Characteristics of Nursing Research Utilization and Evidence-Based Practice Essay

Characteristics of Nursing Research Utilization and Evidence-Based Practice Essay

Characteristics of Nursing Research Utilization and Evidence-Based Practice Essay

The specific purposes of nursing research include identification, description, exploration, explanation, prediction, and control. A good examination must have some essential characteristics such as being scientific, evidence-based, replicable, and systematic. Further, research must have the accuracy, empirical, logic, the element of problem-solving, the theory of development, and the general knowledge (Chien, 2019). The purpose of this essay is to discuss the advantages of using both quantitative and qualitative research methods in a nursing study.

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The Advantages of Using Both Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in a Nursing Study

First, it is essential to understand the difference between qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research is fundamentally exploratory and helps a researcher better understand motivations, needs, processes, and rationale for behaviors, among other things. It avails the nurse researcher the deep insights into a situation and aids form ideas or hypotheses for potential quantitative research. Quantitative research comprises information that operates with quantities and numerals as opposed to the qualitative approach, which is informed by observation and description critical in the nursing study (Kang & Evans, 2020).

Using both methods in nurse research has added merits, i.e., qualitative research can be beneficial when designing a quantitative research project. It also helps learn about the consideration process and the best insights and results. In addition, it avails comprehension of the holistic experiences of the respondents in the study. Moreover, adding a quantitative approach to qualitative research can provide a more holistic and quantifiable view of the subject matter. Similarly, quantitative research tends to be more numbers-oriented and can aid in assessing hypotheses from qualitative research (Guetterman et al., 2019).

During data collection, quantitative data can provide baseline information to help researchers select patients to interview. In contrast, qualitative data can help researchers comprehend the barriers and facilitators to patient recruitment and retention. Furthermore, using an amalgamation of qualitative and quantitative data can enhance an evaluation by ensuring that the strengths of another balance the limitations of one type of data (Guetterman et al., 2019). This will ensure that understanding is enhanced by integrating different ways of knowing in the study.

One of the significant advantages of the qualitative research method is that it creates many potential data points usable to the social scientists. This process also creates a disadvantage that must be considered by nurse researchers too. Quantitative and qualitative research are complementary methods that work well together to provide thorough insights (Richardson, 2019). In using both qualitative and quantitative approaches in a nursing study, the researcher can apply both to formulate a hypothesis and validate respectively at the same time. Drawing from the merits of the approaches, the nurse researcher can comprehend how and why behavior happens. In addition, the researcher will be able to understand the frequency of the occurrences (Guetterman et al., 2019).

 The qualitative study allows observation of population or subsets of population, while the quantitative research gives room for quantifying their behaviors. Additionally, using qualitative and quantitative research provides feedback on the diverse nursing studies while the prevalence of such feedback can also be quantified; hence confirmatory analysis validates the study’s conclusion. Therefore, adding a quantitative approach to qualitative research can provide a more holistic and quantifiable view of the subject matter under investigation (Guetterman et al., 2019).

Conclusion

Quantitative and qualitative research methods inform the nursing study. Therefore, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches in nursing research can provide a more holistic and quantifiable view of the subject matter under investigation. Furthermore, using an amalgamation of qualitative and quantitative data can enhance an evaluation by ensuring that the strengths of another balance the limitations of one type of data.

References

Chien, L. Y. (2019). Evidence-based practice and nursing research. The Journal of Nursing Research, 27(4), e29. https://doi.org/10.1097%2Fjnr.0000000000000346.

Guetterman, T. C., Babchuk, W. A., Howell Smith, M. C., & Stevens, J. (2019). Contemporary approaches to mixed methods–grounded theory research: A field-based analysis. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 13(2), 179-195. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1558689817710877

Kang, D., & Evans, J. (2020). Against method: Exploding the boundary between qualitative and quantitative studies of science. Quantitative Science Studies, 1(3), 930-944. https://doi.org/10.1162/qss_a_00056

Richardson, J. (2019). Evidence-based complementary medicine: Rigour, relevance, and the swampy lowlands. In Perspectives on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (pp. 287-291). Routledge.

Assessment Description
The theoretical foundations of qualitative and quantitative methods are very different, but many researchers believe both methods should be used in the research study to increase validity and reliability. What advantages or disadvantages do you see in using both types of methods in a nursing study? Support your answer with current evidence-based literature.