Nursing Research Based Practice

DEFINITION:

Nursing research is a systematic enquiry that seeks to add new nursing knowledge to benefit patients, families and communities. It encompasses all aspects of health that are of interest to nursing, including promotion of health, prevention of illness, care of people of all ages during illness and recovery (or) towards a peaceful and dignified death (ICN 2009)

Research based practice is arguably the hallmark of professional nursing and is essential for high quality clinical and cost effective nursing care (ICN 2009)

RESEARCH PARADIGMS

Paradigm was coined by KUHN (1970). A paradigm is a world view, a general perspective on the complexities of the real world.

Disciplined inquiry in the field of nursing is being conducted mainly within two broad paradigms, both of which have legitimacy for nursing research.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The research question is the first and foremost initial step in the research process, because it defines the expected outcomes and drives the project design. So it should be clear and concise once the research question is formulated, the next is defining the terms and concepts used in the research process. A literature review is needed to clarify issues, gives an understanding to the researcher how others have formulated similar research questions and defines concepts.

ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

There are ethical implications at every stage of the research process, including the choiceof topic to research, the selection of the design and the publication of the findings. There are 6 etical principles (ICN 2003) the health care professionals can use to guard their patients (or) clients from harm.

These includes :

a) Beneficience

b) Non- maleficience

c) Fidelity

d) Justice

e) Veracity

f) Confidentiality

The above mentioned six ethical principles have been synthesised into 4 rights of subjects considering participation in research. These are

The right not be harmed

The right of full disclosure

The right of self-determination

The right to privacy, anonymity and confidentiality (ICN 2003)

In qualitative studies, the researchers are unaware of the interview is likely to untwist. Therefore, informed consent is a must.

Richards and Schwartz (2002) listed four potential risks to research participants in qualitative studies. These are

Anxiety and distress, exploitation misreprentation and identification of the participants in published papers.

However in qualitative studies, there are greater chances of sharing confidentiality.

According to Smith (1992) suggests:

Researches who interview people and perhaps particularly women, need an awareness and a sensitivity to the fact that, although a subject may have agreed to take part in a study, it cannot be known for certain, what that interview will uncover (or) give rise to.