Qualitative Research Approaches to Support Nursing

Practice
Introduction

Knowledge about qualitative research and methods is paramount in the nursing practice.
Usually, focus groups or interviews are preferred in qualitative research. Each has its “own” set
of benefits and setbacks. This discussion seeks to propose a topic/issue of concern in nursing
practice, explain and justify which qualitative research approach/design can best address the
problem, and clarify why DNP-prepared nurses need qualitative research knowledge.

Summary

I. Topic/Issue Description
Medication errors are a huge problem in nursing practice. They are responsible for
increased morbidities and mortalities, extended hospital stays, and ballooning hospital bills for
patients. It is estimated that medication errors account for nearly 98,000 deaths annually in the
United States, more than even fatalities from road accidents (Bari, Khan, & Rathore, 2016).
Medication errors are also believed to cost Americans nearly $4 billion each year (Rodziewicz,
Houseman, & Hipskind, 2021). Medical errors refer to any preventable accidents that might lead
to or cause harm to patients or inappropriate medication use. Researchers have proposed several
medical error causes in the past, including lack of pharmaceutical knowledge, inadequate
training, miscommunication, nurse burnout and fatigue, and wrong medication estimations,
among others. For this discussion, the target is to examine what causes medication errors in
nursing practice.
II. Qualitative Research Design to best Address the Issue

WEEK 10 DISCUSSION: ASSIGNMENT 3: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH 3
Focus groups are the most appropriate qualitative research design that can best explore
the causes of medication errors in nursing settings. A phenomenological study approach that uses
focus groups can best collect nurse views about what drives them to commit mistakes while
caring for patients. Focus groups are grouped interviews comprising nearly 6-10 participants
(pediatric nurses) sharing common interests and characteristics (Gray & Grove, 2020).
III. Justification
Focus groups are the best way of collecting information about causes of medical errors in
nursing settings because they encourage group participation, eliminating problems of respondent
noncompliance. Additionally, focus groups can ensure that the researcher collects the diverse
collective perceptions, suggestions, and attitudes of various subdivisions within the larger group.
For example, focus groups can allow researchers to focus their study on pediatric nurses,
geriatric nurses, and critical care nurses among various categories of nurses. Most importantly,
focus groups are the most appropriate way of gathering information on collective opinions,
experiences, beliefs, views, and attitudes and the meanings behind these aspects (Gray & Grove,
2020).
IV. Why the DNP-prepared Nurse needs to Understand Qualitative Research
Approaches for Nursing Practice
Understanding how and when to use qualitative research designs is paramount for DNP-
prepared nurses because it ensures that they can collect qualitative evidence and integrate it into
practice, whether it relates to patient experiences and needs or nurse behavior and attitudes (Gray
& Grove, 2020). Qualitative research gathers information about the subjective perceptions,
feelings, and viewpoints of people. DNP-prepared nurses need to understand the different
qualitative research designs and data collection methods in developing qualitative research skills.

WEEK 10 DISCUSSION: ASSIGNMENT 3: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH 4

References

Bari, A., Khan, R. A., & Rathore, A. S. (2016). Medical errors; causes, consequences, emotional
response, and resulting behavioral change. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 32(3),
523-528.
Gray, J. R., & Grove, S. K. (2020). Burns and Grove’s the practice of nursing research:
Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (9 th ed.). Elsevier.
Rodziewicz, T. L., Houseman, B., & Hipskind, J. E. (2021). Medical error reduction and
prevention. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing.