Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Analysis - Essay Example

Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) Screening Questions Place and “X” by the yes or no 1. Was there a clear statement of the aims D Yes of the research? Justify answer what the goal of the research was To explore emergency nurse’s perception concerning the role of family in caring for the older patients suffering cogitative impairment and experiencing pain as well. why it is important It orients the reader with the information inside the article at a glance. That is, it represents the theme of the article hence saving the time of the reader in identifying the objective of the study. why it is important It enables the researcher to concentrate best in the study by sticking to the topic of study rather than covering aspects outside the objective of the research. 2. Is a qualitative methodology appropriate? D Yes If the research seeks to interpret or illuminate the actions and/or subjective experiences of research participants. The research seeks to get the perception of nurses concerning a topic. Perceptions are subjective because people will always think differently on any subject. Participants have different personalities and thinking orientations. Is it worth continuing? D Yes Appropriate research design 3. Was the research design appropriate to D Yes If the researcher has justified the research design (e.g. have they discussed how they decided which methods to use?) The research explains the following design approaches: First, constructivist’s approach applied allowed the researcher to understand the practices and processes in emergency departments. Furthermore, the paradigm provides realism of the shared research (participants and researcher) Second, the thematic analysis used was to enhance the inductive nature of the research and make sense of the responses on perceptions. Group interviews provided the interactive opportunity for relations and shared meanings to manifest themselves. Sampling 4. Was the recruitment strategy appropriate D Yes to the aims of the research? if the researcher has explained how the participants were selected The researchers conducted interviews in sixteen hospitals to select the participating emergency nurses. The advertisement of the recruitment drive took place through posters. All participants were registered nurses. Some of the criteria applied in the selection process include at least one-year experience in emergency wing. Data collection 5. Were the data collected in a way that addressed the research issue? D Yes Consider: Write comments/justification here: if the setting for data collection was justified The setting of the study was justified in that the researchers got the approval from the local health district research ethics committee. Data collection was according to the National health and Medical Council. Each participant filled a consent form. Prior to participation, the participants familiarized themselves with aims of the study. if it is clear how data were collected (e.g. focus group, semi-structured interview, etc.) It is clear because there was the use of semi-structured open-ended questions. The lead researcher conducted the focus group interviews. if the researcher has justified the methods chosen The questions answered underwent debate before consensus for their inclusion was reached. if the researcher has made the methods explicit (e.g. for interview method, is there an indication of how interviews were conducted, did they used a topic guide?) Morgan’s 1997 guide for developing feedback was used within the focus groups. That is, covering the relevant topics, providing specific data, fostering interaction, and considering the personal context. If methods were modified during the study. If so, has the researcher explained how and why? Yes. The research explains that fieldwork depends on the personal context of the participants, which the research must take into account. if the form of data is clear (e.g. tape recordings, video material, notes, etc.) Use of audio recording taking 35 and 60 minutes enhanced clarity if the researcher has discussed saturation of data Yes. Saturation of data reached after fourteen focus group interview and additional two done for response clarification. Reflexivity (research partnership relations/recognition of researcher bias) 6. Has the relationship between researcher and participants been adequately considered? D Yes if the researcher critically examined their own role, potential bias and influence during: Yes. It is a collaborative research between the participants and the researcher. the formulation of research questions The formulation of the questions considered the participants ability to internalize them and answer accordingly. In fact, before the actual study, the nurses understood the aim and purpose of the study. data collection including sample recruitment and choice of location The recruitment processes were participant inclusive. Filling of the consent form prior to the actual study is evidence of mutual agreement. The hospitals were 16, and it involved the emergency wing in Sydney. How the researcher responded to events during the study and whether they Considered the implications of any changes in the research design The authors assessed some of the emerging aspects of coding and interpretation to enhance vigor and reliability of the findings. Ethical Issues 7. Have ethical issues been taken into consideration? D Yes if there are sufficient details of how the research was explained to participants for the reader to assess whether ethical standards were maintained Yes. The participants got knowledge of the aims and purpose of the research before the actual study. If the researcher has discussed issues raised by the study (e.g. issues around informed consent or confidentiality or how they have handled the effects of the study on the participants during and after the study) The participants filled the consent form, which indicates they were aware of their engagement status. If approval has been sought from the ethics committee The researchers got the approval from the local health district research ethics committee. Data collection was according to the National health and Medical Council. Data Analysis 8. Was the data analysis sufficiently rigorous? D Yes If there is an in-depth description of the analysis of processes Interview data analysis and organization were thematically stored and managed through Nvivo9.2software. If thematic analysis is used. If so, is it clear how the categories/themes were derived from the data Yes. A data table schedule highlighted the categories of themes for data generation. Whether the researcher explains how the data presented were selected from the original sample to demonstrate the analysis process Yes. Transcribing and familiarization with data as well pattern building compared with the original sample quite well. Data consolidation, as well as interpretation, also helped. If sufficient data are presented to support the findings Yes. The data table schedule shows the amount of data applied. To what extent contradictory data are taken into account There was Independent review of the transcriptions and coding to confirm the interpretation. Whether the researcher critically examined their own role, potential bias, and influence during analysis and selection of data for presentation Yes. Different researchers checked the coding and transcription for variability in the process, which manifest that wanted to minimize bias. Data Analysis Findings 9. Is there a clear statement of findings? D Yes If the findings are explicit The research findings covered three clear themes. That is, the role of families, carers in the clinical setting, family, and carers as unseen workers, family/carers decision-making management. If there is adequate discussion of the evidence both for and against the researcher’s arguments Yes If the researcher has discussed the credibility of their findings (e.g. triangulation, respondent validation, more than one analyst) NO If the findings are discussed in relation to the original research questions Yes. Value of the research 10. How valuable is the research? If the researcher discusses the contribution the study makes to existing knowledge or understanding, (e.g. do they Consider the findings in relation to current practice or policy, or relevant research-based literature?) The authors identify that there was no evidence of using a validated pain assessment technique for the patients suffering cognitive impairment. Therefore, they suggest that the use of validated pain devices enhance the decision-making process among the emergency nurses. If they identify new areas where research is necessary The authors recommend that future research should explore the clinical use of observational pain validation tool among the older patients with cognitive impairment in emergency wings. If the researchers have discussed whether or how the findings can be transferred to other populations or Considered other ways the research may be used Due to some limitations accompanying the findings, the authors illustrate that the findings may not be transferable to different clinical settings such as acute wards or palliative care service. However, they affirm that the sample size was reasonable enough to justify the credibility of the findings. Consideration One Apparently, the findings of the research report the subjective thoughts of eighty registered practicing nurses across Sydney. Since the results indicate that the nurses do not use any pain validation tool to assess the pain among the cognitively impaired and old patients, it implies that the nurses use no evidence in caring and advising their patients. In other words, the finding taints the evidence-based practice among the Sydney nurses in relation to the study topic. Therefore, despite the sample being quite insignificant, the stakeholders in that field need to put more work into researching the claims in these findings. Consideration Two Admittedly, the research demonstrates a high level of rigor. The statement of purpose itself illustrates a quest into a field that little research exists to explain (Fry, Chenoweth, MacGregor & Arendts, 2015). In fact, it challenges the popular belief by getting the perception of emergency nurses on the concept of the role of family/carers in managing old patients from cognitive impairment. In other words, the research goes beyond the common view that nurses have a standard view concerning the topic of study. Arguably, the findings are as rigorous as the topic itself; no specific pain measure tools are in use among the old patients who are cognitively impaired. Therefore, more research is appropriate to enlighten the research question. Without a doubt, the research scores high on the credibility index. First, there are clear objective statement and discussions of the findings, which are in line with the study purpose. That is, the structure of the article is professional. Second, the ethical aspects of the study such as getting acceptance from the local research institutions, preparing the participants, and getting the consent of their subjects before the actual study contributes to its credibility. Moreover, the authors have high stature by affiliating to known institutions and journal publishers such as Elsevier. The article is as late as 2015, which implies that the data and issues discussed represent the most current situation on health facilities concerning the topic of study. Still, there is data validation, and the authors acknowledge that their bias may influence the outcome of the study, which prompts them to use counter measure. Lastly, I think the study is relevant to the current issues that face health centers. With the increasing cases of cognitive impairment among the old population, there is a need to devise ways of according them maximum quality care. Understandably, they also experience pain despite their condition hence establishment of a proper mechanism for pain assessment and validation is necessary, especially for the nurses who make decisions on patient care. The findings of the study reveal a lack of proper pain validation tools among the cognitively impaired patients. That finding makes the study relevant to health stakeholders who design the evidence-based practices for the nurses. In conclusion, the sample size of the research is substantial enough to prompt large-scale research into the field. Reference Fry, M., Chenoweth, L., MacGregor, C., & Arendts, G. (2015). Emergency nurses perceptions of the role of family/carers in caring for cognitively impaired older persons in pain: A descriptive qualitative study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 52(8), 1323-1331. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2015.04.013 Read More