Nursing Research Critique WORK

Nursing Research Critique Part 2

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Nursing Research Critique Part 2

Research Critique of a Quantitative Research on Nursing Practice

Introduction

Provision of the best standards of care to clients and patients is what nurses are expected to meet through the provision of the evidence-based practice whenever necessary. A critical part of this process of providing health care on the basis of the best available evidence entails appraisal of primary research. The need for nurses to improve their practice makes it critical for them to apply evidence in order to improve their theoretical and clinical skills and knowledge and be able to assess the quality of the available research relevant to their practice (Wood & Kerr, 2011; Boswell, Boswell & Cannon, 2014). Evidence based practice entails incorporation of professional expertise, patient preference and need, and the best evidence available. Additionally, identification of this “best evidence” calls for the nurses to undertake a critical review and evaluation of the research studies in order to ascertain if the research is useful and of sufficient quality for effective application to their practice.

The title of this research article is very concise and clearly describes the focus of the research itself –“Causal model of health: health-related quality of life in people living with HIV / aids in the northern part of Thailand”. Even though, the approach of the research is not precisely argued, its nature sets out to “examine the causal relationships existing between antiretroviral treatment, age, self-care strategies, symptom experience, social support and health related quality of life” in the identified sample and population (Cormack, 2000). These variables are so apparent in the title, though not indicated in the title. The use of the word “causal” is a suggestion that this is a quantitative research article.

The nursing research article has an outline featuring the various aspects its covers in its content has highlighted: an introduction part as described above, a section on protection of human participants, the process and methods of data collection, data management and analysis, interpretation of the findings and the provision of future research, and lastly there is a section of conclusion with a precise summary of the content of the research article (Tangkawanich, Yunibhand, Thanasilp & Magilvy, 2008).

Protection of Human Participants

The participants, which were RN’s, CAN’s and LPN’s in the hospital vowed to commit to confidentiality on the matter in relation to the research undertakings, information gathered and ensuring a professionally reputable ethical standards. However, they were requested to speak frankly about neglecting to undertake routine aspects of their day-to-day responsibilities in front of their peers. Additional validity and privacy was obtained through a multiple questionnaires administered by the researcher with the different participants in the study.

According to Cormack, (2000), the merits accruing from the context of this research article is that a greater ethical considerations were ascertained through seeking approvals of the relevant bodies, incorporated with informed consent on both the part of the authorities and the participants. Even though the study was voluntary, the author didn’t put it clear what information was given to the participants.

Data Collection

The study do not adequately describe the data collection procedures. This would a problem of replication and rigor. The research doesn’t indicate precisely who administered the questionnaires, or even if they were self-report of the participants own convenience and time, or whether there was a researcher at the time of completion (Boswell, Boswell & Cannon, 2014). The research data collection period for this study took one and half years with the variables of consideration categorized as social support, self-care strategies, symptom experience, antiretroviral treatment, age and the HRQL.

However, the study is considered to have applied multiple data collection instruments, described in detailed, and their provenance was accounted for. They used the Symptom Experience Questionnaire, the Social Support Questionnaire, the Health Related Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Self-Care Strategies Questionnaire (Cormack, 2000).

Data Management and Analysis

As the author failed to present clearly how the data collection process was undertaken in this study, this made the enhancement of the research rigor to lack adequate assurance. On the other, the author ascertained the accuracy of the study’s analysis by carrying out a statistical analyses using the SPSS software and LISREL.

The SPSS program and LISREL describe generating the descriptive statistics for all the variables under consideration. They further give a description of the multivariate analysis for the specific model development, and the application of other tests (Wood & Kerr, 2011).

The concern of research bias is a critical element in the completion of data collection tools, and therefore as the researchers use questionnaires as a considered way of eluding this, a remote administration of the questionnaires makes it difficult to check if they are full, honest or if they are completed by the intended target (Tangkawanich, et al., 2008). . The presence of the researcher could create some level of biasness or an influence, especially with the vulnerable individuals. Since these were vulnerable adults attending clinics due to their chronic condition, failure to discuss how the data was collected from them create bias in the scope of the study.

Findings / Interpretation of Findings:

The findings of this study have shown a clearly stated p values which is critical aspect of such kind of study. The results of the study seem very plausible, and are subjected to an established statistical analysis procedures. Cormack (2000), suggests that as the research lacks details of selection method and sample, it is not easy to exterminate the doubts about the study’s findings, in connection to potential bias. Nevertheless, the author’s wide understanding and knowledge of people living with HIV / AIDS make the findings believable and applicable to a specific population of the people living with HIV / AIDS and the specific nursing practice of patients with chronic conditions (Polit, & Beck, 2014).

However, the concern on biasness cannot be overlooked. A little more transparency in the reporting of the key elements of this research would have ensured that it is easier to determine whether the findings of the study constitute a reliable evidence for practice.

The process of this nursing research study exhibited some limitations in the aspects of lack of an explanation on how the kind of information which was given to the participants and lack of a further information on how the informed consent was reached at (Tangkawanich, et al., 2008). Additionally, information on the any issue arising with communication and accessing individuals with different communication needs was not provided either (Wood & Kerr, 2011). Moreover, a weakness is exhibited in the study’s reporting as the authors failed to indicate adequately the process of administering the questionnaires.

Implications for Practice and Future Research

The authors of this research article recommend that “social support” would create the strongest effect on the HRQL, thereby suggesting a number of strategies to support this by looking at other factors and recommending on the improvement of care for this population (Cormack, 2000). These recommendations are all in coherence with the study’s findings. However, the study makes a single recommendation for future research; that it should be a longitudinal one instead of a cross-sectional one.

Conclusion

The study deduces that social and other factors create a serious impact on the lived experiences and quality of life of the target population. It further shows that social factors could surpass medical factors, a part form the provision of the antiretroviral therapies for these patients. Therefore, having an understanding of these factors the relationships they have could create an improvement in the healthcare practices and nursing for people living with HIV / AIDS. Conversely, the author of this research study concludes that due to some reporting and methodological weakness within the study, it is better to look for another research to confirm these findings before making use of it as evidence for nursing practice.

References

Boswell, C., Boswell, C., & Cannon, S. (2014). Introduction to nursing research: Incorporatingevidence-based practice. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Cormack, D. (2000). The research process in nursing. Oxford: BlackwellScience.

Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2014). Essentials of nursing research: Appraising evidence fornursing practice. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health /Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Tangkawanich, T., Yunibhand, J., Thanasilp, S., & Magilvy, K. (September 01, 2008). Causalmodel of health: Health-related quality of life in people living with HIV/AIDS in thenorthern region of Thailand. Nursing & Health Sciences, 10, 3, 216-221.

Wood, M. J., & Kerr, J. C. (2011). Basic steps in planning nursing research: From question toproposal. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett.