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[Audio] Welcome to this online C-P-D activity that is aligned to the South African Nursing Council's C-P-D framework. This activity aims to introduce you to Research within the Nursing context. After watching this presentation you will be prompted to download and read a published article that described research that was conducted on the patient safety challenges in a evolving digital landscape. Once you have watched this section and read the article you will be prompted to answer questions specific to the presentation and article. This will ensure that the C-P-D points allocated to this activity will reflect in your learning history..

1 Introduction. 2 Definition and purpose. Outcomes.

Nursing research dates back as early as 1850. Florence Nightingale conducted the first documented research focused on the impact of environmental health on soldier mortality. Since then, research in Nursing has evolved into a recognised science that uses scientific methods to study identified problems or phenomena in Nursing. During this online activity you will be introduced to the basic concepts related to Nursing Research..

[Audio] Nursing Research is described as a systematic method that can confirm or improve existing knowledge. It has the potential to generates new insights that impact nursing practice. The purpose of research includes the development of knowledge to improve clinical practice and refine interventions. It facilitates the development or improvement of guidelines and protocols and builds an evidence-based practice for the profession..

[Audio] The research as well as nursing processes follow a scientific approach. The steps in the research process will appear familiar as we compare the steps in research to the scientific nursing process. When a nurse cares for a patient and performs a patient assessment the nurse gathers objective and subjective data about the patient and their presenting complaint or condition. The nurse uses this data to formulate nursing diagnoses. This diagnosis will inform care plan set for the patient. When researchers face a problem in practice for example they will ask specific questions about that problem. They need to formulate a clearer understanding of what the actual issue is. This initial step allows researchers to narrow down the issue into a specific problem. In nursing after identifying a nursing diagnosis nurses will plan care guided by this diagnosis. The care that is planned includes specific and measurable outcomes. Nursing care is implemented according to this carefully developed care plan. In research once a specific problem is identified researchers may hypothesize or suggest an expected outcome and formulate how they will be going about finding answers to their research questions. Once this step is concluded the researchers will then carry out experiments observations or other data collection activities. After implementing care nurses will evaluate the patient's progress towards the expected outcomes. In research once data has been collected researchers will analyze the data collected and draw conclusions specific to the research questions and objectives..

[Audio] Next we will take a closer look at the research journey and the steps along the way. The authors Grove Gray and Burns describe the research process. The research process commences with a Research Problem. Researchers identify a specific issue and will commence a journey of answering questions specific to this issue. The research ahead will be focused on addressing this issue. Before commencing the research the researchers must conduct a thorough review of available literature. This enables them to understand the problem within the current body of knowledge on this topic. After conducting a literature review they will develop a research framework or approach. This will outline the approach and purpose of the prospective study. They will also need to specifically state the research objectives and research question. Researchers must clearly state the goals of the research and formulate specific questions that the research aims to answer. Next researchers may develop a testable statement that predicts an expected outcome. This statement or Hypothesis is based on their own assumptions or findings in other literature and sources. Researchers plan and confirm their methodology. This can be described as the type of research. They must also confirm the techniques to be used and specify this in their research design. Next researchers must identify the population and determine the sample that they will need in order to answer the research questions. Next they will need to specify the measurement methods or tools that they will use to collect data. These can include surveys interviews or observations. Once this preparatory work is complete data collection can commence. Data collection is the process of gathering data from the selected sample using the methods that the researchers had identified. Once all the data is collected researchers will proceed with data analysis. The data collected will be analysed using appropriate techniques. This will assist them in interpreting the results. On completion of data analysis the results are discussed. The findings must be discussed within the context of the research objectives. The research outcomes are documented in the full research report..

A CLOSER LOOK AT EACH STEP.

[Audio] The research problem is the specific "thing" that catches the interest of the researcher. The research problem in nursing could relate to patient care nursing practice processes or several other aspects in nursing. The authors Grove Gray and Burns explain that a research problem is a specific issue or gap in knowledge that a researcher aims to address through their study. It forms the foundation of a research project. The research problem will guide the direction of the study the questions asked and how the researchers will go about conducting the research..

[Audio] Conducting a literature review in research provides researchers with insights in to what knowledge already exists and what gaps have been identified in other research. Literature reviews provide insights into methodology and approaches other researchers have used when addressing the problem. This is an important step in research and ensures that the intended study is grounded in current scientific body of knowledge. It provides an opportunity to build on previous work and helps researchers to refine research questions develop appropriate methodologies and avoid duplication of efforts..

