Introduction to

Nursing research
Unit :III
Re-search------- ?????
Re - Again & Again.
Search - Finding out some thing new.
 WEBSTER’S NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY

❄Research is a careful
inquiry or examination in
seeking facts or
principles, a diligent
investigation to ascertain
something.
❄ Research It is a scientific
process
❄ It is called scientific because
the results are verifiable
❄ It is systematic search for
answers to questions about
facts & relationship between
facts
 Definition of research:

❄Research is an organized investigation of a

problem.
❄Research is a problem solving process, a
systematic, intensive study directed towards full,
scientific knowledge of the subject studied.
(French Ruth)
❄Research is a process which systematically
searches for new facts and relationship
(Notter)
❄Research may be defined as planned,
systematic search for information for the
purpose of increasing the total body of
man’s knowledge. It involves looking for
information which at the time is not
available or for which that available or for
which that has no generally accepted
evidence. (Arnold
Lancester,1982)
Characteristics of research:

❄ Directed towards the solution of a problem

❄ Emphasize the development of
generalizations of principles or theories
❄ Based upon observable experience or
empirical evidence
❄ Demands accurate observation &
descriptions.
❄ Involves gathering new data from first hand
source or existing data for a new purpose.
❄ Carefully designed
❄ Requires expertise
 Characteristics of research
❄ Involves quest for answers to
unsolved problem.
❄ Carefully recorded & reported.
❄ Patience and unhurried activity
❄ Requires courage sometime
❄ Generalized to the population
❄ Needs statistical evidence to prove the
findings
❄ Needs control to prove findings
❄ Should promote quality of care and
standardization of nursing care
R – rational ways of thinking
E – expert and exhaustive treatment
S – search for solutions
E – exactness
A – analytical analysis of adequate data
R – relationships between facts and theories
C – constructive attitude/critical observation/careful recording
H – honesty and hard work in all aspects of the treatment of the data
Nursing Research
❄ Nursing Research is concerned
:
with systematic study and
assessment of nursing problems
or phenomena, finding ways to
improve nursing practice and
patient care through creative
studies, initiating and evaluating
change and taking actions to
make new knowledge useful in
nursing.
❄ Nursing Research is a process in which the
researcher scientifically collects data to be used in
the clinical, administrative or instructional area in
order to find solutions to nursing problems, evaluate
nursing practices, procedures, policies/curriculum,
assess the need of patient, staff or students and make
decisions to change or continue various nursing
process which in turn advances the scientific
knowledge in nursing field.
(Polit & Hungler)
 Importance of Research in Nursing:

❄ Validation as a profession
❄ Scientific basis for practice(research in nursing, nursing
research)
❄ Accountability
❄ Improvement in nursing care
❄ Documentation of the cost effectiveness of nursing care
❄ Identifying role of nurse in changing society
❄ Discovering new measures for nursing practice
❄ Helps to take prompt decisions
❄ Improves standard of nursing care Refining existing theories
and discovering new theories
Purposes of nursing research:
❄ Develop, refine and extend the scientific base knowledge,
which is required for quality nursing care, education and
administration.
❄ Enhance the body of professional knowledge in nursing.
❄ Provide foundation for evidence- based nursing practices.
❄ Help in expansion of knowledge , which is essential for
continues growth of any profession.
❄ Enhance their professional identity as research is an
essential component of any profession.
 Cont,

❄ Define the parameters of nursing, which helps nurses to

identify boundaries of nursing profession.
❄ Refine and eliminate old knowledge so that it helps in
elimination of nursing action that have no effect on the
achievement of desired client outcomes.
❄ Identify nursing care practices that make a difference in health
care status of individuals and are cost-effective.
❄ Enhance accuracy of different nursing educational and
administrative technique.
❄ Develop and refine nursing theories and principles.
❄ Solve the problem answer questions related to nursing
practices, nursing education, and nursing administration.
 Need for research in nursing:
1. To molding the attitudes and intellectual competence and technical
skill.
2. Filling the gap in the knowledge and practices.
3. Fostering a commitment , accountability to client
4. Providing basis for professionalism.
5. Providing basis for professional accountability
6. Identifying the changing role of nurses in society.
7. Discovering the new measures for nursing practices.
8. Helping to take prompt decisions by the administration to related
problems.
9. Helping to improve the standards in nursing education.
10. Refining the existing theories and discovering new theories.
 SCOPE OF NURSING RESEARCH

❄ Nursing research helps in Nursing administration, Nursing education and Nursing research itself
and in clinical practice to invent new knowledge.

❄ Nursing research helps to improve the global health, to bring about world wide knowledge and
attitudes to modify whole practice of nursing.

❄ To improve health care delivery system and health care policies.

 
❄ To bring about new changes in the learning environment or to prepare certain simulative
techniques.
 
❄ It helps in maintenance of health of the population.
 
❄ It helps in total central administration of national and international health care delivery system.
 
❄ It helps to formulate new policies.
 
❄ It helps to provide standard evidenced based practice in other allied fields or professions of
medicines and non medicines.
 Role of nurse in Research:

1. Advocate of client or respondents during study

2. Major/ principal Investigator .
3. Evaluator of a research findings .
4. Research problem identifier .
5. Informants / respondents / subjects / participants
or sample population .
6. Consumer of research findings .
7. Associate or member of research team.