary furguson with other leaders conducted studies on

nursing and non-nursing functions of nursing personnel

• 1966: TNAI established research studies under the

• chairmanship of miss. margrata craig

• 1976: Dr. marie farell and Dr. Aparna of R.A.K college of nursing
conducted seminars on nursing research to strength the nursing
research in India.

• 1977: TNAI and Co-coordinating agency for health promotion –

Nursing Survey in India

• 1978: Government nurse association of Karnataka established

• 1981: Dr. Farrel and Dr. Bhaduri‟s book on, „health research‟
published by W.H.O

• 1986: NRSI was established

• 1986: [Link]. programme on nursing was started on R.A.K college
of nursing

• 1988: R.A.K college of nursing was designated as world health

collaboration Centre for nursing developments

• 1992: Ph.D. In nursing programme started at R.A.K CON at

NIMHANS

• 2001- Nursing education furnished in an unprecedented manner

throughout on India onward

BASIC RESEARCH TERMS:

RESEARCH:
 Research is defined as a systematic and scientific process to
answer questions about facts and relationship between facts. It is
an activity involved in seeking answer to unanswered questions

 Research seeks to generate an answer to the problems as well as

suggesting additional questions in need of further inquiry.

 Research is a scientific, systematic, controlled, orderly and

objective investigation to develop, refine and expand body of
knowledge

ABSTRACT: A clear, concise summary that communicates the

essential information about the study. In research journals, it is usually
located at the beginning of an article
 DATA: Units of information or any statistics, facts, figures, general
material, evidence, or knowledge collected during the course of the
study.

VARIABLES: Attributes or characteristics that can have more than

one value, such as height or weight. Variables are qualities or quantities,
properties or characteristics of people, things, or situations that change
or vary

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE: Variables that are purposely

manipulated or changed by the researcher. It is also called as
“MANIPULATED VARIBLE”.

DEPENDENT VARIABLE: Variable that change as the

independent variable is manipulated by the researcher; sometimes
called the criterion variables

RESEARCH VARIABLE: Refers to Qualities, Properties or

Characteristics which are observed or measured in a natural setting
without manipulating & establishing cause & effect relationship

DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES: The characteristics & attributes of

study subjects such as age, gender, place of living, educational status,
religion, social class, marital status, occupation, income is considered as
demographic variables

EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES: Are factors that are not the part of

the study but may affect the measurements of the study variable.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION: Refers to the way in which the

researcher defines the variables under investigation. Operational
definition is stated in such way by the investigator specifying how the
study variables will be measured in the actual research situation.
 CONCEPT: Refers to a mental idea of a phenomenon. Concepts
are words or terms that symbolize some aspects of reality. E.g. Love,
pain.

CONSTRUCT: Is a highly abstract & complex phenomenon (concept)

which is denoted by a made up or constructed term. A construct term is
used to indicate a phenomenon that cannot be directly observed but
must be inferred by certain concrete or less abstract indicators of the
phenomenon.
E.g. self-esteem.

PROPOSITION: A Proposition is a statement or assertion of the

relationship between concepts. E.g., relationship between anxiety and
performance. A construct term is used to indicate a phenomenon that
cannot be directly observed but must be inferred by certain concrete or
less abstract indicators of the phenomenon E.g. self-esteem.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: Interrelated concepts or abstractions

that are assembled together in some rational scheme by virtue of their
relevance to a common theme. It is also referred to as theoretical
framework

ASSUMPTION: Basic principle that is being true on the basis of logic

or reason, without proof or verification.

HYPOTHESIS: A statement of the predicted relationship between two

or more variables in a research study; an educated or calculated guess
by the researcher

LITERATURE REVIEW: A critical summary or research on a topic of

interest, generally prepared to put a research problem in context or
to identify gaps and weaknesses in prior studies so as to justify a new
investigation
 LIMITATIONS: Restrictions in a study that may decrease the
credibility and generalizability of the research findings.

MANIPULATION: An intervention or treatment introduced by the

researcher in an experimental or quasi experimental study; the
researcher manipulates the independent variable to assess its impact on
the dependent variable

POPULATION: The entire set of individuals or objects having some

common characteristic(s) selected for a research study is referred to as
population.

TARGET POPULATION: The entire population in which the

researchers are interested and to which they would like to generalize the
research findings.

ACCESSIBLE POPULATION: The aggregate of cases that conform

to designated inclusion or exclusion criteria and that are accessible as
subjects of the study.

RESEARCH SETTING: The study setting is the location in which the

research is conducted. It could be natural, partially controlled
environment or laboratories.

SAMPLE: A part or subset of population selected to participate in the

research study.

REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE: A sample whose characteristics are

highly similar to that of the population from which it is drawn.

SAMPLING: The process of selecting sample from the target

population to represent the entire population
 PROBABILITY SAMPLING: The selection of subjects or sampling
units from a population using random procedure; E.g., Simple random
Sampling, Stratified random Sampling

NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLING: The selection of subjects or

sampling units from a population using non-random procedure.
E.g., Convenient Sampling, Purposive Sampling.

RELIABILITY: The degree of consistency or accuracy with which an

instrument measures the attributes it is designed to measure.

VALIDITY: The degree to which an instrument what it is intended to

measure.

PILOT STUDY: Study carried out at the end of the planning phase of
research in order to explore and test the research elements to make
relevant modifications in research tools and methodology.

ANALYSIS: Method of organizing, sorting, and scrutinizing data in

such a way that research question can be answered or meaningful
inferences can be drawn.

