Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses - Essay Example

? Qualitative Research critique Introduction Research refers to the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. Research is therefore important and relevant to practice in any field, it is the only means through which a practitioner discovers new knew knowledge and understands the challenges and complexities associated to the practice. Midwifery is a unique profession associated with the assistance accorded to delivering women during labor. Midwives are trained nurses with specific specialization in childbirth, they therefore handle the infant and ensure that it is born safely and is in a stable state of health. In this, research becomes important in understanding safe and best practices (Barker, 2010). Additionally, research reveals information on other factors related to the profession and their effects. This essay seeks to analyze a research done by a group of nursing professionals entitled Men and Infant Feeding: Perceptions of Embarrassment, Sexuality, and Social Conduct in White Low-Income British Men. Just as is with any other profession, the use of current and relevant information in a practice is important. New and relevant information on any practice is only determined through research, researchers must therefore employ efficient and effective research methodology, data collection methods and data analysis tools capable of developing factual and relevant conclusions (Rees, 2011). The findings segment is normally the most important in any research; it is in this section that the researcher states all his new knowledge. Efficacy of a research is measured based on the techniques, treatments, and technologies used in collecting and analyzing data. These three especially technology has kept changing through time; this therefore implies that knowledge held on a particular field need to change too. The Nursing and Midwifery Council recommend that practitioners pay close attention to the three in ensuring that knowledge in the field is fostered and developed though frequent researches. The frequency of research aids in developing a link with the society, this way the profession establishes a sense of currency with the trends in the society. Furthermore, researches should be as diverse as possible; this way they address all the possible factors affecting the profession. This essay through the use of a tool called the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP), will analyze the use off the three: techniques, treatments and technology employed in the above stated research to evaluate the relevance and factuality of its finding therefore the efficacy of the claims it makes in its conclusion. This criticism extends to the research structure, terminology and the actual choice of words as used by the researchers in developing and communicating their research findings and actual ideas. These are important in any research as they aid understanding of the research report. Without following the accurate format and or use of correct terms, the report becomes confusing and may end up being of no relevance to the target audience (Brayford & Weston, 2008). Breastfeeding refers to the act of mothers feeding their young babies milk straight from their breasts. Health researches have established that breastfeeding has more health advantages to both the mother and the infant. A baby should be fed on the breast milk for a minimum of six months; such babies grow faster and develop stronger self-immunity. Effectively breast fed babies are always less likely to suffer from such diseases as respiratory infection, gastroenteritis, and urinary tract infection. In addition to faster growth, breast feeding is a means of communication between a mother and her baby. Effectively breast fed babies develop a unique attachment to their mothers making them understand their mothers behavior and intuitions. A mother on the other hand uses this as a means of monitoring the baby. Such elements of the infant as its mood and comfort are determined from its feeding habit. From breast-feeding, a mother knows her babies eating habit and will therefore notice any change should any materializes, this way she detects such complications in time. Despite the numerous advantages of breast-feeding, research further establishes that more women opt to feed their babies on other forms of food such as formula. Formulas are organic food samples made to resemble milk products, most of these are made from cow milk products and soya. Such foodstuff may resemble and even taste like milk but unfortunately, they will never substitute milk. The reasons that lead to this act vary from a mother or a family to another, apparently as per this research, the decision to feed children either on formulas or on breast milk is made by both the parties in the family (Punch, 2006). The contribution of men is therefore fundamental in determining how their babies eventually feed. From the research, media products and the perception of the breasts being sexual organs influence most men. This makes most of men find the act or producing a breast to feed an infant especially in public infuriating. The research therefore calls for extensive antenatal and prenatal studies to improve the perception held by men to allow women breast feed and to stop stereotyping women who have opted to breastfeed. The research title: Men and Infant Feeding: Perceptions of Embarrassment, Sexuality, and Social Conduct in White Low-Income British Men is exquisitely constructed with the right choice of words to make it communicate without coercion. The title constitutes one of the most important aspects of research. This title helps a reader conceptualize the issues later addressed in the research body. It clearly states that it is examining the role of perceptions of embarrassment, sexuality, and social conduct in white low-income British men. With this, the researchers put their research in perspective and immediately identify for the reader both the scope and the subject choice. A scope refers to the extent to which the research covers, by stating white low-income British men, an audience knows the target of the audience and some of the issues likely to arise from the research (Ramazanoglu & Holland, 2002). However, in this title, the phrase social conduct becomes difficult to conceptualize. Social is too abstract and quite wide touches on very many aspects if life, the research therefore further needs to provide a working definition to the phrase social conduct in its title. This way it directs the research to a particular social aspect to the research. The methodology of a research is clearly indicated and further discussed in the research. Alongside the methodology section are the aims of the research. The aims indicate the intended purpose of the research and the possible target audience of the research report. Among some of the aims of the research as stated in this research abstract, include addressing the lack of information on breast-feeding. It further states that it is purposely aimed at espousing on cultural issues and stereotypes associated with breast-feeding. Through this, the researchers outline a clear methods used in collecting data, those used in analyzing the data and therefore elaborating on the factors that finally inform both the findings and the conclusion of the research (Steen & Roberts, 2011). The