Data Collection and Measurement - Research Paper Example

Bedside reporting’s main purpose is the communication of vital information that is important to inpatient care (Anderson, 2006). However, the role of the nurse is very important and earlier research has shown that, among nurses, information is not consistent. This research proposal seeks to identify whether perceptions of bedside reporting among nurses have an effect on the inconsistency. To do this, the research proposal will collect data from two nursing units with varying levels of bedside reporting adoption, which will be done through focus group interviews, observation, and a demographic survey. This paper will also seek to come up with expected outcomes, how to implement these outcomes, and how to assess the changes after the initial implementation of the expected findings.
Data Collection and Measurement
The research will utilize a demographic survey and focus groups in order to collect the required data. The use of a short survey was made in obtaining self-reported information with regards to the perception of nurses' interpersonal relationships with their patients (Anderson, 2006). During and following each session, field notes and PI observations were made to complement analysis of voice data that is digitally recorded. Observation will also be used to study the nurses in the focus groups in order to compare, as well as validate, the information discussed in the sessions, as well as to observe the interpersonal interactions between patients and staff. An observation guide will give consistent items that each of the nurses will be observed for. The observed behavior of patients and nurses will be recorded. For the survey questions under investigation, a comprehensive measurement summary will be given by the qualitative descriptive method. The interviews will be transcribed verbatim. Common themes, metaphors, and concepts will then be identified through a transcript review for subsequent identification of thematic trends (Anderson, 2006).
Statistical measures will be done inferentially through predictions about the nursing population in the hospital on satisfaction and attitudes, as well as in the analysis of the studied sample. The results after analysis of the sample will be taken and generalized for a larger population of the nurses in the hospital, which will be possible since the selected sample is representative of the nursing population in the two units under study. The levels of measurement used for this research study are ordinal scales since it wishes to measure the satisfaction of a particular group, in this group the nurses, with bedside reporting. The scale items for the questionnaires and survey will be from most to least satisfied.
Expected Outcomes of the Research
This study is expected to show common differences and concerns about bedside reporting, particularly with regard to interpersonal relationships. The geriatric unit, which consistently carries out bedside reporting, will have a higher level of interpersonal relationships than the telemetry unit that dos do not consistently carry out bedside reporting. It is also expected that there will be inconsistency in, as well as lack of, information from one shift to the next. This affects the ability of the nurses to deliver quality care and discuss meaningfully with the family members and the doctors (Laws & Amato, 2010). Therefore, interpersonal relationships between nurses, patients, patient families, and doctors will have to be improved in order to improve perceptions about bedside reporting among nurses. Improvement will be made by informing the nursing staff of the changes required and the importance of these changes. The staff will also be trained through role-play, video, and PowerPoint slides. The message in the training will involve the importance of bedside reporting to the safety and quality of healthcare (Laws & Amato, 2010). Finally, bedside reporting should be made using a checklist to ensure that its key elements are covered.
It is anticipated that the interventions proposed will double the rate of satisfaction with bedside reporting. These calculations are based on a corresponding correlation coefficient between the two units of 0.17, which reveals that there would be 88% power on the basis of comparison of observations in the intervention period, as well as prior to the intervention. This should correspond to an approximate difference of 8.0 for the standard rate of error, which will yield a confidence interval of +/- 16 around the estimated point,
Evaluation of Findings Following Implementation of Nursing Research
During the first month of implementation and periodically after that, the implementation needs to be evaluated (Nieswiadomy, 2012). One method of evaluation is getting feedback from families, patients, and nurses. Informal feedback can be gotten by asking if they feel the current changes can be improved further, the aspects of the changes that work, and the factors that were critical for success. Read More