N5328
Theory and Research Application in Nursing

Syllabus

N5328 Theory and Research Application in Nursing

Instructor

Kathryn Daniel, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, GNP-BC

Professor

UT Arlington College of Nursing

Email:

Office Hours: Please contact the instructor to set up an appointment.

Prerequisites

The student must:

·  be admitted to the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing.

·  hold graduate standing.

·  hold a current, unencumbered license (RN) as designated by the Board of Nursing (BON).

·  have completed N5301 – Research in Nursing and N5327 – Analysis of Theories in Nursing.

Textbooks, Reading Material, and Resources

Burns, N., & Grove, S. K. (2009). The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (6th ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders. ISBN: 978-1-4160-5468-9

American Psychological Association. (2010) Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. ISBN: 1557987912

Recommended Materials

Pan, M. Ling. (2008). Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches (3rd ed.). Glendale, CA: Pyrczak. ISBN 9781884585760

Williams, Joseph M. (2006). Style: Lessons in clarity and grace (9th ed.). Longman. ISBN 9780321479358

Course Description

Integration of theoretical and empirical elements of nursing research with emphasis on proposal development.


Student Learning Outcomes

1.  Evaluate clinical and research evidence related to identified clinical problems. (MPO 2)

2.  Apply theories and existing evidence to formulate a research question. (MPO 2)

3.  Evaluate measurement methods used in nursing research. (MPO 2).

4.  Develop a plan for data analysis. (MPO 2)

5.  Develop a research proposal related to nursing practice, education, or administration. (MPO 2)

6.  Demonstrate ethical decision-making in research. (MPO 2)

Writing Guidelines

The APA Publication Manual is the guide used in the College of Nursing. It is expected that all writing will be completed using the style and format described in the APA Publication Manual.

·  The Basics of APA Style at http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx

·  Harvard Graduate School of Education at http://gseacademic.harvard.edu/~instruct/articulate/APA/player.html

·  The Ohio State University: How do I cite resources at http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/apagd.php

·  Purdue Online Writing Lab at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Students in the MSN program are expected to purchase a copy of the most recent Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. APA style manual will be used by the UTACON with some specific requirements for graduate courses. http://www.uta.edu/nursing/APAFormat.pdf.

Save copies of all of your work! Create a folder on your computer that is specifically for this course. As you create a new Word document for each assignment, save it in your course folder, and then submit it by the due date.

Teaching Methods/Strategies

Learning modules, experiential learning activities, online discussion, student presentations, and individualized instructor/student conferences.

Grading Policy

A = 92 – 100 / B = 83 – 91 / C = 74 – 82 / D = 68 – 73

Students must remain in satisfactory academic standing by maintaining a minimum of a 3.0 GPA. This means that students must score an 83 or better to continue in the program.

Graded Course Components / Percentage of Final Grade
Participation / 10%
Initial Literature Review Paper / 15%
Framework Presentation / 20%
Human Subjects Training / 5%
Informed Consent / 10%
Measurement & Data Analysis Presentation / 20%
Proposal / 20%
Total: / 100%

There are no options for extra credit. Class attendance and participation is expected of all students. Students are responsible for all missed course information. Grades of incomplete are NOT automatically given when there are missing assignments at the end of the course. A student must discuss, with the faculty of record for the course, the reasons that an incomplete grade is being requested. This discussion must occur as soon as the student recognizes that a problem exists. Faculty members are not obligated to grant the use of an incomplete grade. With no prior discussion of the need for an incomplete, students not completing the required activities will receive the grade for the course based on the percentage of the required material submitted.

Graded Assignments

All assignments are working toward the development of a research proposal. Each student will receive feedback on assignments throughout the course. The expectation is that students will reflect upon faculty and coach feedback to revise and refine the proposal as the course progresses. The assignments in the course are: Literature Review and Analysis of Evidence Paper, Framework Paper, Measurement and Data Analysis Presentation, and finally, Proposal and Informed Consent.

You will receive specific criteria as each assignment arises; however, read below for a general overview for the course assignments and how they work together to form a research proposal.

·  Students will select an intervention and analyze the existing evidence for it related to a clinical practice-related outcome (under the larger umbrella of health services research). The analysis of the existing theoretical and research evidence will be used to identify a gap in the evidence about the intervention and the related outcome which will form the basis of a research proposal.