research is an elaborative and descriptive, such researches simply analyze the situation as it is and therefore build their conclusions from the observable features of the research subjects. There are a umber of data collection methods available for use to a researcher, data collection and analysis methodology constitute some of the most important aspects of the research. The use of questionnaires, interviews and observation c all complement each other thereby resulting in an effectively formulated and informed research. While questionnaires are convenient since they can be posted to extremely busy respondents, interviews are more exhaustive since they allow the researcher to formulate and further ask follow up questions on topics not adequately addressed by the respondent. An observation on the other hand is a highly subjective data collection method, the method relies on the ability of the researcher to observe and analyze situations. Observation employs all the five human senses, a researcher with an impairment of any of the five is therefore not likely to carry out his research effectively. However, when used in complement with the other two, the researcher is further restricted to a particular area of the research subject. The research is further directed into the areas of interest by the type of research questions formulated by the researcher. The research questions easily bring out a number of very important aspects of the research key among which include the research subject group and the features influencing their decisions to behave the way they do. This being an exploratory and descriptive research, the researchers needed to develop their research questions in relation to human behavior and their effect on breast-feeding. This research on the contrary has no clearly elaborated research questions, the absence of the research questions leave the audience unaware of the real underlying issues that the research therefore seeks to determine. The researchers opt to a prose mechanism of explaining the issues influencing their research. This does not come out as effectively as research questions normally. Research questions just as the name suggests are short questions meant to jog the memory of the research audience thereby making them picture the extent of the problems and compare their thoughts to the final findings and the conclusions as drawn by the researches (Parahoo, 2006). As earlier discussed, this is a descriptive and exploratory research; it therefore seeks to study human behavior and factors affecting the formulation of a particular human behavior. In doing this, the researchers opted for a qualitative research methodology. Unlike quantitative research that analyzes the features of the research numerically, the researchers’ qualitative approach to the study analyses the features and their occurrence (Whitehead & McNiff, 2006). In doing this they major more on the subjects’ insights and understandings. The Critical Appraisal Skills Program doubts the efficacy of the research findings especially since the researchers opted for the qualitative research approach. A quantitative approach would have been preferred since it gives the numerical aspects of the study that are computational and easily provides evidence to the claims later fostered in the research finding. Such a research needed an approach that evidently gives the proposition of those for and those opposed to breast-feeding. It proceeds further to give the numerical evidence of the factors that influence this choice. In brief, the research has effectively developed the issues to investigate in human behavior especially so in relation to breast-feeding. Through, its title and objective statement, the research precedes to addresses the key components of the research. It elaborates on how socio-cultural factors and the media influence the acceptance of breast-feeding by men. Al that remained to attain complete efficacy was a numerical evidence and subsequent graphical representation of the data found. A qualitative research makes these two difficult to attain thereby casting doubts on the final research findings. In the methodology of the research, it employs the use of focus groups to discuss some of the research issues. Focus groups can get effective at times but such discussion groups have a tendency of being easily manipulated since their discussion of the issues relies heavily on the directions given by the moderator who in most cases is the researcher. The grounded theory, which the research tries to follow, the theory allows a researcher to observe a social situation to develop a theory. The research deviates from such and engages a focus group and eventually doe not get to develop either a theo0ry or a claim. Additionally, the research was conducted in local towns; this could have influenced the constitution of the focus groups. A group consisting of friends will tend to share a common view point to a particular issue thereby influencing the outcome of the research. Towards the end of the research report, the researchers give a simple brief paragraph explaining how the research data was analyzed. Data analysis gives rise to the research findings. This makes the process the second most important part of the research, which directly lead to the research findings. In this paragraph, the researchers explain that they used transcripts read by two of the researcher. The qualitative research methodology employed by the researchers coupled with the ineffective data analysis one that is open to bias leads casts doubts to the eventual research findings as listed by the researchers. Additionally, the research report further states the findings in five thematic headings. This could have been effective if the report further elaborately explained each of the five headings in detailed paragraphs. However, this research report simply state the five thematic subheadings followed by brief explanations of the thoughts as held by the researchers. From the statement of these findings, it does not become evident that in deed the researchers refer to the data and the data analysis method to make their findings. This leaves for the research subject to opinions and bias by the research (Burns & Grove, 2009). A research becomes one only through the actual representation of the facts as portrayed by the data collected from the research subjects. The research must not always be in agreement with the thesis statement. It may approve or disapprove of the thesis. In brief, the research should clearly map out its course without manipulation from the researchers. From the research methodology employed by these researchers, manner that they build their facts, and even analyze their data, it becomes evident that they let personal opinions and judgments affect the integrity level of the research. Bibliography Brayford, D. & Weston, A. (2008). Evidence-Based care for Midwives: Clinical effectiveness made easy. 2nd ed. London: Radcliffe. Barker, J. (2010). Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses. London: Sage Burns, N. & Grove, S. K. (2009). Understanding Nursing Research: Building an Evidence Based Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company. Cluett, E, and Bluff, R (eds.) ( 2006). Principles and practice of Research in Midwifery. 2nd ed. Balliere Tindall: London. Denzin, N. K. & Lincoln, Y.S. (2008). 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