Today’s health care has a high demand for applying research to health care based on the best developmental scientific evidence. The biggest challenge in todays health care is providing evidence based, cost effective quality care that will improve practice and overall patient outcomes. Only fifty five percent of the time patients get evidence based recommended course of treatment (Wolfe, 2001). That means patients are not getting the latest standard of care, not getting the care that the patients deserve. By conducting ongoing research, the results generate knowledge in areas that indirectly affect nursing care process. As well as providing support for the quality and cost effectiveness of interventions. Nursing research provides the foundation for practice decisions and behaviors. The nursing profession needs to integrate evidence into practice to improve the nursing practice.

Assignment: Demand for Applying Research

Assignment: Demand for Applying Research

Nurses have the opportunity and responsibility to make a difference to the quality of patient care by raising the profile of their research activity (Mccance, 2006). Nursing is the key to maximizing evidence based outcomes and enhancing patient care. Nurses have incredibly creative and solution focused ideas. For example research has been conducted on hospital acquired infections and hospital injuries occurring from patient falls. This research and development has improved outcomes tremendously. Organizations are seeing a decrease in both.

Explain the essential steps in nursing research

The essential steps in nursing research is first to identify a problem or question. Step one is formulating and delimiting the problem. Quantitative researchers begin by identifying an interesting, significant research problem and developing research questions (Polit & Beck, 2017). Having a personal interest in the problem or question is also extremely helpful. Step two is reviewing the related literature. Researchers will examine the already known knowledge and go over the existing practice guidelines or protocols. Step three is undertaking clinical fieldwork, which involves having hands on, seeing the problem for themselves. Step four is defining the framework and developing conceptual definitions. Step five is developing a a hypothesis, the research question identifies the study concepts and asks how the concepts might be connected. Step six is selecting an overall plan for getting the answers to the question. Step seven creating protocols for the interventions. Step eight identifying all the individuals with the same characteristics. Step nine coming up with a sampling plan, involving collecting data from a sample. Step ten Specifying methods to measure research variables, this is the way the researcher will measure the variable. Step eleven is developing methods to preserve the rights of the humans or animals. Step twelve going over and finalizing the plan. Step thirteen is collecting all the data needed. Step fourteen is preparing the data for analysis. Step fifteen is analyzing the data. Step sixteen is interpretation, which involves making sense of the results. Step seventeen is communicating the results and findings, the results must be shared. Step eighteen is finally utilizing the results in the nursing practice.

Compare the link between research and evidence-based practice (EBP)

Research and evidence-based practice (EBP) is very similar since they both start with a question. Research is investigating that aims to answer a question about nursing phenomena. Research is the study that tests the question, to explore with unknown information. EBP is the collection of valid information, combined with clinical experience and an understanding of patient and family values (Sackett, Strauss, Richardson, Rosenburg, & Haynes, 2000). EBP appraises the literature for already completed study to find the best evidence to change practice. Not testing new information. Nurses have to evaluate and compare in order to improve clinical interventions. Basically, EBP is searching literature and translating into practice to see if it works.

Explain the importance of nursing research for the professional RN as the role care provider, manager, and practicing member of the profession.

Nurses are the key factor to maximizing evidence based care and improving patient care. Research helps nurses to provide the best possible care to their patients by advancing their knowledge and skills. Research allows for critical thinking and decision making and outlines the guidelines that nurses practice by. Research also helps to protect the nurses in the work place. Nurses, managers and practicing members of the profession all want better patient outcomes and do agree with EBP, the problem is time. Engaging nurses in the process of evidence based practice and improving patient care has huge payoff’s for all involved the nurse the patient, managers and organization. Research is everything to the nurse, manager and health profession. For example research conducted on nurse burnout and how it can effect the overall outcome of patient care.

You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized. Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes.

Use a standard 10 to 12 point (10 to 12 characters per inch) typeface. Smaller or compressed type and papers with small margins or single-spacing are hard to read. It is better to let your essay run over the recommended number of pages than to try to compress it into fewer pages.

Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor.

The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting hard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument.

 

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS

Discussion Questions (DQ)

Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words.
Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source.
One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words.
I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses.
Weekly Participation

Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately.
In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies.
Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work).
Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week.
APA Format and Writing Quality

Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required).
Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation.
I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition.
Use of Direct Quotes

I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly.
As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content.
It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source.
LopesWrite Policy

For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.
Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.
Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?
Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.
Late Policy

The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.
Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.
If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.
I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.
As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.
Communication

Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me:
Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.
Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.