02-04-2019

Chapter 1
Introduction to Nursing Research and Its
Importance in Building an Evidence-
Based Practice

Adapted from: Grove & Gray 2019.

Understanding Nursing Research, 7th Edition
Copyright © 2018, Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.

What Is Nursing Research?

 Research means to “search again”.
To examine carefully
Diligent and systematic inquiry
 Generate knowledge for nursing education,
practice, administration, and research.
 Nursing research is a scientific process that validates
and refines existing knowledge and generates new
knowledge that directly and indirectly influences
nursing practice. Nursing research is the key to
building an EBP for our profession.

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What Is Evidence-Based Practice?

 Synthesis of
knowledge
(research, theory,
and clinical
experiences)
 Effect of
philosophy
 Making a change
in practice
 Evaluation of
change for patient,
provider, and
healthcare system
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Example of An EBP Project

4

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Why Is Research Important for

Evidence-Based Practice?
 Develops empirical knowledge base
 Identifies best practices that are based on
clinical practices
 Improves outcomes for:
 Patient and family
 Nurse
 Healthcare system

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What Is the History of Nursing

Research? (Table 1.2 Examples)
Nursing research has evolved slowly over
the years.
Nursing research began in the 19th
century with Florence Nightingale.
Clinical research is the current major
focus of nursing research and will
continue to be so throughout the 21st
century.

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How Is Nursing Knowledge Acquired?

 Traditions – customs and trends

 Authority – person in power sets behavior
 Borrowing – taking from medicine, psychology,
sociology
 Trial and error
 Personal experience (Novice to Expert, Benner 1984)
 Role modeling – learn by imitating behavior of others
 Intuition – gut feeling
 Reasoning – clinical reasoning, inductive, deductive

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The Quality and Safety Education

for Nurses (QSEN)
 An initiative focused on developing the requisite
knowledge, skills, and attitude (KSA) statements for
each of the competencies for prelicensure and
graduate education

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How and Why Do Researchers

Utilize Empirical Knowledge?
 Empirical knowledge is gained by employing
 Quantitative research
 Qualitative research
 Outcomes research
 Empirical knowledge is essential for the delivery
of high-quality, safe patient, and family nursing
care.

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Categories & Characteristics of

Quantitative Research
 Categories:
 Descriptive
 Correlational
 Quasi-experimental
 Experimental
 Characteristics
 Philosophical origin: logical positivism
 Focus: concise, objective, reductionistic
 Reasoning: logistic, deductive
 Basis of knowing: cause and effect relationships
 Theoretical focus: tests theory
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Categories and Characteristics of

Qualitative Research
 Categories
 Phenomenological
 Grounded theory
 Ethnographic
 Exploratory-descriptive
 Historical research
 Characteristics
 Philosophical origin: naturalistic, interpretive, humanistic
 Focus: broad, subjective, holistic
 Reasoning: dialectic, inductive
 Basis of knowing: meaning, discovery, understanding
 Theoretical focus: theory development
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Focus of Outcomes Research

 Focus of outcomes
 Patients and families
 Providers
 Healthcare systems
 Practice changes
 Policy development

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How Do Nurses Integrate Evidence

Into Practice?
 Critique of studies on a selected topic or
practice problem
 Development of evidence-based practice
guidelines:
 Example: safe administration of intramuscular injections
 Summarize the findings.
 Draw conclusions about what is known or not known
about the topic.

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Purposes of Research in EBP

14

 Description: Identify and understand the nature

of a nursing phenomenon and relationships
 Explanation: Clarify relationships among
phenomena and identifies possible reasons why
certain events occur.
 Prediction: Predict the outcome of a situation
 Control: Manipulate or control the situation to
produce the desired outcome, like patient
safety

Why Utilize Evidence-Based Practice

Guidelines?
 Provide high-quality, cost-effective health care
 Allow for synthesis of knowledge needed for
interventions and practice
 Guidelines
 Standards
 Protocols
 Policies

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What Is the Primary Role of an

Entry Level Nursing Researcher?
 BSN: Read and critically appraise studies; use best
evidence in practice; assist with problem
identification and data collection.
 MSN: Critically appraise and synthesize studies to
develop and revise protocols, algorithms, and
policies for practice.
 DNP: Participate in EBP guideline development;
implement new protocols and policies; conduct
clinical studies in collaboration with other nurse
researchers
 PhD: Primary investigators, conducts research and
contributes to empirical nursing knowledge.
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