Nursing Staff Members by Werner and Mendelsson - Research Paper Example

? Research Summary of the Article The article d “Nursing staff members’ intentions to use physical restraints with older people: testing the theory of reasoned action”, written by Perla Werner and Gady Mendelsson aimed at studying and assessing the attitudes deciphered by nursing practitioners when using physical restraints on elderly patients. Focusing on this issue, the study elaborated on subjective norms, intentions as well as moral obligations of the nursing professionals as influencing factors influencing the practice of physical restraint on elderly patients. Applying the theory of reasoned action, the researchers considered using a correlational design through regression analyses. The results obtained though the articles further revealed that nurses’ attitudes are among the most vital aspects which tend to influence the practice of physical restraint to elderly patients. Research Question or Hypothesis Although the research hypotheses were not mentioned within specific quotations, the research questions considered in the study were observed in a precise form as mentioned below. a. “Are nursing staff members' attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived moral obligation related to their intentions to use physical restraints with older people?” b. “How are nursing staff members' attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived moral obligation, and intentions to use physical restraints related to selected demographic and professional variables?” Research Variables To be noted, in Werner & Mendelsson (2000), the research variables were selected on the basis of the theory of reasoned actions which can be divided as independent variables, dependent variables and extraneous variables as illustrated in the diagram illustrated below. Source: Werner & Mendelsson (2000) Independent Variable The independent variables that were considered in this research included attitudes deciphered by the nurses when practicing physical restraint on elder patients, the various subjective norms that were followed along with the perceived moral obligations which tend to have a direct impact on such practices influencing the intention of the professionals. Dependent Variables There was only one dependent variable identified in the study which included the intention of the nurses to practice physical restraint on elderly patients. Extraneous (Confounding) Variable(s) In this article, the extraneous variables consisted of various attributes such as socio-demographic factors that included age, education, sex, place of birth and marital status which are given at a fixed unit and thus, is impossible to be changed. Werner & Mendelsson (2000) also considered the number of years spent in a particular profession along with the position of the nursing professionals as significant extraneous variables in the study to impose a considerable effect on dependent variables, besides the identified independent variables. Research Design The research design of the study conducted by Werner & Mendelsson (2000) was based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). Accordingly, a correlational design was applied in the process. It can be mentioned in this regard that as the intention of the study was to identify the factors influencing the nurses’ intention to practice physical restraint on old patients, this research design was appropriate to conclude if a correlation existed amid the identified variables. Population and Sample Setting The data collection was performed in alliance with the natural setting in an Israeli elder care hospital with a capacity of 800 beds. Target and Accessible Population The population considered in this study comprised nursing staff members from the hospital. The target population was thus quite realistically accessible within a given enclosed setting. Sample and Sampling Plan A sample of 303 nursing staff members was taken into concern to suffice the data requirements of the research. As can be observed from the research technique, a random sampling technique was used in the research process. However, no specific sampling plan has been mentioned explicitly in the article. Ethical Issues Although no explicit mention to the ethical considerations were made in the article, the research paper can be observed to deliver due significance in evaluating and comprehending facts and figures transparently in connection to the aim of the study. Throughout the article due significance has been provided towards transparent information regarding the research process which further signifies the ethical considerations of the study. To assure validity and reliability, the researchers were also observed to perform pilot testing with due significance. Data Collection Procedures Both primary and secondary data sources were used in this study, although primary focus was laid to primary data sources including the human participants i.e. the nursing staff members of the selected Israeli elder care hospital. Notably, the secondary data collection procedure included literature searches and reviews from various academic and peer-reviewed sources. Again, the primary data collection procedures included questionnaire survey. Date Collection Instruments For the collection of data, one of the widely used data collection instrument i.e. questionnaire survey was used, following a pilot test on 75 nurses from the same setting. It helped in gathering adequate amount of data regarding the functions and operations of the medical unit. The final questionnaire survey was conducted on a total of 303 nursing staffs from the medical unit. From a generalized point of view, the number of samples and the data collection process selected can be regarded as appropriate in this study as it not only provided ample information regarding the issue in concern, but also mitigated the constraint of biases in data decoding. Data Analysis & Results The collected data was analyzed with the help of most relevant and descriptive statistical tools such as Mean and Standard Deviation, which were in alliance with the correlational study design followed in the article. Pearson's correlation coefficients were also used for determining accurate calculations. The researchers were observed to decode the primary data obtained and use the secondary data to evaluate the same and thus obtain a critical understanding to the research issue. Based on the results obtained through the data analysis method, the research revealed that nursing staff members had been able to show reasonable attitudes towards use of physical restraints with elderly people. It was also realized that the nursing staffs had strong perceptions regarding their different moral obligations, which played a major role in determining the effectiveness of practicing physical restraint on old patients. Statistics Used Standard Deviation and Mean were primarily utilized for deriving the conclusion in the correlational study followed in the article to substantiate the research aims determined. For deriving more accurate results Pearson’s Coefficient Correlation was also utilized by the researchers. Researcher’s Discussion/Conclusions: Generalizability The scope of the research provided a clear idea about the practices that were utilized for the purpose of using physical restraints on older patients and the common factors which influences the decision making for nurses under such circumstances. The results also aided in developing a clear idea about the various perceptions and ideologies of the nursing staffs which tend to have significant influences on their intention to use physical restraint on older patients. Thus, the study can be observed to offer a lucid and general idea about the factors associated with the nurses’ intentions to practice physical restraints on elder patients (Werner & Mendelsson, 2000). Limitations The study can be observed to lack in presenting adequate information regarding ethical considerations when involving human participants in the data collection process. However, the article presented a transparent idea regarding the entire research process. Nursing Implications The overall practices that were identified in the research were all activities that were based upon practices conducted in medical units when treating elderly patients. With the aid of the research findings, it is quite likely that professionals will be able to better understand the various factors associated with the practice of physical restraint on elderly patients. Future Research The research can be regarded as quite fruitful providing specific results. Accordingly, the study reveals a significant need for conducting future researches with the intention to assess the influencing factors which tend to determine the acceptability of the elder patients when receiving physical restraint treatments. Assessment of the Research Article The overall research article helped in analyzing all the activities and practices related to intention of nurses when applying physical restraints on elderly patients. Based on the analysis, it was identified that all the nursing staff involved in the questionnaire survey deciphered positive attitude while performing these activities. Presentation and Stylistic Dimensions The presentation of the research article was very precise and transparent which highlighted all the important factors related to the findings of the research elaborating on the entire process. Due significance was also rendered towards the orientation of facts which provided a lucid understanding of the research issue in concern and the findings to justify the research questions. Reference Werner, P., & Mendelsson, G. (2000). Nursing staff members' intentions to use physical restraints with older people: testing the theory of reasoned action. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 35(5), pp. 784-791. Read More