Analysis of the Perceptions of Neonatal Nurses - Term Paper Example

Critical Review of a Journal Article The aims of the study The rising pressure for nurses to apply evidence based practice and to undertake research which helps in promoting knowledge required to offer safe and effective health care hence improving patient outcomes, informs the aims of the study which are understanding the experiences, attitudes and perceptions of clinical neonatal nurses in engaging and undertaking nurse led clinical research (New & Bogossian, 2008). In addition, to explore the barriers and attitudes to research participation with neonatal nurses working in health care systems. The design of the study The design of the study is a qualitative research design where the researcher applied phenomenological research approach to analyse the perceptions of neonatal nurses in engaging and carrying out nurse led clinical research (New & Bogossian, 2008). Three key features of the research design Qualitative research design acknowledges that hypothesis is not easily answered by closed ended questions whose answers are either yes or no which permits the researcher a broader horizon to explore and explain through interpretation. Among the key features of qualitative research design is subjectivity that permits the opinions, thoughts, concepts and attitudes to be integrated into the findings of the study (Macnee, & McCabe, 2008). Primarily, this research design is not founded on quantitative tools and quantitative information hence, it investigates data to seek a broader understanding of the phenomenon being observed (Flick, et al., 2007). The other key feature of qualitative research design is the application of the bottom up or simply the inductive exploratory technique for the function of describing and exploring and to acquire a wider understanding on how perceive and experience a phenomena. Qualitative research design is based on qualitative data that are analyzed for patterns and themes (Flick, et al., 2007). The research design is both personal and subjective. As per the study, the phenomenological approach used is among the many techniques used in application of qualitative design. The appropriateness of the research design to the study Qualitative research design was preferable in this study for its ability to analyse and describe data. The ability of qualitative research design to gather data on relationships and experiences to generate predictions through analysis of ideas, perceptions, attitudes, interpretations allow for more depth in understanding a phenomena compared to using a quantitative research design (Warland & Maude, 2011). By using the qualitative research design in the study, the researcher was therefore able to analyse the ideas, perceptions, attitudes, interpretations of neonatal nurses and in so doing achieving greater understanding about the barriers and attitudes to research participation among neonatal nurses working in health care systems (New & Bogossian, 2008). By utilizing the technique of phenomenology, the researcher was able to effectively and reliably analyse the purpose and the aim of experiences and attitudes on neonatal nurses in regards to participating and carrying out clinical research. The use of Heideggarian phenomenology offered the researcher, the opportunity and the capacity to assess the nature, attitudes and unique interpretations of neonatal nurses in regards to undertaking research, which is vital in informing evidence based practice (New & Bogossian, 2008). A qualitative research design offered the researcher rich and broad explanations of the research question which are not easily quantifiable. An aspect of this type of design which was beneficial for the researcher in carrying out the analysis is that qualitative research design is based on facts, computations and solid findings. In addition, it seeks answers using open-ended questions which generate varied answers from different people which is crucial in determining the validity and reliability of findings thus enriching the study in terms of quality, context and in meaning as supported by (Flick, et al., 2007). Be it as it may, the use of this research design is prone to certain limitations which includes data overload where there is much data which is acquired owing to the use of open ended questions which can consume a lot of time to analyse (Warland & Maude, 2011). Since the researcher is the main measuring tool in this design, the research process is prone to researcher bias which has the potential t influence the research process and findings. In addition, in view of the fact that the researcher had used audiotapes to record the interviews, not only was more time and resources required in transcribing the data from tape to script but also more time in analysing the data. The study participants In this study, the participants included five neonatal female nurses with minimum of 12 years of experience in neonatal nursing aged between 38-50yrs (New & Bogossian, 2008). The participants included four neonatal nurses who had undertaken a registered nurse training through the hospital system in Australia and one with pre-registration training in a British hospital system. (New & Bogossian, 2008) notes that all the participants had prior participation in nurse led clinical research either in roles of recruitment or data collection, or had initiated research projects. How the sample was selected For this study, purposive sampling of neonatal nurses from two designated neonatal nurseries was used as highlighted by (New & Bogossian, 2008). To qualify as a participant to form the sample, one had to have engaged in nurse led research The appropriateness of the sampling technique to the research design Purposive sampling was appropriate for qualitative research design since it enriched the data by allowing participants, neonatal nurses, with certain type of experience, attributes and experience to contribute (Macnee, & McCabe, 2008). This was crucial since the research design used intended to search for participants with experience with clinical research who could bring new information and themes to the study thus obtaining depth and detail. How the data was collected The data was collected from the five neonatal nurses using semi-structured and face to face interviews. They were interviewed outside their places of work using semi structured interviews that had certain open-ended questions (New & Bogossian, 2008). The interviews were audio taped coupled with brief notes written during the interview process. The appropriateness of the data collection methods for the study question and the research design The semi structured interviews as a data collection method was suitable for the research question and research design since the researcher was in a better position to analyse and explore the experiences, attitudes, perceptions and ideas of neonatal nurses in engaging and carrying out nurse led clinical research as indicated by (New & Bogossian, 2008). In addition, the semi structured interviews are appropriate for the research design as they permit the respondents to produce their own viewpoints while ensuring that the descriptive content is focused on relevant issues as supported by (Merriam, 2009). The method was appropriate since the researcher had the opportunity