Defining nursing research and ethical consideration

defining nursing research and ethical consideration

1. College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
2014/2015 –2016/2017
NURS 345
NURSING RESEARCH
Session 2 –Defining Nursing Research/Ethical
Consideration
Lecturer: Dr. Florence Naab, University of Ghana School of Nursing
Contact Information: [email protected]

2. Session Overview
•Generally, research is a systematic inquiry into a problem of
interest. Through research, various academic disciplines are
able to build a body of knowledge and own.
•Specifically, what do we refer to as nursing research? This
session will define research in general and nursing research,
Explain the goals for conducting nursing research, discuss the
importance of nursing research, and the types of research.
•The objectives of the session are to:
–Define research and nursing research
–Explain the goals of nursing research
–Discuss the importance of nursing research
–Describe the types of research
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3. Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:
•Topic 1: Definitions of research and nursing research
•Topic 2: Goals for conducting nursing research
•Topic 3: Importance of nursing research
•Topic 4: Types of nursing research
•Topic 5: Ethical considerations in research
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4. Reading List
Nieswiadomy, R.M (2008). Foundations of Nursing Research.
5th Ed. Pearson Education, USA.
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5. DEFINING RESEARCH AND NURSING
RESEARCH
Topic One
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6. What is research?
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7. What is Research?
•The term “research” means to “go around”, “to explore”,
and “to circle”
•Research is a systematic inquiry that uses disciplined
methods to answer questions or solve problems (Polit&
Beck, 2008)
•Research involves conceptual decision making through the
scientific method
•Therefore, research is about the creation of new knowledge
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8. Slide 8

9. What is nursing research?
•Nursing research is a systematic inquiry designed to
develop trustworthy evidence about issues of
importance to the nursing profession (Polit& Beck,
2008)
•Nursing research refers to a systematic inquiry into
those aspects of professional activity which are
predominantly and appropriately the concern and
responsibility of nurses (Comack, 1984)
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10. What are these nursing concerns?
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11. Nursing research concerns
•The figure in the previous slide shows that nursing
research concerns may be classified into three main
domains in an intersectional form;
1.Understanding the human experience
2.Improving health care and health systems
3.Promoting human health
•The middle of the intersection indicates that nursing
research contributes to the science of individual,
family, and community health.
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12. Why must nurses do research?
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13. Why must nurses do research?
•Nurses MUST do research for the following reasons:
1.To provide evidence for better clinical decision making.
2.To improve care through the understanding of human
experience.
3.To promote evidence-based practice.
4.To build a scientific body of knowledge for the nursing
profession.
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14. TOPIC TWO: GOALS FOR CONDUCTING NURSING RESEARCH
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15. What are the goals for conducting
nursing research?
Nursing research aims to:
•promote evidence-based nursing practice.
•Ensure credibility of the Nursing Profession.
•Provide accountability for nursing practice.
•Document the cost effectiveness of nursing care
NOTE: Each of the above will be elaborated in
subsequent slides.
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16. How will nursing research promote
evidence-based practice?
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17. Promoting evidence-based practice
The figure in the previous slide suggest that nurses must be
able to balance their knowledge and experience with the
best available clinical evidence from research. As a result,
relevant empirical nursing research is needed to;
•Improve nursing care for clients
•Make clinical decisions based on the best research
evidence.
•Provide the best possible care based on the best
available research.
•Provide service based on accurate knowledge.
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18. Ensure credibility of the nursing
profession
Maintaining the good name of the nursing profession
involves:
•Building a body of knowledge that is distinct from
other professions through scientific research.
•Demonstrating that nursing is unique and makes a
difference in the care of clients.
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19. Provide accountability for nursing
practice
Being able to make independent clinical decisions
involves being accountable for every action taken. This
means nurses must:
•Have sound rational for their actions.
•Be abreast with current scientific knowledge .
•Have the ability to critique research articles to
identify findings that are appropriate for practice.
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20. Document the cost effectiveness of
nursing practice
•Nursing care is a significant part of health care, yet
nursing services are not costed.
