nursing research

[Teach]

Just a question to all of you......what excites you the most about nursing research and what worries you the most?????

Teach

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

Just a question to all of you......what excites you the most about nursing research and what worries you the most?????

Teach

What a wonderful topic of discussion, Teach :) What excites me the most about nursing research is the opportunity to generate knowledge to advance the profession, help alleviate human suffering, and to improve the professional nurse's work environment and practice.

[llg, PhD, RN]

What worries me the most is that most nurses -- including most nursing leaders and intructors -- are woefully underprepared to deal with the complex issues involved in the research process. For the most part, we are a discipline of ameteurs trying to "catch up" to the other, more scholarly disciplines. It's a dangerous game to play.

llg

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

What worries me the most is that most nurses -- including most nursing leaders and intructors -- are woefully underprepared to deal with the complex issues involved in the research process. For the most part, we are a discipline of ameteurs trying to "catch up" to the other, more scholarly disciplines. It's a dangerous game to play.

llg

Excellent point, llg. What measures would you propose to give nurse researchers a better, well-rounded foundation? ....Perhaps more involvement with interdisciplinary or collaborative research projects? I am only a novice in this area, but I find nursing research refreshing in that it tends to be more holistic - by employing both qualitative and quantitative research. Other disciplines tend to rely heavily (if not exclusively) on quantitative research designs.

Qualitative research focuses on human experience within its full context rather than attempting to isolate a small portion of it through research design or statistical control. In this way, it is holistic. Strengths of qualitative research: development of instruments; exploratory phase of psychosocial interventions; measurement of attitudes, concerns, and opinions. Qualitative methods allow the examination of areas inaccessible to quantitative methods. They are more suited to understanding complex topics than to showing their relevance. Qualitative research is important when little is known about a topic because it can identify factors of influence. Often the discoveries of qualitative research generate hypotheses to use for quantitative research.

Quantitative research, IMHO, tends to be reductionist (all human health problems can be reduced to constituent parts).

[llg, PhD, RN]

I believe we have to raise the educational standards within nursing -- particularly for those in leadership positions -- and for changing the "anit-intelectual" culture that is so often found.

While I totally support the existence of ADN programs as an entry level degree to produce nurse to function in entry level positions, I believe anyone responsible for leading nurses, teaching nurses, etc. needs a higher degree that includes rigorous academic work that gives them a firm foundation of nursing philosophy, theory, and research .... along with a broad-based general education that prepares them to represent nursing as an equal member of the larger community.

And it's not just a matter of the academic degrees themselves. Within those academic programs, the quality is often lacking. Many faculty members are ill-prepared in these areas and need to upgrade their knowledge and skills. There are simply too many cases of "the blind leading the blind."

Similarly, within practice agencies where practice decisions are made, those in leadership positions should be required to live up to similarly high standards.

We've got to stop fighting those who are attempting to upgrade our standards and start helping them make the implementation of higher standards possible.

We keep making excuses ourselves, saying "how hard it is" to meet higher standards. Yes: it's hard ... but we need to suck it up, stop whining, and do what needs to be done. If we don't, our profession will far further and further behind.

llg

[grannynurse FNP student]

I believe we have to raise the educational standards within nursing -- particularly for those in leadership positions -- and for changing the "anit-nelectual" culture that is so often found.

While I totally support the existence of ADN programs as an entry level degree to produce nurse to function in entry level positions, I believe anyone responsible for leading nurses, teaching nurses, etc. needs a higher degree that includes rigorous academic work that gives them a firm foundation of nursing philosophy, theory, and research .... along with a broad-based general education that prepares them to represent nursing as an equal member of the larger community.

And it's not just a matter of the academic degrees themselves. Within those academic programs, the quality is often lacking. Many faculty members are ill-prepared in these areas and need to upgrade their knowledge and skills. There are simply too many cases of "the blind leading the blind."

Similarly, within practice agencies where practice decisions are made, those in leadership positions should be required to live up to similarly high standards.

We've got to stop fighting those who are attempting to upgrade our standards and start helping them make the implementation of higher standards possible.

We keep making excuses ourselves, saying "how hard it is" to meet higher standards. Yes: it's hard ... but we need to suck it up, stop whining, and do what needs to be done. If we don't, our profession will far further and further behind.

llg

Unfortunately, even academia is generally not very supportive. The University of South Florida is about to confer it first PhD in nursing practice. The emphasis is not on research but rather on the practical application of nursing. They have offered this degree in hopes of granting more doctorates, thus expanding the number of professors in the SW Florida corner of the state. Do not take this in the wrong manner, I'm sure they are qualified, just not qualified to conduct research. I am afraid that more and more programs will offer this type of PhD and dilute our profession even more, continuing the second class citicizenship that we are currently held by other members of the academia world. For the vast majority of today's nursing, they see no value in pure research. They discount that formal research is needed to advance our profession. They see no value in the study of nursing theory, only valuing practical application.

Unlike you, I do not support the two year entry level. While I recieved my associate degree in nursing, I recognized that there should be only one entry level. Having three entry levels has diluted our profession. And it has had an impact on how other professions view us. I do agree it is high time we stop gashing our teeth.

Grannynurse

[lisabeth]

This is my first visit to this forum. It is kind of interesting so far and this thread does make this field of nursing sound challenging, but good.

[outcomesfirst, BSN, RN]

i believe we have to raise the educational standards within nursing -- particularly for those in leadership positions -- and for changing the "anit-intelectual" culture that is so often found.

while i totally support the existence of adn programs as an entry level degree to produce nurse to function in entry level positions, i believe anyone responsible for leading nurses, teaching nurses, etc. needs a higher degree that includes rigorous academic work that gives them a firm foundation of nursing philosophy, theory, and research .... along with a broad-based general education that prepares them to represent nursing as an equal member of the larger community.

and it's not just a matter of the academic degrees themselves. within those academic programs, the quality is often lacking. many faculty members are ill-prepared in these areas and need to upgrade their knowledge and skills. there are simply too many cases of "the blind leading the blind."

similarly, within practice agencies where practice decisions are made, those in leadership positions should be required to live up to similarly high standards.

we've got to stop fighting those who are attempting to upgrade our standards and start helping them make the implementation of higher standards possible.

we keep making excuses ourselves, saying "how hard it is" to meet higher standards. yes: it's hard ... but we need to suck it up, stop whining, and do what needs to be done. if we don't, our profession will far further and further behind.

llg

amen. people will reliably meet expectations. nurses have done the profession a diservice in creating variable standards for knowledge base. we should encourage the use of evidence to establish a baseline education and the expectations of that base level. without running a lit search to support the following - i believe the evidence shows diploma nurses are the best graduates to begin delivering care that is safe, cost efficient and effective. bsn graduates exceed this standard after 2-4 years on the job - thus losing the cost efficiences and possibly endangering patients. i think aa nurses were kind of lost in the evidence, with some never meeting the standard, some ok and some exceeding, but only after prolonged ojt and given a supportive environment. i am sure there is some research out there - where is our nursing leadership on this important issue? i do not believe the ana has sucessfully addressed the problem, nor lobbied appropriately. until then all we can do is mentor, mentor, mentor and hire appropriately.

[augigi, CNS]

I think more education about the actual practicalities of research in practice would help to. I did "nursing research" studies at university during my bachelor degree, but I never understood research ethics, the role of a sponsor, CRA, coordinator, PI etc until I actually worked in a research role.