Research Methods in Nursing By: Gli / F. A.

Ahmed
College of Nursing
University of Kirkuk
2019-2020, Lecture 1

Basic concepts of scientific research

Nursing Research: Past and Present

Most people would agree that research in nursing began with Florence Nightingale in the mid-19th
century. Based on her skillful analysis of factors affecting soldier mortality and morbidity during
the Crimean War, she was successful in bringing about some changes in nursing care and in public
health.

Forces combined in the 1950s to put nursing research on an accelerating upswing in the United
States. An increase in the number of nurses with advanced skills and degrees, an increase in the
availability of research funding, and the establishment of the journal Nursing Research helped to
propel nursing research in the mid-20th century.

During the 1960s, practice-oriented research began to emerge, and research-oriented journals
started publication in several countries. During the 1970s, there was a decided change in emphasis
in nursing research from areas such as teaching and nurses themselves to improvements in client
care. Nurses also began to pay attention to the utilization of research findings in nursing practice.

The 1980s brought nursing research to a new level of development. Of particular importance in the
United States was the establishment in 1986 of the National Center for Nursing Research (NCNR)
at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The purpose of NCNR was to promote and financially
support research projects and training relating to patient care. Nursing research was strengthened
and given more visibility when NCNR was promoted to full institute status within the NIH: in
1993, the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) was established.

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Research Methods in Nursing By: Gli / F. A. Ahmed
College of Nursing
University of Kirkuk
2019-2020, Lecture 1

Basic concepts of scientific research

Research: is systematic inquiry that uses disciplined methods to answer questions and solve
problems. The ultimate goal of formal research is to gain knowledge that would be useful for
many people.

Nursing research: is systematic inquiry designed to develop trustworthy evidence about issues of
importance to nurses and their clients.
The Importance of Research to Evidence-Based Nursing
Nursing has experienced profound changes in the past few decades. Nurses are increasingly
expected to understand and undertake research, and to base their practice on evidence from
research that is, to adopt an evidence-based practice (EBP).

EBP, broadly defined, is the use of the best evidence in making patient care decisions, and such
evidence typically comes from research conducted by nurses and other health care professionals.
 Nurse leaders recognize the need to base specific nursing decisions on evidence indicating
that the decisions are clinically appropriate, cost-effective, and result in positive client
outcomes.

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Research Methods in Nursing By: Gli / F. A. Ahmed
College of Nursing
University of Kirkuk
2019-2020, Lecture 1

Basic concepts of scientific research

Roles of Nurses in Research

In the current EBP environment, every nurse is likely to engage in one or more activities along a
continuum of research participation. At one end of the continuum are users (consumers) of nursing
research— nurses who read research reports to keep up-to-date on findings that may affect their
practice. EBP depends on well-informed nursing research consumers.

At the other end of the continuum are the producers of nursing research: nurses who actively
design and undertake studies. At one time, most nurse researchers were academics who taught in
schools of nursing, but research is increasingly being conducted by practicing nurses who want to
find what works best for their clients.

Between these two end points on the continuum lie a variety of research activities in which nurses
engage. Even if you never conduct a study, you may:

(1) help to develop an idea for a clinical study; (2) assist researchers by collecting research
information; (3) offer advice to clients about participating in a study; (4) solve a clinical problem
by searching for research evidence; or (5) discuss the implications of a new study in a journal
club in your practice setting, which involves meetings to discuss research articles.

In all the possible research-related activities, nurses who have some research skills are better able
than those without them to make a contribution to nursing and to EBP. That means that, at some
level, you will be contributing to the advancement of nursing.

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Research Methods in Nursing By: Gli / F. A. Ahmed
College of Nursing
University of Kirkuk
2019-2020, Lecture 1

Basic concepts of scientific research

What you can do with research.

So what can we use research to do in order to gain this new knowledge? Some of the ways it can
be used one to:

Describe: Descriptive research relies on observation as a means of collecting data. It attempts to

examine situations in order to establish what is the norm, i.e. what can be predicted to happen
again under the same circumstances.

Explain: This is a descriptive type of research specifically designed to deal with complex issues. It
aims to move beyond ‘just getting the facts’ in order to make sense of the myriad other elements
involved, such as human, political, social, cultural and contextual.

Evaluate: This involves making judgements about the quality of objects or events. Quality can be
measured either in an absolute sense or on a comparative basis. To be useful, the methods of
evaluation must be relevant to the context and intentions of the research.

Compare: Two or more contrasting cases can be examined to highlight differences and
similarities between them, leading to a better understanding of phenomena.

Correlate: The relationships between two phenomena are investigated to see whether and how
they influence each other. The relationship might be just a loose link at one extreme or a direct
link when one phenomenon causes another. These are measure as levels of association.

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Research Methods in Nursing By: Gli / F. A. Ahmed
College of Nursing
University of Kirkuk
2019-2020, Lecture 1

Basic concepts of scientific research

Predict: This can sometimes be done in research areas where correlations are already known.
Predictions of possible future behavior or events are made on the basis that if there has been a
strong relationship between two or more characteristics or events in the past, then these should
exist in similar circumstances in the future, leading to predictable outcomes.

Control: Once you understand an event or situation, you may be able to find ways to control it.
For this you need to know what the cause and effect relationships are and that you are capable of
exerting control over the vital ingredients. All of technology relies on this ability to control.

Categories: This involves forming a typology of objects, events or concepts, i.e. a set of names or
‘boxes’ into which these can be sorted. This can be useful in explaining which ‘things’ belong
together and how.

You can combine two or more of these objectives in a research project, with sometimes one
objective needing to be successfully achieved before starting the next, for example you usually
need to be able to explain how something happens before you can work out how to control it.