•Hospitals need to put a monetary value to the
services provided by nurses for consumers to realize
the importance of services rendered.
•Therefore, services rendered must be based on well
documented research evidence.
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21. How do you evaluate the evidence?
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22. Evaluating the evidence
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23. Evaluating the evidence cont.
The figure in the previous slide shows that five steps
are involved when evaluating research evidence for
practice.
•Step 1: Formulate your clinical question.
•Step 2: Search for the available research evidence
that may help to answer your clinical question.
•Step 3: Analyseand evaluate the available research
evidence. Then select the best evidence to apply in
order to answer the clinical question.
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24. Evaluating the evidence cont.
•Step 4: Apply the best selected evidence to practice.
This should be done on pilot bases until the new
practice is evaluated in the final step (step 5)
•Step 5: Applying the best evidence leads to new
practice. In in this step, the new practice is evaluated
for effectiveness and efficiency. If there is evidence
of improvement in practice, then the new practice
may be generalized based on the best evidence used.
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25. TOPIC THREE: IMPORTANCE OF NURSING RESEARCH
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26. Importance of nursing research
As discussed previously, nursing research is important
for the following reasons:
•Research findings provide evidence for nurses’
decisions and actions(Evidence Based Practice [EBP] )
•Any change in practice must be based on research
evidence.
•Nursing research establishes scientifically defensible
reasons for nursing activities.
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27. TOPIC FOUR: TYPES OF NURSING RESEARCH
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28. Types of nursing research
Nursing research may be classified according to the
general purpose of the study as:
1.Basic research
2.Applied research
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29. Basic research
•In nursing, basic research is concerned with the
generation of new knowledge.
•The purpose of basic research is to test a theory or to
develop new theories.
•Results from basic research are not applied
immediately.
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30. Applied research
•Applied research is concerned with generating
knowledge to solve problems.
•Applied research generates knowledge that can be
used in the near future, usually to improve practice.
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31. Types of nursing research cont.
Based on the two main types, nursing research can
further be categorized into the following:
1.Quantitative research
2.Qualitative research
3.Mixed Method research
4.Emancipatory research
5.Action research
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32. Quantitative research
•In quantitative research
objectivity is the main
principle.
•Uses questionnaire and
surveys to collect data.
•Collects numerical data
and uses statistical
analysis.
•Hypotheses testing
•Recruits larger number of
participants.
•Being quantitative
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33. Qualitative research
•Qualitative research
attempts to understand
human behaviourand
experience.
•Uses observations and
interviews to gather data.
•Not interested in
generalization.
•Recruits smaller number of
participants.
•Provides thick descriptions
of participants’ experiences
•Making human experiences
seen
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34. Quantitative versus qualitative
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35. Mixed method research
•Mixed method research
uses both quantitative and
qualitative procedures.
•Uses questionnaire,
observations, and
interviews to gather data.
•Uses triangulation at the
following levels:
–Data triangulation
–Investigator triangulation
–Theory triangulation
–Methodological triangulation
•Need a bigger lens to look
into the problem.
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36. Emancipatory research
•Emancipatory research uses
advocacy/participatory approach
to give a voice to marginalized
populations.
•Aims at providing positive change
in the lives of the participants.
•Often involves the group being
studied in the research.
•May involve living among the
research participants.
•Reports findings in precise words
of the participants.
•Sometimes researchers are
members of the group being
studied.
•All hands are need
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37. Action research
•Action research is an approach used by practitioners
to inform and influence practice.
•Action research involves supporting and engineering
change as an integral part of the research process.
•Involves improvement of care and involvement of
experts and stakeholders.
•Is an approach commonly used to improve
conditions and practices in health care
•Robson (2002)
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38. Characteristics of action research
•Research problem arises from practical questions.
•Is participatory in nature (collaboration)
•Its validity is strengthened through peer examination
and discussion.
•Democratic in nature (requires participants to be
seen as equals)
•Contributes to knowledge development and change
in practice.
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39. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
RESEARCH
TOPIC FIVE
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40. What are ethics?
