CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Nursing Research
CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Nursing
Research
STUDENT OBJECTIVES:
On completing this chapter, you will be able to:
1. Describe why research is important in the nursing profession and discuss the need for
evidence-based practice.
2. Identify several purposes and characteristics of research.
3. Discuss the role of nurse in research participation.
4. Describe historic trends and future directions in nursing research.
WHAT IS NURSING RESEARCH?
Research is derived from the old French word cerchier meaning to “seek or search” the
prefix re means “again” and signifies replication of the search. It is a studious inquiry or
examination, investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of
facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts or practical applications such
new or revised theories or laws (Webster). It is an honest, scientific investigation undertaken for
the purpose of discovering new relationships among facts already known which will contribute
to the present body of knowledge and can lead to an effective solution of existing problems
(Committee on Research of the Philippine Nurses Association).
Nurses are increasingly engaged in disciplined studies that benefit the profession and
clients. Nursing Research is systematic inquiry designed to develop trustworthy evidence about
issues of importance to the nursing profession including nursing practice, education,
administration and informatics.
According to Vreeland, Nursing Research has the following purposes:
1. Assess nursing problems or phenomena:
2. Find ways to improve nursing practice and patient care;
3. Initiate and evaluate change; and
4. Take action to make new knowledge useful in nursing.
1|Page
CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Nursing Research
THE IMPORTANCE OF EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE [EBP] TO NURSING PRACTICE
As the role of nursing grows in healthcare, the engagement of frontline nurses in
evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and research is becoming the expectation and
no longer the exception. Evidence-based Practice (EBP) is defined as the use of the best clinical
evidence in making patient care decisions, and such evidence typically comes from research
conducted by nurse and other health care professionals. It is a problem-solving approach to
clinical decision-making that incorporates a search for the best research evidence, clinical
expertise, and patient preference and values within the context of caring (Melynk, 2003). EBP is
a systematic approach to problem solving for health care providers including RNs, characterized
by the use of the best evidence currently available for clinical decision making in order to
provide the most consistent and best possible care to patients (Provikoff et al., 2005).
Features of EBP:
1. Clinical problem-solving strategy.
2. Minimize decisions based on customs, authority, opinion or ritual.
3. Identifies the best available research evidence and integrate with other factors.
Advantages of EBP:
1. Offers a solution in improving health care quality in the current cost-constrained
environment.
2. Provides the best possible care to most people, with the most cost-effective use of
resources.
3. Provides an important framework for self-directed lifelong learning.
For individual EBP efforts, the major steps in EBP include the following:
1. Asking clinical questions that are answerable with research evidence.
2. Searching for and collecting relevant evidence.
3. Appraising and synthesizing the evidence.
4. Integrating the evidence with your own clinical expertise, patient preferences, and local
context.
5. Assessing the effectiveness of the decision, intervention, or advice.
REMEMBER!
Modification, Development and Evaluation of Nursing Care of Best Practice is
the heart of Evidence-Based practice (EBP).
2|Page
CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Nursing Research
EXAMPLES OF EBP IN NURSING
There are many examples of EBP in the daily practice of nursing.
1. Infection Control
The last thing a patient wants when going to a hospital for treatment is a hospital-
acquired infection. Nurses play a key role in helping to prevent illness before it happens
by adhering to evidence-based infection-control policies. This includes keeping the
healthcare environment clean, wearing personal protective clothing, using barrier
precautions and practicing correct hand washing. Although nurses are busy with many
responsibilities, the time it takes to control infection is well worth the effort.
2. Oxygen Use in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
For patient health and safety, it is essential that nurses follow evidence-based practice in
nursing when it comes to giving oxygen to patients with COPD. Despite the belief by
some that providing oxygen to these patients can create serious issues such as
hypercarbia, acidosis or even death, the evidence-based protocol is to provide oxygen to
COPD patients. This practice can help prevent hypoxia and organ failure. Giving oxygen,
which is the correct treatment based on the evidence, can enhance COPD patients,
quality of the life and help them live longer.
FRAMING THE RESEARCH QUESTION: PICO [T]
Evidence-based models use a process form framing a question, locating,
assessing, evaluating, and repeating as needed. PICO (T) elements include:
Problem/Patient/Population, Intervention/Indicator, Comparison, Outcome, and
(optional) Time element or Type of study.
1. Frame the question: Write out your information need in the form of a question; for
example:
Does hand washing among healthcare workers reduce hospital acquired
infections?
The question above includes the PICO elements:
EXAMPLE:
P (Problem or Patient or Population) Hospital acquired infection
3|Page
CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Nursing Research
I (Intervention or Indicator) Hand washing
C (Comparison) No hand washing, other solution;
masks
O (Outcome) Reduced infection
2. Plan a search strategy by identifying the major elements of your question, and
translate natural language terms to subject descriptors, MeSH terms, or descriptors.
TIP: Start with the P and I only to begin your search and keep initial search results
broad:
Natural Language Term mapped to Database Vocabulary
P (Problem or Patient or Population) Cross infection [MeSH]
= hospital acquired infection CROSS INFECTION [CINAHL]
I (Intervention or Indicator) Hand disinfection [MeSH]
= handwashing Hand washing [CINAHL]
A simple database search strategy should begin with the P and I:
Cross infection AND (Handwashing OR Hand disinfection)
Start with both CINAHL and Medline/PubMed as initial article databases for a
scoping search for most health sciences questions. If your topic has a
behavioral/mental health component, also try PsycINFO.
Link to a detailed search:
Does hand washing among healthcare workers reduce hospital acquired
infections?
3. After viewing the initial search results, you may decide to narrow your search with
terms for the Comparison, Outcome, Time Factors or Type of study. Or may view
results, abstracts, and full text of articles to view the comparison and outcome
elements. Use database filters, explained in the Filtering the Evidence.
4. Filtering the evidence
4|Page
CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Nursing Research
WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH IN NURSING?
Nurses need research in order for them to advance their field, stay updated to the latest
trends in nursing, and most importantly, to offer better patient care. The following are several
importance of nursing research:
1. Provide strong evidence for informing nurses’ decisions and actions
2. Provide high quality nursing care.
3. Elevate the standards and reputation of the nursing profession.
4. Increase body of knowledge.
5. Improve personal and professional development.
WHAT ARE THE PURPOSES OF NURSING RESEARCH?
The general purpose of nursing research is to answer questions or solve problems of
relevance to the nursing profession. The specific purposes of nursing research include
identification, description, exploration, prediction or control and explanation. For each purpose,
there are various types of question that are addressed by nurse researchers – some more
amenable to qualitative than to quantitative inquiry, and vice versa.
TABLE 1 RESEARCH PURPOSES AND TYPES OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS
PURPOSE TYPES OF QUESTIONS: TYPES OF QUESTIONS:
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Identification What is the phenomenon?
What is the name?
Description How prevalent is the What are the dimensions of
phenomenon? the phenomenon?
How often does the What is important about the
phenomenon occur? phenomenon?
What are the characteristics
of the phenomenon?
Exploration What factors are related to What is the full nature of the
the phenomenon? phenomenon?
What are the antecedents of What is really going on here?
the phenomenon?
What is the process by which
the phenomenon evolves or
5|Page
CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Nursing Research
is experienced?
Prediction and Control If phenomenon X occurs, will
phenomenon Y follow?
How can we make the
phenomenon occur or alter
its prevalence?
Can the phenomenon be
prevented or controlled?
Explanation What is the underlying cause How does the phenomenon
of the phenomenon or the work?
casual pathway through
which the phenomenon Why does the phenomenon
unfolds? exist?
Does the theory explain the What does the phenomenon
phenomenon? mean?
How did the phenomenon
occur?
Source: Polit, Denise F. and Beck, Cheryl Tatano. Nursing Research Generating and Assessing Evidence for
Nursing Practice. 9th Edition, C and E Publishing, Inc. 2011
In the nursing profession, research is undertaken to:
Provide a scientific basis for the nursing profession.
Develop and evaluate new techniques for delivering patient care that is attuned to
patient’s health needs.
Develop tools for assessing the effectiveness of nursing interventions.
Provide solutions to problems concerning health maintenance, health delivery and
health care.
Help determine the areas of need relative to nursing practices such as patient teaching
and nurse-patient relationship.
Develop and evaluate alternative approaches to nursing education that would enable
the students to gain broad knowledge and specialized skills for safe practice.
Prepare oneself to be a diligent practitioner of research.
