When Does Nursing Burnout Begin by Rella, Winwood, and Lushington - Article Example

A Critique of a Research Study Student’s Name Institution Tutor’s Name Course Date A Critique of a Research Study This paper critiques the research study that is described in the article “When does nursing burnout begin? An investigation of the fatigue experience of Australian nursing students” by Rella, Winwood, and Lushington. The paper analyses the major aspects, such as research methodology, design, results, and literature review that are featured in the current study. The aim of the study described in the article is to investigate when the nursing burnout begins in newly recruited nurses in Australia. In order to accomplish this goal, the authors, Rella, Winwood, and Lushington, used a qualitative research design. A qualitative design fits the current study as it is intended to investigate personal experiences of the nurses in Australia. The data in this study was collected through a survey, which was done through a cross-sectional questionnaire. The questionnaires were distributed to a number of nursing students in the Bachelor of Nursing programme offered in the Australian University Nursing School. The researcher chose to conduct the study through a survey because it is the most effective method of data collection in applied social studies. A survey also allows researchers to sample the population according to their interests. Through a survey, it is easier to design questions that suit the topic of the research and the participants. Title of the Study The title of the study is a good one as it succinctly explains the study population and the main variables in the research. It is easy to tell from the title that the study population is Australian nursing students; the independent variable is time and the dependent one is the burnout period experienced by the nurses. Statement of the Problem The statement of the problem in the current study is stated unambiguously since it is easy to identify. The statement shows the problem that nurses face as they try to deal with the issue of burnout, which comes with time. The statement can effectively be used to construct an argument for the new study, which may be based on aspects such as the causes of burnout. In addition, the problem has a great significance in nursing as it seeks to address one of the major problems that nurses experience in the profession. The researchers have also outlined the statement of the problem in such a way that it matches the paradigm and methodology used in the study. Research Questions/Hypotheses The current study is an experimental design with a well formulated research hypothesis. The study has a total of five hypotheses and all of them speculate the findings that relate to the topic of the study. The hypotheses are appropriately worded with each one of them mentioning the participants and the variable involved in the study. The research is also consistent taking into account the hypotheses, the conceptual framework, and the literature review. In fact, the hypotheses are a representation of the findings that are mentioned in the results and discussion parts of the report. Literature Review The literature review that precedes the study is up to date as most of the references cited in it are recent primary sources. In the literature review, the researchers attempt to address most of the issues regarding the problem of burnout in nurses. For instance, they mention the demands associated with the nursing experience, financial constraints and overworking as some of the factors that cause the nurses to burnout. The literature review is long enough and it addresses most of the major issues that are related to the topic of study. It also mentions some of the books and journal articles from where the information was extracted (Rella, Winwood, & Lushington, 2009, p. 887). The literature review is outlined in such a way that it provides a strong basis for the new study. The review outlines the problem of burnout in nurses and the factors that cause the problem. It begins by explaining the roots of the problem, which it connects to a period before 1980s. It develops the problem gradually and systematically until it affects the efficiency of the nurses as they offer their services to patients. The review helps in developing the new study, which is based on the problem of burnout and the factors that cause it (Rella, Winwood, & Lushington, 2009, p. 888). Conceptual Framework The researchers in the current study have adequately defined most of the key concepts that feature in the study. For instance, the authors describe the meaning of terms such as fatigue and stress as used in the study (Rella, Winwood, & Lushington, 2009, p. 887). This is important as it assists the readers and the people the study is intended for to understand the discussion and results of the research. However, the researchers have not defined all of the terminologies used in the study. This may make it difficult for the readers to fully understand the results and other important parts of the study. The philosophical basis that underlies the ideological orientation in the study is explicit and it suits the problem in the study. The philosophy that controls this study, according to the researchers, is that nurses are also human beings who can burnout when subjected to conditions that are tiresome. The philosophy assisted the researchers in the study to formulate appropriate hypotheses that reflect the statement of the problem and the expected findings. The current study is a non-experimental research that was conducted purely through a survey. It was conducted in a natural setting without any conditions to control the expected outcomes of the study. The participants were allowed to give their responses freely without being restricted by any factor. The only independent variable in the study was time and the dependent variable was the burnout problem, which was expected to change as the nurses continued with the programme. Methods The protection of the participants’ rights was given the first priority. Certain procedures were also followed to ensure that the participants were at ease with the study and the research questions. Firstly, the participants were selected mainly from a group of second and third year students who had undertaken at least one practicum. The participants were invited by email, which meant that those who were not willing to join the study were free to reject it. Secondly, the study was subjected to an external review to ensure that it was widely accepted. The permission to include the students as participants in the study was granted by relevant university ethics committee. Lastly, the survey was designed with friendly questions that maximised benefits to the students who participated in the study (Rella, Winwood, & Lushington, 2009, p. 889). The current study also observed the requirements of a proper research design and an appropriate research tradition. There was a rigorous