·  Select an Intervention: Review recent theoretical/clinical sources and research literature to select an intervention that is of interest to you and nurses in your current practice area or your future role as an administrator, nurse practitioner, or educator. A way to identify an area of interest may be to ask yourself or colleagues questions such as: Is there a better way of doing something? Would another intervention be more effective and improve patient outcomes? What research-based intervention exists to improve current care in terms of patient, provider, and health care agency outcomes? Look in the literature for answers. Try to identify something for which you really want an answer. You might also get ideas from Research for Practice, an ongoing section in AJN, or research articles from nursing specialty journals. Review a variety of web sites, such as: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (http://www.ahrq.gov) or National Guideline Clearinghouse (http://www.guideline.gov). The important deciding factor is whether the intervention is something registered nurses, nurse administrators, educators, or nurse practitioners do and/or have decisional control over.

·  Select outcome variables for your proposal from:

-  existing databases:

·  Check at your clinical agency for outcome variables or indicators on which they are collecting data—that is, on what variables does your agency routinely collect data?

·  Check with an administrator, educator, or nurse practitioner to ascertain on what outcome variables they collect data.

·  Review Nurse-Sensitive quality indicators for acute care settings (Burns & Grove, 2005, p. 286).

-  your passion for a “clinical problem” in nursing practice.

·  Check the literature on your topic to identify a “research problem.”

·  Limit the number of variables for your proposal to one independent variable and one or two dependent variables in a quasi-experimental design.

·  The proposed study needs to be clear, focused, logical, and simple.

Individual Discussion Postings: Discussion among classmates is a major component of this course. Throughout this course, you will be asked to respond to prompts from the instructor. Your responses should consist of complete sentences and meet the requirements listed in each of the discussion assignment instructions. Additionally, you are required to post as directed thoughtful and scholarly responses to other student postings each week.

Human Subject Protections Certification: Each student will complete certification at webpage http://www.uta.edu/ra/oric/training/cititraining.htm. You will need to register with the site and then complete the evaluation exercises at the end of each module. It may take several hours to read the content and complete the modules for certification. Make an electronic copy of the Human Research Curriculum Completion Report to turn in with the proposal paper and keep a copy of the report for your personal files.

Literature Review Paper: In this multi-week assignment, you will write a Literature Review paper. This paper, along with all other course assignments, is working toward the development of a research proposal.

Pinch Chart: Based on your reading of Pinch (2001) article, create a pinch chart of at least 5 research studies that support the need for your study, including background and significance.

Pinch Chart – Intervention: Create a second pinch chart of at least 5 research studies that support the intervention you propose to use in your study. Post your pinch chart to the discussion board by the end of day Sunday.

Framework Presentation: In this assignment, you will describe the framework for your proposed study, including discussion of constructs, concepts, and their relationships (include at least 2 primary reference citations).

Measurement and Data Analysis Presentation: In this assignment, you will create a presentation to describe your research design, population and sample, variables, instruments, and planned data analysis for your research proposal. The end result of this assignment will be a PowerPoint presentation.

Informed Consent: For this assignment, you will utilize the UTA template and guidelines for the consent form. All modifiable portions of consent are to be written in lay language. The purpose of your study must be clear. In addition, the procedure section must also be clear, described in detail, specific, and all inclusive. Be sure to include all risks & benefits relevant to study.

Proposal Submission: In this summative assignment, you will submit a four-page intervention research proposal that is a summative document of all corresponding assignments, postings, and other information.

Reference List for N5328 Assigned Readings

Literature Review & Analysis

Pinch, W. J. (2001). Improving patient care through the use of research. Orthopaedic Nursing / National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses, 20(4), 75-81.

Schmelzer, M. (2006a). The critique: A necessary part of scientific inquiry [Electronic version]. Gastroenterology Nursing, 29, 324-325.

Schmelzer, M. (2006b). How to start a research proposal [Electronic version]. Gastroenterology Nursing, 29, 186-188

Schmelzer, M. (2007). Where is the theory in evidence-based practice? [Electronic version]. Gastroenterology Nursing, 30, 446-448.