CHARACTERSITICS OF NURSING RESEARCH
To qualify as good research, the process must have certain characteristics and
properties. The main characteristics for good quality research are listed below:
6|Page
CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Nursing Research
1. It involves the gathering of new and existing data from new sources or first-hand
information.
2. It is directed toward the solution of the problem.
3. It is analytical. It is characterized by carefully designed procedures in collecting data
and rigorous analysis in interpreting them.
4. It emphasizes the development of generalizations, principles, and theories that may
be helpful in predicting future occurrence.
5. It requires expertise. The researcher must be adequately prepared to undertake such
behavior.
6. It is empirical. It is based on direct experience and demands accurate observation and
description of what is being studied.
7. It strives to be logical, applying every possible test to validate the procedures being
employed so that the researcher has confidence in the results.
8. It has honest and characterized by patient and unhurried activities.
9. It can be replicated to enable the researcher to achieve valid and comprehensive
results.
10. It requires innovative approaches.
11. It is carefully recorded and reported.
ROLES OF NURSES IN RESEARCH
Florence Nightingale is credited as being the first nurse researcher, as well as the first
modern nurse. She clearly illustrated her environmental approach in the care of the sick. Nurses
applied medical research to determine procedures and nursing treatments. Nurses apply its
methods and aims in educational research. Nurses in industrial management helped in the
scientific utilization of personnel.
Functions of the Nurse:
The nurse participates in scientific investigation and uses research findings in practice.
Nurses often use research to improve client care.
The nurse needs to:
Have some awareness of the process and language of research.
Be sensitive to the issues related to protecting the rights of human subjects.
Participate in the identification of significant researchable problems.
Be a discriminating consumer of research findings.
CHECKLIST
7|Page
CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Nursing Research
Interviewing an Expert Researcher
1. How do you start a research project?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. What are some important experiences you suggest for a novice researcher?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. If I wanted to learn how to become a competent researcher, what specific tools would
you suggest I work with?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
SELF – TEST
8|Page
CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Nursing Research
1. A clinical instructor was asked by a student “Why are we conducting nursing research?”
The most appropriate response from the clinical instructor is:
A. “We conduct nursing research because incentives and funds for are available for
researchers.”
B. “We do research because we want to enhance the services for the recipients of
nursing care”.
C. “We formulate researchers because the body of knowledge of nurses will be
furthered”.
D. “Nursing research is important for us because it is part of the professional and
personal adjustments.”
Core Competency: Research
Blooms Taxonomy: Comprehensive/Understanding
Concept(s): Covered: Foundations of Nursing Knowledge, Definition of Nursing Research,
Purposes of Nursing Research
2. Nursing research is the development of new and updated knowledge about caring and
the profession. The ultimate goal of research in nursing is to:
A. Document social relevance of nursing
B. Generate knowledge to improve nursing practice
C. Render evidence-based interventions to patients
D. Provide promising insights to nursing
Core Competency: Research
Blooms Taxonomy: Comprehension/Understanding
Concept(s) Covered: Foundations of Nursing Knowledge, Definition of Nursing Research,
Purposes of Nursing Research
3. The purpose of all nursing research is to observe in order to know. After observing, the
nurse documents the data that have been gathered. For example, the nurse provided
information on the socio-demographic profile and determined the morbidity and
mortality case in a certain community. Which of the following research purposes has the
said premises?
A. Descriptive
B. Explanatory
C. Exploratory
D. Predictive
Core Competency: Research
Blooms Taxonomy: Comprehension/Understanding
Concept(s) Covered: Purposes of Nursing Research
9|Page
CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Nursing Research
4. The nurse would like to know the factors that affect the level of anxiety of students
before taking the board examination. What research purpose does the nurse envision to
be using?
Core Competency: Research
Blooms Taxonomy: Application/Applying
Concepts(s) Covered: Purposes of Nursing Research
5. Which among the following is NOT a feature of Evidence-Based Practice?
A. Clinical problem-solving strategy
B. De-emphasizes decisions based on customs, authority, opinion o ritual
C. Identifies the best available research evidence and integrate with other factors
D. None of the above
Core Competency: Research
Blooms Taxonomy: Comprehension/Understanding
Concept(s): Evidence-Based Practice
10 | P a g e
