Qualitative Article Critique Essay Discussion Paper
Simpson and Lyndon (2019) identify issues arising from alarm fatigue as critical issues that require nurses and other healthcare professionals to address and implement evidence-based strategies for enhancing the best outcomes and preventing underlying issues and complications. These issues often affect the clinical environments differently and require that nurses and other healthcare professionals are supported to modify the healthcare environment and achieve overall health and well-being (Noseworthy et al., 2023). The problem can be fixed if nurses understand the magnitude of the problem and initiate evidence-based mechanisms for enhancing the underlying issues and needs and implementing problem-based solutions to attain the best and most effective outcomes that improve the quality of care and enhance the overall performance of the healthcare environment. Qualitative Article Critique Essay Discussion Paper
The Purpose of the Research and the Research Question
The purpose of the study by Simpson and Lyndon (2019) was to explore similar and different experiences and perceptions among labor nurses caring for healthy women and nurses working in neonatal intensive care units and adult critical care units. These nurses are exposed to different frequencies of alarms and monitoring systems, which are intended to allow them to monitor their status continuously and enhance the quality of healthcare services. Therefore, the research question that guided this study was: Among nurses working in the labor wards and providing care for healthy women, do electronic fetal monitoring alarms (EFM) affect the course of care and alarm fatigue compared to nurses working in the adult ICU and neonatal ICU? Thus, this research question is aimed at helping nurses strike a balance between effective alarm utilization and evidence-based practice implementation. Qualitative Article Critique Essay Discussion Paper
The research team indicates the urgent need to incorporate technology in routine service delivery, including monitoring and managing patients with general and critical care needs. However, the use of these technologies must ensure that the environment is safe and effective to allow nurses and other multidisciplinary care teams to deliver high-quality and effective nursing services. Incorporating these monitoring systems allows nurses to develop effective approaches and balance between attaining the best outcomes and alarm-induced workplace inefficiencies. The problem requires an evaluation of the underlying healthcare needs and an analysis of the existing healthcare experiences using strategies and mechanisms that achieve the best outcomes. The research forms the basis for assessing and understanding the impact of the issue and thereby implementing evidence-based practices that enhance the best overall healthcare services.
The Research Design and Methods
The research team aimed to assess the experiences of nurses in their natural environment and understand or identify the existing issues and needs that must be addressed to enhance the overall experiences. Therefore, a descriptive qualitative research design was the most applicable and effective method for analyzing the underlying experiences of nurses working in different departments who were exposed to different alarm monitoring systems. Collecting data related to nurse experiences utilized focused group discussions. The data collection team used predeveloped questions that directed the interviews, which lasted 90 minutes each. Data was collected in the form of audio and transcribed into notes, which were reviewed by the team. The team used thematic analysis to assess the degree of relationships, nurses’ experiences, and evidence-based strategies for managing nurses’ underlying needs and perceptions concerning measures to improve the organization’s overall performance. Qualitative Article Critique Essay Discussion Paper
Validity and Reliability
The research is valid and explores a real-time problem affecting the nursing profession and the healthcare industry. The research team used two groups: group A, with seventeen nurses, and Group B, with six labor nurses. The use of group discussions impacted the validity and reliability of the results that were generated from this group. In addition, the number of nurses selected and included in the study (23) is inadequate to represent the characteristics of the many nurses working in these facilities. Moreover, forgetfulness, bias, and manipulation are some of the key factors that impacted the validity and reliability of the research. Therefore, a more detailed data collection approach should have been included to collect adequate data that could represent all the characteristics of the study population.
Findings and Conclusions
Nurses indicated that several electronic devices provide auditory stimuli in the clinical environment. These issues result in missing out on some essential aspects of care due to alarm fatigue and tolerance. In this case, patients often experience injuries and issues that could be prevented by minimizing some of the unnecessary alarms. Researchers concluded that clinical alarms and alerts remain a significant issue associated with healthcare technology, which must be addressed to enhance the overall work environment and prevent safety and quality issues. Therefore, the clinical environments must be modified to ensure that necessary alarms and alerts are used at the point of service delivery. Alkubati et al. (2024) indicate that the issue requires evaluation and analysis of the real-time causes and implementation of evidence-based approaches that enhance the overall quality of care. Qualitative Article Critique Essay Discussion Paper
Evaluation of the Strengths and Weaknesses
The research team explores a real-time practice issue that has continuously affected the work environment. The in-depth literature review provided insights into the current issue and developed recommended measures and approaches for enhancing the overall experience. One of the research strengths is the use of experienced nurses with long working experiences in the critical care and labor wards, collecting first-hand information using focused discussions and use of standardized questions that allowed consistent evaluation of the issue in the two groups. The major limitation of the research study was the limited sample size, which could not generate a result that represented the entire study population. Gray and Grove (2021) indicate that incorporating a larger sample size increases the likelihood of generating results that represent the characteristics of the entire study population. Therefore, I believe similar research conducted on the same topic using a larger sample size will help in analyzing the problem and implementing appropriate measures for quality and safety improvement. However, the research is significant and contributes to the body of knowledge regarding the use of clinical alarms as a standard practice gap. Qualitative Article Critique Essay Discussion Paper
References
Alkubati, S. A., Alsaqri, S. H., Alrubaiee, G. G., Almoliky, M. A., Alqalah, T. A. H., Pasay-An, E., Alrasheeday, A. M., & Elsayed, S. M. (2024). Levels and Factors of nurses’ alarm Fatigue in Critical Care Settings in Saudi Arabia: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 17, 793–803. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S452933
Gray, J. R., & Grove, S. K. (2021). Burns and Grove’s the practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence. Elsevier.
Noseworthy, P. A., Olson, R., O’Laughlin, D., Anderson, H. R., Borgen, A. C., Christnacht, R., Ng, J., Weller, J. G., Davison, H. N., Disrud, L., & Kashou, A. H. (2023). Stats on the desats: Alarm fatigue and the implications for patient safety. BMJ Open Quality, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002262
Simpson, K. R., & Lyndon, A. (2019). False alarms and overmonitoring. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 34(1), 66–72. https://doi.org/10.1097/ncq.0000000000000335
Prompt
Using the article False Alarms and Overmonitoring-Major Factors in Alarm Fatigue Among Labor Nurses: write a critique to dig deeper into each section and identify the specific examples of each element (e.g., what is the research question? Does the author justify the importance of the research? In the case of a literature review, has the author examined the relevant literature?). Elaborate on each section and evaluate it for its strengths and limitations. Be sure to identify your chosen article and address the following critical elements:
Critique
Purpose and Research Question: What is the research question? Does the author justify the importance of the research?
Design and Methods: What design and methods were used? Are they rigorous and systematic?
Validity and Reliability: Is the study valid and reliable? (For qualitative research, this section of your critique should consider the study’s trustworthiness and rigor.)
Findings and Conclusions: Are the conclusions statistically significant or clinically significant given the findings?
Evaluation: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research article? Did the author succeed or fail in the purpose of the study? Recommend areas for improvement or suggest direction for future research. Qualitative Article Critique Essay Discussion Paper