•A branch of philosophy that deals with what is right
or wrong (morality)
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41. Why are ethical guideline important in
research?
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42. Importance of ethical guidelines in
research
•Research ethics provides guidelines for the
responsible conduct of research.
•Research ethics educate and monitor scientists
conducting research to ensure a high ethical
standard.
•Protect the rights of human participants.
•Ensure that the moral and ethical principles are not
violated.
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43. Ethical principles
Every research is based on three main ethical principles;
•Beneficence
•Respect for human dignity
•Justice
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44. The principle of beneficence
•Beneficence means do no harm
•In order to do no harm in research, the following
must be ensured:
–Freedom from harm
–Freedom from exploitation
–Benefits from research
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45. Principle of respect for human dignity
•Right to self-determination
–Participation in research must be voluntary
–Participants should be free from coercion
–Participants have the right to informed voluntary decisions
•Right to full disclosure
–Participants have the right to know the nature of the
research to enable them decide whether to participate or
not
–Right to refuse participation
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46. Principle of justice
•Right to fair and equitable treatment
–No discrimination in selection of participants
–No punishment for participants who refuse to participate
or withdraw from the study
–Honourall research agreements
•Right to privacy
–Information given must not be identifiable
–Anonymity must be ensured
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47. Ensuring confidentiality
In order to ensure confidentiality,
•Collect identifiable information only when it is
necessary.
•Assign an ID to each participant
•All documents containing identifiable information
must be locked.
•Restrict access to identifiable information.
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48. Ensuring confidentiality cont.
•DO NOT enter identifiable information into computer
files.
•Destroy all identifiable information as quickly as
possible.
•All people involved in the research must sign a
confidentiality agreement.
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49. What is an informed consent?
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50. Informed consent
Informed consent is all about:
•Giving participants adequate information about the
research
•Giving information that will enable participants to
consent
•It is only based on adequate information that
participants may decide to participate or not.
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51. Types of informed consent
•Written informed consent
–Should be written in a simple conversational language e.g
instead of saying “participants are free to withdraw from
the study”, it should be “you are free to withdraw from the
study”
•Oral informed consent
–Although it is oral, a written information is read out
verbatim to the participant
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52. Components of informed consent
•All research participants should be given the
following components of information in a written
form
–Participant status
–Purpose of the study
–Type of data
–Nature of commitment
–Sponsorship
–Participant selection
–Data collection procedures involved
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53. Components of informed consent
cont.
–Potential risks involved in the research
–Potential benefits
–Confidentiality pledge
–Voluntary consent
–Right to withdraw
–Provide participants with researcher’s contact information
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54. Signing the informed consent form
•Participants will only sign willingly after they have
demonstrated understanding of the content through:
–Asking questions for clarification
–Demanding answers for questions
–Asking for more time to read and understand
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55. Protection of human rights in research
•Institutional Review Boards (IRB) ensure that the
human rights of research participants are protected.
•IRBs look for certain requirements in the proposed
research that should ensure the protection of human
rights.
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56. Protecting human rights
•IRBs ask the following questions when reviewing
research proposals:
–Are there any risks to participants?
–If yes, are the risks minimal and reasonable?
–Is the selection of participants equitable?
–Will the researcher seek informed consent?
–Is the informed consent form appropriately written and
documented?
–Are provisions made to ensure safety of participants?
–Are there provisions made for privacy and confidentiality?
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57. Summary and conclusion
In summary:
•This session has defined research and nursing
research, discussed the importance of nursing
research, and described the types of nursing
research.
•The session also discussed the ethical considerations
of research and how the rights of research
participants are protected.
•In the next session, we will talk about the steps in
the research process.
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58. References
Nieswiadomy, R.M (2008). Foundations of Nursing Research.
5th Ed. Pearson Education, USA.
Polit, D. F. and Beck, C.T (2008). Nursing Research: Generating
and Assessing Evidence for Nursing Practice. 8th Ed.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, USA.
Robsin, C. (2002). Real World Research: A Resource for Social
Scientist and Practitioner-Researchers. 2nd Ed. ISBN,
USA.
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