The Important of Nursing Research Critique - Essay Example

?Running head: RESEARCH CRITIQUE Research Critique (school) Research Critique Introduction Nursing research critique is one of the waysby which improvements in the practice can be implemented. It helps establish support for evidence-based practice and provides the foundation for improvements in patient-centered care. This paper shall critique the research, “Impact of a fall prevention programme in acute hospital settings in Singapore” by Koh, Hafizah, Lee, Loo, and Muthu (2009). It shall provide a critical evaluation of the research, identifying its strengths as well as its weaknesses. Suggestions and alternatives on how to improve these strengths and weaknesses shall also be considered. The research subject of this critique is relevant to the practice as it evaluates the effects of securing fall prevention policies in hospitals, especially for the elderly and those with limited and compromised mobility. This topic is also relevant as it displays the benefits of a fall prevention program in the hospital with the end hope of securing improved patient outcomes. Critical evaluation The title of the article is clear and very much precise. It is short enough to warrant interest from the reader, but also concise in its description of the research. It also provides the foundations of the research in terms of its variables and clinical setting. It does not however specify the subject respondents for the research, whether they be elderly patients in critical care or those who have compromised mobility. These details would have made the title more concise and encompassing. The abstract is adequately written. It clearly provides a condensed version of the contents of the study, noting the research questions, aims, and objectives of the study (Polit and Hungler, 1997). The methods of the study have also been specified in the abstract, including the results and conclusion (Parahoo and Reid, 1988). The abstract is however overly long, made up of more than 250 words. Abstracts should average about 100 to 200 words (Ingham-Broomfield, 2006). The background/introduction of the study clearly identifies the purpose of the article. The authors detail the conceptual basis for the study, while also identifying gaps and health issues in the practice. The aims and objectives of the study were also identified in the research, particularly specifying the general direction of the research paper (Parahoo and Reid, 1988). The only weakness which can be seen in the introduction is that not all the essential details for the background of the study are identified in the text instead, they are incorporated into the text for the reader’s extrapolation. As for the literature review, it is not clearly identified as a distinct part of the research. Instead, it is incorporated and summarized in the introduction. Nevertheless, all the important details for the literature review are contained therein (Polit and Hungler, 1997). Original and primary sources have been used by the authors. The studies included in the literature review detail what is currently known about the research topic, the gaps in the knowledge, the significance of the study, and the position of the study within the current body of knowledge (Polit and Hungler, 1997). A broad understanding of the topic has been made possible through the literature review and the authors were able to use the studies to guide their methodology in their research. The review also assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the methods used in the previous studies and to use such data to guide their research (Burns and Grove, 2001). The other methods were also critiqued in order to analyze their applicability to their current research. In reviewing the research’s literature reviewed, more studies could have been discussed or drawn out in order to provide more support for the study. These studies would have strengthened the research foundation and provided more details to guide the researchers. The design for the study – comparative – is appropriately chosen for its purpose and aims. It was chosen to measure and manipulate the variables in the study (Burns and Grove, 1993). The data collection process was also most appropriate for the exploration of the research question. The variables measured, which mostly include fall rates were also specified by the authors. The methods of research used by the researchers are also appropriate for the research question posed. The researchers however, do not justify the instrument they used in their paper and the advantages and disadvantages of the instrument and method they used were not specified (Polit and Hungler, 1997). Reliability and validity measures are secured by the authors as they reviewed the consistency and accuracy of the instrument used. The data gathered is authoritative, and is also complete and accurate, applicable to the general population. The validity is also secured as the instrument used accurately measures the phenomena and reflects the general construct being evaluated (Burns and Grove, 1993). The sample population was not randomly chosen, as they were specifically reviewed to be hospitals subject of this research. The designation of the treatment is however randomly allocated into the intervention and the control group. As such, all hospitals subject of this research have an equal and unbiased opportunity to be considered as a sample for each respondent group. The sample population is also large enough to be reviewed under the necessary statistical treatment, and also small enough to be manageable for the necessary research processes (Burns and Grove, 1993). Limitations in the data collection however revealed that the audit initially carried out on the injuries experienced by the respondents was not explored. These details in the data gathering structures would have yielded specific type of injuries and their impact on the overall patient outcomes. The results of the study specify numerical data comparing two groups presented in tables and represented in percentages, ranges, mean scores, and p-values from t-testing. The meaning given to the numerical results presented is accurate and based on their intrinsic worth as previously designated in the hypothesis (Parahoo, 1997). The results are also expressed in terms of measures of central tendency or averages. The appropriate statistical treatment was applied for the research raw data and results from such data were associated with the research question being asked, as well as the hypothesis established. The discussion was adequately written as it focuses on the judgment of the reader in assessing of the worthiness of the study (Ingham-Broomfield, 2006). The pertinent analysis of the data results were specified and discussed by the authors. Such discussion was able to establish a correlation between the different variables of the research, as well as the aims and purposes of the research. The discussion was able to piece together the research results as they refer back to the research issue and questions raised. The discussion of the authors also ensured that the readers would be able to review the research design and the overall strengths and weaknesses of the study (Ingham-Broomfield, 2006). The limitations were identified by the researchers themselves, however, no clear recommendations for future improvements for research were established by the authors. The recommendations made by the authors were not clearly stated. The limitations were established and recommendations for future studies were made in order to improve future similar studies. Nevertheless, these recommendations do not relate to clinical practice, but only to methods of research. The conclusion or the major findings of the research were made and presented in terms of how they negate or support the research questions and the hypothesis (Parahoo, 1988). The conclusion is clear and concise and flows well from the previous sections of the research. No logical fallacies can be seen from these conclusions as previous indicators from the results and discussion already provide hints to the possible conclusions to the research. The researchers conclude that implementing a multifaceted fall prevented program helped reduce the rate of falls within the acute care setting. Moreover, improved knowledge on the part of the nurses and implementing changes in the fall prevention practices improved the outcomes in fall prevention in the hospitals (Koh, et.al., 2009). Conclusion This research is significant to the practice as it provides a clear guideline on the possible improvements which can be made in the prevention of falls in the acute care setting. It is significant in the sense that it provides evidence-based practice consideration which can be implemented in the clinical setting and which can help achieve improved patient outcomes, especially those who have a high risk for falls. This article implies the need for research on more specific falls and injuries experienced by patients in the acute care setting, and the impact of these falls on the quality of the patient’s life. More specific research on the elderly in acute care settings and the efficacy of fall prevention programs implemented in their behalf can also be carried out. Comparing fall prevention programs in relation to age and degree of mobility of respondents can also be considered as another possible research proposal. Reference Burns, N. and Grove, S. (2001). The practice of nursing research: conduct, critique and utilization (4th ed). W.B.Saunders: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Burns, N. and Grove, S. (1993). The practice of nursing research: conduct, critique and utilization (2nd ed). W.B.Saunders: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Ingham-Broomfield, R. (2006). A nurses’ guide to the critical reading of research. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 26(1), pp. 102-109. Koh, S., Hafizah, N., Lee, J., Loo, Y., & Muthu, R. (2009). Impact of a fall prevention programme in acute hospital settings in Singapore. Singapore Med J, 50(4): 425 Parahoo, K. (1997). Nursing research: principles, process and issues. Macmillan: London, UK. Parahoo, K. and Reid, N. (1988). Research skills. Nursing Times, 84(43):69?72. Polit, D. and Hungler, B. (1997). Essentials of nursing research: methods, appraisal, and utilization (4th ed) J.B.Lippincott Company: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Read More