design and sampling technique that ensured that the topic of the study was properly addressed. The participants were chosen at random and they included first to third year students from the major universities in Australia. A large sample of about 1261 students was used in the study to assist in minimising biases and threats that come with using a small one, which in most cases, is not representative of the whole population. The participants were picked indiscriminately and given the questionnaires at random to ensure that the responses reflected the opinions of the participants. The internal and external validity of the study were tested by comparing the procedures and results to those that were found by other researchers such as Lo (2002) in a similar research (Rella, Winwood, & Lushington, 2009, p. 894). Sample and Setting There is a proper sampling and setting technique in the study. Firstly, the population, which comprises the students undertaking a Bachelor of Nursing in the major Australian universities, is properly described. Secondly, the sample, which comprises the nursing students that participated in the study, is well outlined. The sample size is 1261, which is made up of different proportions of first, second and third year students. The number of males and females that took part in the study is also well illustrated. The size of the sample if large enough and it adequately represents the population of nursing students in Australia. G-power, a tool for analysing the sample strength, was used in the study to determine the power of the sampling design, which was found to be about 0.90 (Rella, Winwood, & Lushington, 2009, p. 889). Data Collection The method used to collect data in the study is effective and quite relevant to the variable to the variable that was being tested in the study. The dependent variables and the independent ones that are featured in the study were properly tested throughout the survey, which is the main research method that was applied in the study. The discussion part in the report shows that the methods that were used to collect data in the study provided reliable and valid data. The researchers, through the report, provided correlation coefficients for the relationships between each of the variables. The correlation measure that was used in the analysis is the One-tailed Pearson’s signified as ϒ. For instance, the researchers found the correlation coefficient between chronic fatigue and sleep quality to be ϒ= -0.37 (Rella, Winwood, & Lushington, 2009, p. 891). Procedures There was an intervention that controlled the way the study was carried out. The questionnaires were designed and made available to the students through the internet. This made the work easier for the participants as well as the researchers. Since the data was collected through an online mode, it was an effective way to minimize the biases that come with questionnaires that are administered on a face-to-face basis. The mode of data collection used in the study helped to minimize the influence of the researchers on the response of the interviewee. The researchers of the study were well trained and individuals with a lot of experience in the field of nursing. Results The researchers of the current study applied appropriate statistical methods that conform to the level of the variables in the study and the correlations that were supposed to be evaluated. For instance, the researchers applied the One-tailed Pearson’s correlations (ϒ) to determine the relationship between the variables. SPSS v 14 was also used to determine the distribution of the variables in relation to the topic of the study. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and other statistical and power analysis tools were used to minimize the effects of confounding variables on the findings. Findings The findings of the study are properly summarised and are well represented in tables that give a clear overview of the whole study. For instance, the liner hierarchical regression equations that show the analysis of the relationships between the variables are presented in tables 3 to 6. The analyses of the findings and the manner in which they have been presented provide a basis for conducting a meta-analysis. Discussion The researchers in the study have discussed most of the major findings both in the context of the study’s conceptual framework and in previous studies that were conducted before. The researchers admit and outline the major drawbacks that might have affected the validity of the findings. The concepts discussed in the report are consistent with the findings that were obtained from the study. Summary of the Study The findings obtained from the study appear to be trustworthy as they are supported by the other findings obtained from other similar studies. The current study suggests some of the factors that seem to cause fatigue and burnout problems to nursing students in Australian universities. The study also suggests some of the ways that can be used to minimise these problems and enhance the efficiency of nurses. Consequently, the readers can easily have confidence in the truth value of the results of the study. The findings of the study make positive contributions to the field of nursing. It is believed that fatigue and burnout are some of the serious problems that affect nurses in their profession; consequently, the two factors significantly reduce their efficiency. The study provides a number of practices that can be used to minimise the occurrences of these problems in nursing practices. The study suggests that nursing schools should incorporate other components such as stress-management into their programmes to produce nurses who are fit all round. Conclusion This paper is a critique of the research study described in the article entitled “When does nursing burnout begin? An investigation of the fatigue experience of Australian nursing students.” The study described in this article meets most of the requirements that must be met by a standard qualitative study. For instance, the title of the study is properly designed and it illustrates the variables and the aim of the research at the same time. The statement of the problem and the hypotheses are designed in such a way that they fully represent the study. The literature review and the conceptual framework give a proper illustration of what is expected in the study. Comparing the findings of the current study and those of other similar studies makes the results valid and reliable. The current study, through its findings, makes positive contribution to the nursing field. The researchers discuss the findings and make a number of suggestions on how the problems of fatigue and burnout can be minimised in the nursing field. Reference Rella, S, Winwood, PC, & Lushington, K 2009, ‘When does nursing burnout begin? An investigation of the fatigue experience of Australia nursing students’, Journal of Nursing Management, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 886-897. Read More