Schmelzer, M. (2008). The importance of the literature search [Electronic version]. Gastroenterology Nursing, 31, 151-153.

Theory articles

Kelly, K.C., Huber, D.G., Johnson, M., McCloskey, J.C., & Maas, M. (1994). The medical outcomes study: A nursing perspective [Electronic version]. Journal of Professional Nursing, 10, 209-216.

Mitchell, P., Ferketich, S., & Jennings, B. (1998). Quality health outcomes model [Electronic version]. Image: The Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 30, 43-46.

Theory Application Examples

Aish, A. E., & Isenberg, M. (1996). Effects of orem-based nursing intervention on nutritional self-care of myocardial infarction patients. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 33(3), 259-270. doi:10.1016/0020-7489(95)00059-3

Borcherding, K. E. (2009). Coping in healthy primigravidae pregnant women. JOGNN: Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 38(4), 453-462. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2010348997&site=ehost-live

Hickey, M. T. (2009). Female college students' knowledge, perceptions, and use of emergency contraception. JOGNN: Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 38(4), 399-405. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2010348992&site=ehost-live

Huizing, A. R., Hamers, J. P., Gulpers, M. J., & Berger, M. P. (2009). A cluster-randomized trial of an educational intervention to reduce the use of physical restraints with psychogeriatric nursing home residents. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 57(7), 1139-1148. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2010337828&site=ehost-live

John, L. D. (2001). Quality of life in patients receiving radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum, 28(5), 807-813. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Academic Search Complete database.

Lefaiver, C. A., Keough, V., Letizia, M., & Lanuza, D. M. (2007). Using the roy adaptation model to explore the dynamics of quality of life and the relationship between lung transplant candidates and their caregivers. ANS.Advances in Nursing Science, 30(3), 266-274. doi:10.1097/01.ANS.0000286624.61892.30

Morey, M. C., Peterson, M. J., Pieper, C. F., Sloane, R., Crowley, G. M., Cowper, P. A., et al. (2009). The veterans learning to improve fitness and function in elders study: A randomized trial of primary care-based physical activity counseling for older men. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 57(7), 1166-1174. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2010337814&site=ehost-live

Morey, M. C., Snyder, D. C., Sloane, R., Cohen, H. J., Peterson, B., Hartman, T. J., et al. (2009). Effects of home-based diet and exercise on functional outcomes among older, overweight long-term cancer survivors: RENEW: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 301(18), 1883-1891. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2010280194&site=ehost-live

Nolan, A., & Lawrence, C. (2009). A pilot study of a nursing intervention protocol to minimize maternal-infant separation after cesarean birth. JOGNN: Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 38(4), 430-442. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2010348995&site=ehost-live

Walker, L. O., Hoke, M. M., & Brown, A. (2009). Risk factors for excessive or inadequate gestational weight gain among hispanic women in a U.S.-Mexico border state. JOGNN: Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 38(4), 418-429. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2010348994&site=ehost-live

Research Design

Schmelzer, M. (2000). Understanding the research methodology: Should we trust the researchers’ conclusions? [Electronic version]. Gastroenterology Nursing, 23, 269-274.

Measurement

Harris, M.R., & Warren, J.J. (1995). Patient outcomes: Assessment issues for the CNS [Electronic version]. Clinical Nurse Specialist, 9, 82-86.


Mlinar, A., Schmelzer, M., & Daniels, G. (2007). Are your measurements reliable? [Electronic version]. Gastroenterology Nursing, 30, 382-384.

Schmelzer, M. (2004). Understanding statistics: What is alpha? [Electronic version]. Gastroenterology Nursing, 27, 292-293.

Schmelzer, M., & Daniels, G. (2007). Measurement tool requirements [Electronic version]. Gastroenterology Nursing, 30, 136-138.

Stover, M. (2007). Identifying and locating complete psychosocial instruments [Electronic version]. Behavioral and Social Sciences Librarian, 26(2), 47-61.

Ethics articles

Howland, R.H. (2008). How are drugs approved? Part 2: Ethical foundations of clinical research [Electronic version]. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 46(2), 15-20.

Lanter, J. (2006). Clinical research with cognitively impaired subjects: Issues for nurses [Electronic version]. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, 25, 89-92.