What is the lived experience of nurses working in healthcare during the year 2020?

What is the experience of patients when nurses utilize evidence-based practice (EBP)?

The above questions are examples of qualitative research questions. Qualitative studies allow for a broader, more complex study of individuals and factors, than that of quantitative studies. These studies provide a depth to the research beyond the data provided in quantitative research.

For example, consider the use of quantitative data in the study of end-of-life care. While quantitative data may certainly provide important data concerning patients, facilities, and caregivers, the data would certainly be missing the complexity of the human experience that qualitative research could offer through interviewing those in the experience.

This week, you will begin your analysis of qualitative research methods. You will consider how you might approach a qualitative study and evaluate the methods and considerations used in qualitative research. You will complete your CITI Program Training and will also continue working on your Article Critique Assignment.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Formulate a research question for a qualitative research study
• Analyze methods of qualitative research
• Analyze ethical considerations for qualitative research questions
• Complete human protection and ethics in research training program
• Analyze strengths and weaknesses of research studies*
• Analyze impact of research studies on nursing practice*
• Recommend changes to study designs and methodologies to support research studies*

*Assigned in Week 7 of Module 3 and submitted in Week 10 of Module 4

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Learning Resources

Required Readings (click to expand/reduce)

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Discussion: Using Qualitative Research to Inform Evidence-Based Practice

• “Qualitative researchers are motivated to know more about a phenomenon, a social process, or a culture from the perspectives of the people who are experiencing the phenomenon, involved in the social process, or living in the culture (Gray & Grove, 2020).
  Qualitative research requires extensive time commitment and dedication. While all research can be rigorous and time consuming, by nature, the qualitative researcher seeks to build connections and trust with participants, which adds an additional layer of dedication. However, before research can even begin, researchers must first develop a research question.

• Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Qualitative research questions tend to be broader than quantitative research questions.  In a qualitative study, the researcher seeks to describe an experience or a phenomenon, so the questions are typically more global in scope. Additionally, many research questions describe and guide the research purpose, versus state it directly.  Oftentimes phrases such as, “lived experience, framework or theoretical development, society, culture, or narrative” are used to describe the purpose (Gray & Grove, 2020).

For this Discussion, reflect on an area of interest and develop your own qualitative research question. How might you approach this topic and purpose? What types of research methods and design might you employ to address your qualitative research question?

Reference: Gray, J. R., & Grove, S. K. (2020). Burns and Grove’s the practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (9th ed.). Elsevier.

To Prepare:

• Review the Learning Resources for this week and reflect on qualitative research methods and designs.
• Select a topic or issue in nursing practice to focus on for this Discussion.
• Consider a qualitative research question that you might develop to address the topic or issue in nursing practice that you selected.
• Reflect on how a qualitative research design might best support a research study to address your research question.

By Day 3 of Week 9

Post a qualitative research question in relation to your topic or issue of interest. Explain why a qualitative research design is best suited to support this research question. Then, describe potential ethical considerations you should keep in mind in relation to your qualitative research question. Be specific and provide examples.

By Day 6 of Week 9

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses and respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence, or research.
• Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.
• Offer and support an alternative perspective using readings from the classroom or from your own research in the Walden Library.
• Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.
• Suggest an alternative perspective based on additional evidence drawn from readings or after synthesizing multiple postings.
• Expand on your colleagues’ postings by providing additional insights or contrasting perspectives based on readings and evidence.

Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click on Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and you cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking on Submit!

Submission and Grading Information

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:

Week 9 Discussion Rubric

Post by Day 3 of Week 9 and Respond by Day 6 of Week 9

To Participate in this Discussion:

Week 9 Discussion

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Assignment 1: CITI Program Training

• As a doctorally-prepared nurse, you may have opportunities to collaborate in research activities in your practice. The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program) provides education on protection of human subjects. In the United States, the CITI Program is the training module that most research institutions use. Therefore, as a part of this course, you are required to successfully complete the CITI Program training by Day 7 of Week 9.

• Photo Credit: Андрей Яланский / Adobe Stock

This online course may take up to 8 hours to complete. You will receive an electronic Certificate of Completion upon successfully passing the training. You will submit this Certificate of Completion to the Walden University Institutional Review Board office when you submit an application to conduct research.

To Prepare:

• Follow the instructions on the CITI Program Learner Registration webpage to create your account (https://www.citiprogram.org/index.cfm?pageID=154&icat=0&clear=1).
  • Review the CITI Program Learner Registration Guide for step-by-step instructions on completing the registration process.
  • Be sure to select Walden University under the “Select Your Organization Affiliation” section. If you do not select Walden University, you will not be able to access the training at no cost.
• Create and record your CITI Program User Name and Password for future reference.

To complete:

By Day 7 of Week 9

• Complete the five required Citi Program training modules as well as the two elective modules.
• Copy and paste the Certificate of Completion into a Word document and save the file as a “.doc” or “.rtf” file.

By Day 7

Submit your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 9.

Note: This Assignment must be completed by Day 7 of Week 9 in order for you to successfully complete this course.

Submission and Grading Information

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

• Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK9Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
• Click the Week 9 Assignment Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
• Click the Week 9 Assignment link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
• Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK9Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
• If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
• Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:

Week 9 Assignment Rubric

Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity

To check your Assignment draft for authenticity:

Submit your Week 9 Assignment draft and review the originality report.

Submit Your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 9

To participate in this Assignment:

Week 9 Assignment

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Assignment 2: Article Critique

Continue to work on your article critique, assigned in Week 7 and due in Week 10. Continue evaluating your selected research article and developing the required sections of your paper.

You are not required to submit this Assignment this week. Your article critique is due by Day 7 of Week 10.

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What’s Coming Up in Week 10?

• Photo Credit: [BrianAJackson]/[iStock / Getty Images Plus]/Getty Images

Next week, you will continue your exploration of qualitative research. You will complete your Article Critique Assignment submission. You will also analyze and interpret the use of qualitative research methods and evaluate results derived from conducting qualitative research.

Next Week