How to Evaluate Research Articles

Question - Find an original research article (ie NOT a review) that provides evidence to answer the question. Give the full citation for the article first, and then using the scholarly literature to support your work, answer the following questions - 1. What is the study design used in the article? 2. What methods did the researcher/s use to collect and analyse their data, and why? 3. What are the key findings of the study? 4. How do these findings help to answer your clinical question, considering your population and practice setting? Answer - The research study that has been considered in appropriately answering the question of evidence based practice in nursing care is creating a culture of evidence-based practice and nursing research in a pediatric hospital written by Straka, Brandt and Beytus (2013). A critical analysis of the selected article with respect to different factors related to it is performed as follows: Study Design Used in the Article: A critical analysis of the selected article has performed has indicated that the research design that has been considered by the authors in the study is experimental research design. The main focus of the authors in the article was mainly towards developing a culture of evidence based practice in respect to nursing care, and this has been analysed by the authors by way of applying experimental research design. The study indicates that there is higher overall importance of developing an evidence based environment in respect to nursing care, but at the same time, it has also been indicated that the development of evidence based practice involves challenges in the process. In order to evaluate this, survey design has been considered that were distributed to staff nurses in order to assess the barriers in practising the evidence based practice, and research in daily practice. On the basis of findings, a dissemination plan has been implemented over a period of 1 year time that provided op portunities to staff in implementing evidence based practice over such period. The survey was distributed again after the one year period and this pre and post survey results were considered for the purpose of analysing the challenges in the creation of evidence based culture in respect to nursing care. Thus, the experimental research design has been considered which has been effective from the point of view of performing this research (Schyve, 2009). Methods Used for Collection and Analysis of Data: In performing the research work, it is essential that there should be the collection of data that should be performed by researcher, and there are various such techniques that could be utilised. In respect to this research on examining the creation of culture of evidence based environment in nursing care, the researcher has followed a specific methodology aimed at collecting the most relevant data in this research. As for instance, there has been the application of survey technique being performed by the authors in the given study and this technique has allowed in the collection of primary data in this research. Such survey technique has been applied to the staff nurses in respect to a pediatric hospital. The survey has been carried out in two different phases to evaluate the longitudinal effect of creating a culture of evidence based environment in respect to the nursing care (Veenema, 2008). This primary method of data collection in the form of survey has been utilised because this has been the most efficient way of collecting data especially in the context of studying a specific target population. As in the given case, the target population has been the specific pediatric hospital and as a result, the most efficient way to accomplish the research goal is mainly to study the pediatric hospital through the application of survey technique. This survey has been highly efficient in the given case because it allowed the researchers to identify the viewpoints of large number of respondents which has been crucial in understanding the creation of culture supporting evidence based practice. Overall, the primary data collection method as applied in the form of survey has been highly effective from the point of view of collecting data in this research (Rich, 2008). Key Findings of the Study: Based on the performance of the entire research, significant level of findings has been achieved. As the research was focused towards assessing the barriers in the process of implementing evidence based practice in nursing care, the performance of research has indicated findings that there has been slight decrease in the perception of barriers in implementing evidence based practice in nursing care. As the research has been conducted into two fold basis such as pre-survey and a post-survey after one year period after implementing the evidence based practice for such period of one year, the study findings revealed that the barriers could be significantly reduced from considering the evidence based practice. In addition to this, the dissemination plan as applied has also showed significant level of impact over other important nursing areas such as increase in the nurse led IRB studies, and there has also been increase being evident with respect to evidence based practices within nurses . This shows that there are both the positive as well as negative factors being noted in respect to evidence based practice in nursing care (Straka, Brandt and Brytus, 2013). Findings Addressing the Clinical Question: The clinical question that has been considered for the purpose of analysis is evidence based practice in nursing. The findings as achieved from this research on creating a culture of evidence based practice in nursing are also significant from the point of view of addressing the questions on evidence based practice. This is mainly because the study focuses towards creating a culture of evidence based care, and this basic understanding with respect to evidence based care in nursing is crucial. The review of this research article has indicated about the barriers in the process of creating evidence based cultural environment conditions, and it has also been assessed about the significant improvements that could be possible from practising evidence based care in the field of nursing. This finding as achieved from the conduct of the study would be of significant help from the perspective of addressing the research question that has been set forth. These findings about clinical nursing wou ld therefore be regarded as highly appropriate from the point of view of the clinical question on evidence based care as considered. References Rich, V. (2008). Creation of a Patient Safety Culture: A Nurse Executive Leadership Imperative. AHRQ Publication. Straka, K.L., Brandt, P. and Brytus, J. (2013), Brief Report: Creating a Culture of Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Research in a Pediatric Hospital, Journal of Pediatric Nursing, Vol. 28, pp. 374-378. Schyve, P. M. (2009). Leadership in healthcare organizations: a guide to Joint Commission leadership standards. Springer. Veenema, T.G. (2008). ReadyRN: Handbook for Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness, 2nd ed., Elsevier Health Sciences.