Nursing - Critical Consumers Of Evidence - Nursing Research - Assessment Answer

Nursing Assignment

Assignment Task

This assignment is designed to help you become critical consumers of evidence based nursing research. For this assignment you are asked to critically evaluate either a quantitative or a qualitative research report.

Introduction

This is a critique of the article“Nursing and midwifery research: methods and appraisal for evidence - based practice.” This is the fifth edition of the article bySchneider, Whitehead, LoBiondo-Wood & Haber, (2016). The article was written by researchers and practitioners from Australia. It aims to serve the purpose of being a bench mark research article within the healthcare field. The article displays a strong emphasis on evidence based practice backed by research. From the sections and the chapters, article aims at encouraging fast paced practice of doing research to ensure relevance within the rapidly changing knowledge base. The article has been written with an aim of impacting the need for practitioners within the nursing and the healthcare environments to engage in research for better process development (Schneider, Whitehead, LoBiondo-Wood & Haber, 2016). The article has a target within the undergraduate and the postgraduate learning sections. Its applicability is however relevant in all levels in the healthcare environment. There is a unique perspective in information flow from the contribution of the different authors. The aim of this critique is to have a deeper insight on the article in line with its theoretical concerns and work evaluation.

The article title

The title of the article, Nursing and midwifery research, gives a clear picture of the content of discussion. The title reflects on the research perspective writing on midwifery and nursing. It is easy to relate with the content just from the title. Readers` attention is drafted in the direction of context by basically reading the title. The title also touches on the environment of the writing, nursing and midwifery.

Content organization

There is a deliberate drag of the focus by the authors towards novice researchers. The text aims at addressing research appreciation within the nursing and midwifery field. It touches on the need to create awareness for research and its application in the field. Consequently. The authors aim at encouraging undertaking of primary research. The content of the article is well articulated and detailed (Dziopa and Ahern, 2011). There is a display of deep research and study of the field by the authors. The flow of information is categorical. There is an avid intent by the authors to promote professional accountability among the medical practitioners through the use of research. They repeatedly comment on how good practice can be achieved through research competency. The chapters clearly put a drive on the acquisition of positive skills, knowledge and attitude through research. The emphasis is that research is necessary for both the novice and experienced nurses and midwives (O’Cathain, 2011). The article has an overriding focus and emphasis promotion of professional accountability.

There is a deep discussion of the mixed method research which makes use of the qualitative research and the quantitative research. It illustrates how a correlation is developed in the use of both methods in conducting research. There is an independent articulation of the research methods as a standalone method. A critical evaluation of the research methods is also documented. Their strengths and weaknesses in relevance to the field is deeply addressed. The applicability of the research methods in grant application. The authors have also addressed how the research findings are written and presented.

There is a whole chapter dedicated for research project management. Within the chapter, critical issues relating to how effective carrying out of research project can be achieved. There is a deep illustration on research project involvement, research team management, budgeting, publication and study data management. The chapter gives an effective step by step guide on research project management. In the last chapter of the article the authors share on the publication and presentation needs of findings from research work. It shares on the challenges in research publications, how to overcome the barriers, research sharing forums and the process in doing a peer reviewed publication (Schneider, Whitehead, LoBiondo-Wood & Haber, 2016).

All the 19 chapters of the article contain insightful information for the readers. The chapters enable the readers to pound on the information and relate their understanding with that of the authors. The chapters engage the readers through the instructiveness in style of writing used. Active engagement by the readers is well developed. The use of tutorial triggers and research in briefs aid in a deeper comprehension of the subject matter (Armstrong & Keevil, 2011). There is a full reader engagement while reading the article. Interest development is ensured through the engaging material in use.

There are a number of topics which are just addressed lightly. The breadth in these areas is just sufficient for the readers’ consumption. An in depth personal research is encouraged in these sections. The limited information is however, compensated by the provision of a detailed literature in the third chapter. Readers can un earth additional information through reading the articles and journals provided on the research literature. The quality of the research literature provided is a sure guarantee to achieve content for specific elements in the research process.

Article sources

The article has made use of very resourceful sources for its literature and argument backing. All the sources are journals on either nursing, midwifery or on mixed method research. The sources have evidently contributed a lot in the development of the article. The sources are very rich in content due to their deep coverage on the specific subject matter they cover. The article has made use of very recent sources for its development. The arguments from the sources are accurately relevant due to their timeframe in context with the article. They are very resourceful in research work and in nursing and midwifery context.