[Audio] Selecting the study framework or approach in research involves choosing a theoretical or conceptual model that aligns with the research problem and questions. This framework guides the study design data collection and analysis ensuring coherence and providing a structured way to interpret findings within the context of existing knowledge and theories in nursing.

[Audio] Determining the research objectives involves clearly defining what the study aims to achieve. Objectives should be specific measurable attainable relevant and time-bound. This step outlines the goals of the research. Examples of these goals could include understanding a phenomenon evaluating an intervention or exploring relationships between variables in nursing practice. These will guide the research approach design and methods..

[Audio] Formulating the research questions involves creating clear focused and researchable questions that stem from the research objectives. These questions should be precise as they guide the direction of the study. The research question helps to identify the type of data needed and the methods that will be used to obtain this data..

STEP 5. Hypothesis. Polit & Beck, 2014:107. It is an assumption or prediction related to the relationship amongst variables being studied..

[Audio] Research design is the overall strategy that outlines how the research will be conducted ensuring the research methodology is sound and answers the research questions. It includes selecting between qualitative quantitative or a mixed-method approach. The research design step sets the framework for data collection and analysis specifying the study population sampling methods and data collection tools and how the researchers will ensuring validity and reliability..

[Audio] The population is said to be the entire group of interest for the research. In reality researchers seldomly reach an entire population but will need to select a sample from the population that is accessible and represents the population as closely as possible..

[Audio] Sampling involves selecting a subset of individuals or objects from a larger population – or the accessible population to participate in the research. In this step researchers must ensure that the sample accurately represents the population. Once the population has been clearly identified researchers must chose the most appropriate sampling method. The must ensure that they obtain that is representative of the population and only data that is specific to the research objectives and questions. Researchers must also determine the correct sample size. They must determine how the participants will be recruited and how they will be protected during the study. Sampling is guided by the research method or approach. Sampling methods include probability or non-probability sampling..

[Audio] Researchers must clarify what measurement methods they will be adopting in their research. This includes specifying the tools and techniques that will be used to collect data. In order to do so they must identify and clearly define the variables that will be measured and consider the research approach adopted. In quantitative research where numerical data is required researchers tend to use surveys questionnaires or scales that provide numerical data. In qualitative research researchers are more likely to use interview guides focus groups or observations that provide narrative data. Irrespective of the approach researchers must pay close attention to the validity and reliability of their tools and methods. This is often supported by conducting a pilot study ahead of the actual research. This allows researchers to test the tools and methods..

[Audio] Data Collection is the step that involves the systematic gathering of data using the selected instruments by the researcher. Throughout this step researchers must ensure consistency in their use of the tools and strictly adhere to ethical standards..

[Audio] Data analysis involves systematically examining collected data to draw meaningful conclusions and answer research questions. The approach to data analysis differs between qualitative and quantitative research. Data whether qualitative or quantitative in nature is interpreted within the context of the research objectives and question. This step must be meticulously managed..

[Audio] The research outcome refers to the findings and results derived from the data analysis. This includes presenting the main results and a discussion on the implications of the research findings for nursing practice policy education or further research. Researchers provide suggestions based on the research outcomes to improve nursing practice patient care or healthcare systems. They must acknowledge the study's limitations and the potential impact of these limitations on their research findings. These outcomes must be included in the research report..

[Audio] The research report documents the entire research process and its findings. It typically includes the following sections: The title page which includes the title of the study author(s) and date. An which is a brief summary of the research objectives methods findings and conclusions. The introduction which presents the background significance and purpose of the study along with the research questions or hypotheses. The literature review which summarises existing research related to the topic and identifying gaps that this study aims to fill. Methodology which details the research design sampling methods data collection instruments and procedures used in the study. The result section presents the findings in a clear and organized manner using tables figures and narrative descriptions. The discussion session provides the researcher's interpretation of the results linking these results to the research questions existing literature and theoretical framework. The conclusion summarises the main findings their implications and the study's overall contribution to nursing knowledge. All literature reviewed and sources used in the study are listed in the complete list of references according to a specific referencing style. Supplementary materials such as data collection instruments ethical approval and other relevant documents are included in the Appendices..

[Audio] In the next learning item in this activity you are required to download and read the published article: Patient Safety Informatics: Meeting the challenges of emerging digital health by McInerney and others. The questions that follow in the assessment activity are based on this article and the steps described above..

THANK YOU.