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CONDUCTING NURSING
RESEARCH
by Cynthia Gallagher, BSN,
RN
Introduction
During a regular day on a
nursing unit, the critical care nurse may ask the question,
“Why do we have to change central line dressings everyday and
not every 72 hours? or “why do we have to keep the head of the
bed up 30 degrees when the patient is intubated?” These types
of questions are asked everyday and are at the heart of
conducting evidence-based nursing research. Nursing concerns
transpire everyday. It is the responsibility of the nurse to
answer these profound questions in order to be able to provide
the highest quality of care to their patients. It is because of
evidence-based research that nursing has played a major role in
the advances of medical technology in the past few decades,
strengthening the quality of the profession.
Why do Research?
Bedside, practicing nurses
is vital to nursing research. We are the ones that know the
patients the best; we know what has been working for them and
what does not. The findings that we obtain from doing research
will provide us with a strong foundation to what we do everyday
for our patients. We will have evidence-based data to utilize
new ways to assess, evaluate, and deliver nursing care.
Research will allow professional growth by supplying us with
the most accurate tools and opportunities to advance the
specialty where we work. On a personal level, it will create a
leadership characteristic for yourself. You are the nurse that
co-workers will go to mentor them and find concrete answers. It
is not acceptable anymore to just say, “Well, this is the way
it has always been done!”
Preparation
Initiation of a nursing
research project can be challenging, but rewarding, to not only
the investigator, but nursing staff in a critical care unit.
Building a foundation to launch the project must be emphasized
to all members involved with specific roles clarified. The role
of a primary investigator requires a working knowledge of the
nursing research process. She or he has taken the
responsibility of being a resource person to other fellow
nurses. A commitment has been made to answer any questions,
challenges or obstacles encountered throughout research
development. They are the front runners in answering questions.
Intense education must be done and can be difficult at times
due to the high amount of nursing staff that must be educated
about the nursing research process. The nurses must complete
the study training process which usually includes completion of
an institutional research review board 101 and attendance at an
educational session on the use of the research methods and data
collection tools. Teaching strategies may include videotaping
the process for collecting the data from a “real subject.”
Reviewing step-by-step instructions will give a visual
representation for the adult learner and can increase the
accuracy and continuity of assessing the patient. A bulletin
board using a presentation format and examples of data
collection tools can to enhance the accuracy of obtaining and
recording the information correctly.
Selection of Team Members
Developing a
subgroup of selective team members to be key personnel will aid
in the reliability of gathering research data. If this is the
first time a research project is being conducted in a specific
nursing unit, it may be easier to seek out particular
individuals to help in the process. These members may
understand and electively want to participate in the process.
Their positive attitudes will be contagious for the next
research project! The other nurses will notice what it is like
to be part of the team and want to develop their own nursing
profession characteristics.
Retaining an advanced practice nurse (APN) as a co-investigator
and mentor is a vital part in the nursing process for the
project to take shape. This APN should be a mentor that the
nursing staff appreciates and respects. Their time may be
limited due to their other responsibilities, but will always be
accessible for assistance. The expertise and knowledge they
possess will promote the value of evidence-based research.
Lastly, the APN can also assist in putting the research
findings into clinical practice.
Obtaining support from the unit’s management team is essential
in a successful nursing research project. Assistance through
resources, time, training, energy, and discipline must be
advocated to create an environment in which nursing research is
accepted and necessary.
Challenges to Nursing Research
One of the
major obstacles in conducting nursing research in any nursing
unit includes the wide array of educational backgrounds in a
particular nursing unit. Each person may possess a different
understanding of the nursing process due to the requirements of
diverse nursing education. Nurses’ educational backgrounds
include graduating from diploma-based programs, or obtaining an
associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree, while some are
advancing their professional development on the master’s level.
The bachelor’s and master’s prepared nurses may have an
increased basis of nursing research and may help the other
staff members alleviate possible frustrations in the learning
process. cont'd
Cont'd
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