Target audience

The text is highly desirable for all students in the health science field. The content is relevant to both postgraduate and under graduate students. Basically, the article was intended for students in the midwifery and nursing fields. The content is however, applicable for multi-disciplinary consumption. From the preface of the article, the authors make it clear that the fifth edition is developed in three sections. The article is based on the Australian environment. Both the feedback and the experimentations are conducted in Australia. The reshaping has consequently led to the development of a rather useful and greatly informative article.

The authors

The authors of the article are well versed with writing journals in this field. This has been their fifth edition for this particular article. Each of the authors have attained at least a PhD and a master’s degree in their fields of contribution. The editors are to be congratulated on producing an excellent Australasian text that not only encourages a professional understanding of the need for research into all areas of nursing and midwifery practice, but also guides the reader in how to undertake an investigative project of their own.

Argument presentation

The authors have done an impressive work in the presentation of their central arguments on nursing and midwifery research. The arguments for the article are clearly stated and backed in the article. There is a deep analysis of the argument, creating a clear picture for a deep understanding of the arguments. The arguments are also developed through a strongly evidenced research literature. The article has been given an impressive conclusion by the authors. It is easy to comprehend the content and the outcome from the conclusion section of the article.

The authors have clearly given an outline of the available methodology for use in this kind of research work. The methodologies are well articulated and easy to comprehend from the step by step guidance as illustrated by the document. All the figures, terms and processes are efficiently covered and addressed in the document. The expected results are well backed up with literature and research findings. A strong correlation can be easily achieved from the article.

Information flow in the article

The article is well structured through both its chapters and sections. There is a nicely articulated flow of information from the first chapter all through to the last chapter. The authors clearly showcase how research work follows a sequential and logical flow of research processes. Within each chapter of the article the independence and purpose is clearly documented as supportive of the article title. There is also an evidenced correlation between the chapters of the article as supported by the intertwined dependency amongst them. The first section substantially covers the necessity of nursing and midwifery research serving its research awareness theme. It lays down a definitive overview in to the groundwork processes and research theory. Consequently, the chapter adequately addresses the literature and legal research issues. It demonstrates the geographical perceptiveness of the research as based in New Zealand and Australia (Johnson, Onwuegbuzie, Turner, 2011).

The second section picks from a different yet related notch in the application and appreciation of research within the nursing and midwifery field. The section categorically addresses the various research method approaches concerned with this article. With meaningful examples, the section adequately discusses the mixed method, qualitative and quantitative research approaches. All the examples are relevant as they are in line with the clinical area. There is a clear and in detail evaluation of the data in a quantitative and qualitative approaches (Anderson, 2011). There is also a clear expression on how the data was sampled, collected and even analyzed. Throughout the document, there is an explicit evidence based arguments which are developed in a step by step process. An efficient transfer of knowledge to the reader is fully ensured in the article.

Strengths

• Practice development through its consistent documentation as basic need for research.
• Reflection on modern day trend for literature in the global research
• Strong applicability of the research findings
• Consistency with the healthcare context throughout the whole article
• A strong attention to details by the authors in literature analysis
• The article is easily understandable even to a novice researcher.
• Use of the learning prompts for reflection and additional information aids a better understanding of the article context
• The language used is simple, relatable and aids better understanding of the concepts of study.
• The article is not only engaging but informative as well.

Weaknesses

• Some of the sources used are very old indicating they may be very relevance or outdated

Conclusion

The article has a strong reflection on contemporary nursing and midwifery trends. It is well suited for application globally but more specifically in Australia and New Zealand. The authors have displayed a splendid work in showcasing deep research in sourcing literature. The authors have also made a strong point in documenting the need to carry out practice development in fields of work. It is highly applicable to both postgraduate and undergraduate application. The discussion of applicability of the mixed method research has opened a wide view in to the comprehensive perspective for research development and practice. In their argument, it is a better way in ensuring a deeper research coverage as compared with just a single method. The article has displayed more strengths in its presentation of classified examples which give a sure way through which students and practitioners a better comprehension on the research applicability. The authors have delivered a detail by detail analysis of literature to support their work making this article very informative and resourceful. They have achieved a remarkable reader involved delivery of information through their consistent use of the learning prompts in their article. In a nutshell, this article is a must read for postgraduate and undergraduate research work within the medical environment.