to develop new questions based on emerging themes and in addition, obtaining relevant, updated and timely answers to the asked questions. Nevertheless, the use of the method meant additional resources in terms of money, energy and time which were required in collecting and analysing the data. The issue of subjectivity would influence the research outcomes since semi structured interviews are susceptible to researcher and respondent bias (Flick, et al., 2007). Despite these limitations, semi-structured was the best and appropriate data collection method for the research design and the research question compared to other methods such as questionnaires which are difficult in analysing the attitudes, perceptions and experiences of people and once the questions are established in questionnaires, it is difficult to generate new questions to respond to emerging information/themes. How the researcher determined the sample size The final sample size for the study included five neonatal female nurses. The number of interviews to be carried out was dependent on new themes developing from newly sampled neonatal nurses who were only interviewed once (New & Bogossian, 2008). During the study, the researcher found out that no new themes were emerging subsequent to the interview conducted on the fifth nurse, which informed the decision to end the interviews. This method of determining the sample size was limited due to the issues of data saturation, which the researcher acknowledges. Why the researcher stopped recruiting participants The decision to stop recruiting more participants was informed by the fact that after the fifth nurse was interviewed, no new significant information or new themes were emerging (New & Bogossian, 2008). According to (New & Bogossian, 2008), the two new main themes that emerged from the interviews conducted include ccurrent culture which entailed three sub-themes namely role, time and access and embryonic culture which also had three sub-themes namely engagement, nurturing and preparedness. Identify and describe the data analysis? Was this appropriate The data which was collected using semi structured and face to face interviews which were recorded on audio tapes were written out to scripts, coded and assessed using Colaizzi’s technique. The principal researcher analysed the data by first taking the brief notes and the interview recordings and reading and listening to them again respectively to ensure that the researcher was well versed and conversant with the data. Statements made by the participants related to the research aims and questions which were significant were extracted and coded and meanings established. The established meanings were later classified and grouped into common themes, which were certified by two researchers conversant with Colaizzi’s technique (New & Bogossian, 2008). After this, the researcher met and gave the participants a copy of their manuscripts to confirm the interview transcript with a view to enhance the credibility and dependability of the research process and findings (New & Bogossian, 2008). The method was suitable and appropriate because by relying on researchers conversant with the method and seeking verification from the participants about their interview transcript, it ensured that the data collected and analyzed was the actual data given by the participant and more so, enhance the accuracy, relevance, dependability of the data collected thus, the research outcomes. The researcher ensured rigor by allowing attendance of two researchers with experience with the method, by re-reading the transcriptions and re-listening the audio tapes and seeking confirmation from the participants that the interviews transcripts was truly theirs. Ethical considerations To ensure fairness in recruitment of the participants and to ensure that participants engaged in the research process out of their own free will, the researcher sought approval from the hospitals to advertise for participants. To ensure the rights of the participant were respected and to assure the participants, the researcher obtained ethics approval from the Human Research Ethics Committees of the relevant participating institutions and the Ethics Committee of The University of Queensland. Only mature professionals were used in the study, who were interested in addressing issues impacting practice (New & Bogossian, 2008). Main findings of the study According to New & Bogossian (2008), there are two main themes when understanding the experiences of clinical neonatal nurses in participating or conducting nurse led clinical research. These includes current culture which indicates that clinical research is burdensome on the nurse and that nurse led research is still not considered to be a central concern in the clinical nurses’ role in neonatal care. The findings suggest that if neonatal nursing practices are to be based on the best available research evidence, organizations need to be acutely adjusted to the culture of research in neonatal nurseries and address these issues. Moreover, Embryonic culture which highlights the need for engagement, nurturing and preparedness in advancing clinical research among neonatal nurses. Can the study findings be used in other settings? The findings are applicable in other clinical settings since there are common themes of perceptions and attitudes of barriers across many specialty practice and discipline areas of nursing. Summary Terry (2011) notes that application of evidence based practice and clinical research in modern healthcare systems is essential and mandatory in facilitating quality, accessible, acceptable, effective and safe healthcare which promotes patient outcomes. The results of this study could be used to inform clinical practice or help support nurses to engage in nursing led research since the qualitative research design and purposive sampling used generates more depth and detail than quantitative research design or any other sampling method. The research aims forms a good basis for informing the research findings hence effectively, accurately and reliably answering the research question. The sampling method, the techniques of data collection and data analysis used ensured the data source was reliable, relevant and dependable which ensured findings were credible, trustworthy, ethical and reliable. References Flick, U., Angrosino, M.V., Barbour, R.S., Banks, M., Gbbs, G., & Rapley, T. (2007). Designing Qualitative Research. London: SAGE, 2007 Macnee, L. C., & McCabe, S. (2008). Understanding nursing research: using research in evidence-based practice. London: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Merriam, S.B. (2009). Qualitative research: a guide to design and implementation. New York: John Wiley and Sons. New, N., & Bogossian, F. (2008). Nurse led clinical research: neonatal nurse’s perceptions and experiences. Neonatal, Paediatric and Child Health Nursing, 11(3), 13-18. Terry, A. (2011). Clinical Research for the Doctor of Nursing Practice. Sidney: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Warland, J., & Maude, P. (2011). Critical review of research. In S. Jirojwong, M.Johnson & A. Welch (Ed.), Research methods in nursing & midwifery: pathways to evidenced-based practice (pp. 322-346). South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press. Read More