Research course - critical analysis - Term Paper Example

Research: Critical Analysis The problem in this research is the consequences of the burnout experienced by the Nephrology nurses and on their patients. The burnout among these nurses has been depicted by their emotional exhaustion, lack of morale and the eventual detachment. According to the researcher, the burnout is usually as result of a long term exposure to the physical and psychological stressors such as poor management, lack of organizational support, lack of autonomy and, the regular high workload assigned to them.

As the nurses get worn out from the burnout, most of them tend to avoid work and stay back home as they recover. In the course of this absenteeism, patients crowd the Nephrology facilities due to lack of adequate personnel to care of them. Their condition may worsen due to the delay in treatment. The purpose of this research is, therefore, to provide an outline of relationship among psychological empowerment, structural empowerment, and burnout in registered staff nurses working in outpatient Hemodialysis settings.

This problem statement builds a strong statement by stating the Nephrology nurses usually go through during the burnout. It also clearly states the risks involved by mentioning the consequences of the burnout. From the problem statement, it is clear that the patients’ health is at risk. However, we are not told about the mechanisms through which the burnout comes about. Besides, Janice does not seem to take sides; one cannot easily tell the view from which the researcher argues (Houser, 2013).

A research question is normally formulated before the onset of any field study. It normally addresses the cause and effect of the problem on the ground. In a research question, the researcher has no immediate answers. The researchers may design a set of questions that must only be answered by the analysis of the data collected in the field. However, it is not always obvious that the answers for the research questions are going to be obtained; some phenomena may remain ambiguity. An example of a research question in this context would be: What are the consequences of the burnout experienced by the Nephrology nurses?

No research question was used in this study. Hypothesis, on the contrary, tries to make assumptions of the research questions. It tries to answer the questions prior to the field study. Hypotheses are, in essence, just the expected outcomes of the research. After data analysis, the hypotheses may be proved right or wrong. In this research, a number of hypotheses had been put forward by the author. They were used to predict the outcome of his survey. They include, “There is an inverse relationship between structural empowerment and burnout”.

Here, the researcher had made an assumption that structural empowerment and burnout were independent of each other (Houser, 2013). The literature review describes the prevalence of burnout among registered nurses working in Dialysis facilities. The review asserts that 1 out of 3 nurses working in these facilities usually experience burnout. The burnout has led to a massive absenteeism of the nurse and poor service delivery to the Dialysis patients. The number of these patients increases annually, just like the shortage of nurses.

Despite this shortage resulting from burnout, these nurses have not been given adequate support and understanding. The work environment has been perceived by the nurses as the major factor for burnout. Structural and psychological empowerments have, therefore, been proposed as the most amicable solutions.ReferenceHouser, J. (2013).Nursing Research Reading, Using, and Creating Evidence, 3rd Edition. Denver: Jones & Bartelett Learning. OBrian, J. (2011). Relationships among structural empowerment, psychological empowerment, and burnout in registered staff nurses working in outpatient dialysis centers.

Nephrology Nursing Journal, 38(6), 475 482.