MSN student in need of help

[BuckeyeGirlRN]

I'm attempting to complete my capstone project for the MSN program. I have a couple issues I'm running in to. First, I need to obtain formal written permission to conduct my research which for some reason is much harder than I ever anticipated. Second, my capstone project focuses on medical professionals with hearing loss and how they cope with communication barriers, but due to the issue surrounding written permission I'm not able to even recruit participants which means I can't even gauge what kind of interest there is in terms of individuals who might like to participate. So my question is, how do I gain written permission from organizations geared to the individuals my study will focus upon? I've tried emailing several of them with no luck so far. Of the couple I did get a response from, they were not willing to give me a formal letter of approval. I'm stuck at this point....so close to graduating, but if something doesn't happen soon I will not have enough time left in this term to conduct my research. Any advice? Suggestions? I would really appreciate any input you all might have.

[llg, PhD, RN]

1. What is your faculty advisor recommending? It may be that you have simply designed a study that cannot be completed at your institution within the desired time frame. Sometimes, you just have to realistic about such things and either modify your plans, pick another topic, or postpone your graduation. Sometimes, the easiest thing to do is to modify your research plans to better fit the reality of your situation -- get the project done -- and move on.

2. Where do you hope to find your subjects? Is there a particular group you are trying to reach? Or would something like posting link of allnurses be sufficient to meet your study needs?

3. Do you need large numbers of participants? Is it a quantitive project that will require large numbers? Or is it a qualitative project for which you might need only a handful?

I can't tell much from your initial post. What exactly are you looking for? Can you modify what you are looking for to make it easier on yourself?

[BCRNA]

IRB approval at other hospitals can be very time consuming, it can take 3 to 8 months. Not to mention the time to actually locate a willing participant. You should have your IRB application in 1 to 2 semesters prior to the actual study. The "written permission" you are looking for is IRB approval, it will have to be obtained through your school and whatever organization you will be using. Just having IRB approval from your school isn't enough. If your are limited on time, you will have to focus on a literature review.