Gosh! Nursing Research, heeeeelp!

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 1, 2008

What is your weird issue? We can't help you if you don't give us more information.

danegerous, BSN, RN · Oct 1, 2008

well, I'm just having a real hard time jumping from the super analytical questioning of the other clinical-based classes to the theory-based, completely different language of nursing research. It just isn't making sense like all the body systems, nursing interventions and all that do.

Just wondering if anyone else has struggled with research and found a way to master it...

Thanks.

Dane

loricatus · Oct 1, 2008

I am not sure I am understanding your problem correctly; but, I'll try to offer some help.

I found nursing research much easier than the general nursing classes because I read and did research for my previous degree. So, I am thinking that the unfamiliarity of the terminology and the strict guidlines may be what is causing your problem.

It may help if you familarize yourself with the subject by reading many different type of nursing research studies that interest you. Take a topic you may have a question about and try to find research on it. Then try to put what you have found into the perpective of actual practice-how would you practice based upon what was discovered in the article. Now, try to justify why you would do it that way (beased upon the article/study) to someone else who may be practcing different than you. Next, try to find flaws in the study (analyze it by picking it to pieces). For instance, limited sample size, flawed analysis of the results, hypothesis too general, statistics using the mean would have changed the results significantly...

Not sure if this helps. I was basically thinking that you just need to become more familiar with it through conditioning. Once it becomes more of the norm for you, you may not be so perplexed.

danegerous, BSN, RN · Oct 1, 2008

I think that is it, I'm completely unfamiliar with this whole idea. The thing is, I "know" the definitions and concepts, but the exams are killing me. I actually can write and critique a pretty killer paper, too. It's just not really clicking the same way the other classes (IE - OB, Pharm, and Med Surg) do, the gap from applying the info and testing on it isn't being bridged.