SCOPE AND AREAS OF NURSING RESEARCH

AREAS/SCOPE OF NURSING RESEARCH --

Research in clinical nursing practices

Research in nursing education
Research in nursing administration
Research in health systems and outcome of care
l. RESEARCH IN CLINICAL NURSING

Health promotion, maintenance and disease prevention

Patient safety and quality of health care
Promotion and risk reduction interventions of health of vulnerable,
minority groups and marginalized community
Patient-centred care and care coordination
Promotion of the health and well-being of older people
Palliative and end-of-life care
Development of EBPs and translational research
Care implication of genetic testing and therapeutics
Nurses working environment
Home care and community health nursing care practices
Treatment compliance and adherence to treatment
Description of holistic nursing situations -socio-cultural, religious,
traditional, and family practices, which have health implications and fall
under the nursing care

ll. RESEARCH IN NURSING EDUCATION

Testing the effectively and efficiently of the old teaching

methods/techniques, and generating newer effective teaching tools and
techniques
Curriculum taught and learning experiences of nursing students at
undergraduate and post graduate level
Enhancing the skill of learning among nursing students in clinical
practice
Extent of strict discipline required for the nursing students to
improve their learning and education
Promoting clinical and classroom learning among nursing student
 Refining and generating evaluation methods to judge the efficiency
of the teaching-learning process
Identifying and managing problems of absenteeism and lack of
motivation among nursing students
Resolving any issue or phenomenon related to the teaching-
learning process of the nursing students

lll. RESEARCH IN NURSING ADMINISTRATION

Assessing existing organizational structure, span of control,

communication, staffing pattern, wages, benefit, performance evaluation
practices, etc. and their effectiveness. In addition, developing new
knowledge or refining the old knowledge regarding nursing,
administrative phenomena
Developing and testing different administrative models to enhance
swift administration, employees, and customer satisfaction
Recruitment, deployment, retention, and effective use of nursing
personnel in providing the quality of nursing care
Furthermore, research can be conducted on any phenomenon
related to nursing administrative issues

lV. RESEARCH IN HEALTH SYSTEMS AND OUTCOME OF CARE

Developing models of health care, which are affordable and

accessible to people located in remote and hilly areas
Developing cost-effective model of health care for rural and
deprived communities
Effective use of information and technology to provide health care
services from tertiary centres to the remote and outcome areas
Evaluate the effectiveness of existing policies and programmes for
health care of people, such as NHRH etc.
PROBLEMS IN NURSING, HEALTH, AND SOCIAL RESEARCH

Research in nursing, health, and social research is usually carried out in

a natural setting, where researcher faces the following main problems
Fallibility of disciplined research-Indeed most of the research
studies in these field have some limitation. Each research question can
be solved by different approaches, depending on several factors.
Therefore, it is always confusing to decide a best approach for solving a
research question. It means in these disciplines, none of the approaches
can solve a question completely. However, repeated attempts to solve a
similar question with identical answer may increase the value of
generated evidences.
Handling multiple variables-most of the research in these field
usually focus on the measurements of the multiple variables in single
attempt. This attempt of handling multiple data in single instance not
only causes the data collection, analysis, and interpretation problems,
but also needs lots of time, energy, money to handle these multiple non-
numerical data.
Difficulty in control of external variables-As these researches are
conducted in natural settings, therefore it becomes very difficult to exert
control over external variables while measuring the effects of
independent variable on dependent variable.
Minimal possibility of laboratory research-Research in nursing,
health, and social science usually deals with phenomena related to
humans, where ethically as well as practically it becomes very difficult to
conduct research studies in laboratory. Most of these researches are
conducted outside in laboratory i.e. in natural settings.
Lack of standardized tools- Research in nursing, health, and social
science usually deals with natural phenomena where valid and reliable
standardized tools are needed to generate empirical evidences.
However, it is evident that there is significant lack of valid and reliable
tools to measure variables in nursing, health and social science.
Measuring qualitative phenomena through quantitative means- It is
usually observed that several phenomena in these field are qualitative in
nature. However, it can be commonly seen that these disciplines usually
measure these qualitative phenomena by using quantitate means where
effectiveness of evidence get distorted. This is assumed that this
happens because of the superficial knowledge of qualitative research
among professionals of nursing, health and social science.
Lack of interest among researchers-It is generally observed that
people in these field conduct research studies only for specific purposes,
such as partial fulfilment of a particular degree or due to some specific
compulsion as a part of their job. However, it is generally observed that
professionals in these field experience lack of interest because of
several reasons, like lack of government funding, research training and
motivation
Ethical Constraints-Research studies in these field deals with the
human beings where safeguarding their rights become an important
issue. Moreover, several studies cannot be studied because of ethical
constraints.
Lack of qualitative research expertise- Qualitative research
methods are considered to be best to study phenomena in nursing,
health, and social science but there is a significant dearth of experts
equipped with the knowledge of qualitative research.

REFERENCES:

1. ROSE MARY NIESWIADOMY. FOUNDATIONS OF NURSING

RESEARCH. PEARSON EDUCATION. 5TH EDITION PAGE: 5-20
2. DENISE. F. POLIT CHERY TATANO BECK. NURSING RESEARCH
PRINCIPLES AND [Link]. 7TH EDITION PAGE:
18-20
3. DR. R. BINCY. NURSING RESEARCH. BUILDING EVIDENCE FOR
PRACTICE. PAGE: 6-19
4. Suresh k Sharma, nursing research and statistics, Elsevier, second
edition, page no- 12-18
5. Denise F. Polit, nursing research principles and methods, Lippincott,
New York, sixth edition, page no: 17-22
6. [Link]