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Nursing Research Dr.Mohd Othman

Al Isra University

Faculty of Nursing

Nursing Research

Course Syllabus

Academic Year 2015/2016-SecondSemester.

Prepared By

Dr. Mohammad Othman

Course Title / Nursing Research.
Course No. / 901401.
Credit Hours / Three credits.
Placement In Curriculum / This course is designed to be taken in the third year of the nursing program.
Time Allotment / Academic Year 2015/2016- Second Semester.
Monday and Wednesday12-1:30 pm.
Course Pre-request / Statistics
Course Designer / Dr. Mohammad Othman.
Office Phone No.
E-mail address:
Course Facilitator / Dr. Mohammad Othman Abdullah.

Course Description

This course focuses on acquiring nursing students with the knowledge and skills which is needed for the utilization of scientific research in the development of nursing knowledge and practice.Emphasis is placed on understanding the research process and on critiquing nursing research articles for the purpose of evaluating applicability to nursing profession.The course will also, emphasize the importance of research to evidence- based practice in nursing profession. The students will have the opportunity to design and develop proposal in the area of specialization or interest.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course each student will be able to:

1.Utilize appropriate terminology related to nursing research.

2.Identify principles and codes of research ethics.

3.Develop skills of active readings for nursing research.

4.Comprehend the importance of nursing research.

5.Recognize role of the nurse in conducting a research.

6.Differentiate among various types of research designs.

7.Write research problems, research questions, and research hypotheses.

8.Develop skills to prepare a written literature review.

9.Understanding different types of sampling procedures.

10. Understand the importance of research to evidence- based practice and the

profession of nursing.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) and Competencies

Cognitive Domain:

1.Identify related terminologies to nursing research.

2.Recognize ethical principles of nursing research.

3.Identify significance of nursing research.

4.Discuss nursing research process.

5. Distinguish between quantitative and qualitative nursing research

6.Describe various research designs.

7.Explain various sampling methods.

8.Discuss the applicability of the findings of a research study to nursing practice

Psychomotor Domain:

  1. Identify researchable problems in one area of nursing practice, and develop

a research proposal as appropriate for under graduated nurse student.

  1. Critique research studies for the logical consistency of each element of the

research process and significance tonursing practice.

Affective Domain:

1.Consider ethical principles in applying nursing research.

2.Appreciate significance of nursing research in developing the nursing base of knowledge.

Topical Outline

Week / Date / Topic / Contents / Readings
1st week / Introduction to course syllabus
2nd week / Introduction to nursing research /
  • Introduction.
  • Definitions.
  • Basic research terminologies.
  • Significance of nursing research.
  • Comparing the nursing process to the research process.
  • Role of the nurse in conducting a research.
  • Summary.
/ Polit, D.F., Beck, C.T., chapter 1.
3rd week / Ethics in nursing research /
  • Introduction.
  • Definition of ethics.
  • Review of ethical principles.
  • Ethical rules in professional patient relationship.
  • Informed consent.
  • Codes of research ethics.
  • Nursing and the ethics of research.
  • Ethical issues in nursing research design.
  • Summary.
/ Polit, D.F., Beck, C.T. chapter 5.
4th week / FIRST EXAM
5th week / Evidence based practice. /
  • Introduction.
  • Definition.
  • Purpose.
  • Factors contributing to development of EBP.
  • Benefits of EBP.
  • Barriers to EBP.
  • Summary.
/ Prepared handout.
6th week / Overview of the research process /
  • Introduction.
  • Major steps in quantitative research.
  • Activities in qualitative study.
  • Summary.
/ Polit, D.F., Beck, C.T. , chapter 3.
7th week / Research problems and research questions /
  • Introduction.
  • Definitions.
  • Sources of research problems.
  • Development and refinement of research problems.
  • Communicating the research problem.
  • Research questions.
  • Summary.
/ Polit, D.F., Beck, C.T. , chapter 6.
8th week / Research hypotheses /
  • Introduction.
  • Definition.
  • Characteristics of workable hypothesis.
  • Wording the research hypothesis.
  • Types of research hypothesis.
  • Summary.
/ Polit, D.F., Beck, C.T. , chapter 6.
9th week / Application on 7th and 6th weeks /
  • Group discussion about application of research questions and hypotheses.

10th week / Research designs /
  • Introduction.
  • Differentiating quantitative and qualitative research designs.
  • Quantitative research designs.
  • Issues and problems in quantitative research designs.
  • Qualitative research designs.
  • Issues and problems in qualitative research designs.
  • Selecting quantitative versus qualitative research.
  • Steps in selecting a research design.
  • Reasons to use triangulation methods.
  • Summary.
/ Polit, D.F., Beck, C.T. , chapter 9, 10, & 11.
11th week / Revision through group discussion and application of research questions, hypotheses, and research designs.
12th week / SECOND EXAM
  • Library Visit for Practicing Internet Search

13th week / Literature review /
  • Introduction.
  • Purposes of A literature Review.
  • Types of Information to seek.
  • Locating Relevant Literature for a Research review.
  • Preparing a Written Literature Review.
  • Summary.
/ Polit, D.F., Beck, C.T. , chapter 7.
14th week / Sampling /
  • Introduction.
  • Definitions.
  • Purposes of sampling.
  • Types of samples.
  • Special sampling strategies.
  • Sample size.
  • Sampling procedures.
  • Summary.
/ Polit, D.F., Beck, C.T. , chapter 12.
15th week / FINAL EXAM

Teaching Strategies:

The following methods will be utilized during the course to enhance the learning experience of the participants:

  1. Interactive Lecture.
  2. Student’s presentations.
  3. Group Discussion.
4.Selected self-readings.
  1. Written assignments.
  2. Use of electronic resources (internet & data bases).

Evaluation Methods:

  1. First Exam.
/ 20%
  1. Second Exam.
/ 20%
  1. Group research proposal.
/ 20 %
  1. Final Exam.
/ 40%

Description of course requirement:

As part of your course requirement, you will be required to write one researchproposal. Each student should identify the working title at the beginning of thesemester and take the acceptance from the course coordinator.This assignment isdue on week 15.

Required Textbooks

1. Polit, D.F., Bcke, C.T., (2014). Nursing Research Principles and Methods. (XXX ed). Philadelphia: Lippincott

Recommended Textbooks

  1. Burns, N., Grove S. K., (2005). The practice of nursing research: conduct, critique, and utilization. (5th ed). Elsevier/Saunders.
  2. Burns, N. and Grove, S.K., (2001). The practice of Nursing Research (4thed).

Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.

  1. Macnee, C. (2004) Understanding Nursing Research: Reading and Using

Research in Practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott.