The Nurse Engagement And Wellness Study Assignment
Critique of the Quantitative Research Article
Critiquing evidence is an essential step in evidence-based practice (EBP). It involves examining each structural element of a research article to determine its credibility. There are several models for critiquing articles (Schmidt & Brown, 2022). Schmidt and Brown (2022), in their book “Evidence-based Practice for Nurses,” outlines a framework for critically appraising articles. The model focuses on nine items: the title and abstract, problem, literature review and theoretical framework, study method and design, setting and instrumentation, human subjects’ protection, sample, results, conclusions, and limitations. The following paper critiques a quantitative research article by Olvera-Alvarez et al. (2019) using Schmidt and Brown’s (2022) model. The Nurse Engagement And Wellness Study Assignment
Title and Abstract
The title “Stress and Health in Nursing Students: The Nurse Engagement and Wellness Study” gives an overview of the study. The article’s authors are scholars and practitioners in nursing and psychiatry. Their credentials are outlined on the first page under the abstract. Their academic qualifications and professional designations indicate they are well-versed in the subject matter. The abstract is clear and concise. It incorporates the study background, objectives, methods, results, and discussion. The authors also listed the keywords (Olvera-Alvarez et al., 2019).
Problem
The study problem statement was also succinct, although the authors did not set aside a section for it. One can identify the statement in the introduction segment. The researchers identified new nurses face stress and noted a gap in research on social, behavioral, and environmental influences. The issue is significant as it affects their nurses’ job performance, patient outcomes, and retention. The authors aimed to investigate how behavioral, social, and environmental factors modify the effects of stress on nurses’ well-being and performance. The study was feasible as it had a specific research problem and scope. It was also researchable because the objective was clear, identifying all the variables and could be measured using primary sources (Olvera-Alvarez et al., 2019, p.454). The Nurse Engagement And Wellness Study Assignment
Literature Review and Theoretical Framework
The authors included a literature review but not in a separate section. They utilized relevant sources that represented the problem and study variables. The sources applied were primary and secondary. However, some were outdated, considering only articles published in the last years from the current publication should be included. Also, the authors did not mention a theoretical framework (Olvera-Alvarez et al., 2019, p.454).
Research Design Elements
The authors applied a prospective cohort design for nurse engagement and wellness study (NEWS) of new nurses and nursing students. While the researchers did not mention the hypothesis directly, they implied. The authors noted that other stressors (social, environmental, and behavioral) can mediate the relationship between stress and nurses’ health and performance. The independent variables are exposure to lifetime stress, and behavioral, social, and environmental factors, while the dependent variables are health (indicators and biomarkers) and performance (engagement and job performance) of the nurses (Olvera-Alvarez et al., 2019, p.455). The Nurse Engagement And Wellness Study Assignment
Study Setting and Instruments
The study was conducted at the University of Texas on nursing students enrolled for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Data was collected three times, at baseline (6 months post-enrollment), four months before graduation, and 12-24 months after graduation. The variables were measured by specific instruments but the researchers did not describe their validity and reliability. The data collection methods were appropriate, and the setting reflected the real world (Olvera-Alvarez et al., 2019, pp.455-456).
Human Subjects Protection
The researchers obtained the institutional review boards from the University of Texas and Harvard University before data collection. The researchers observed ethics by protecting biological samples and pertinent data (Olvera-Alvarez et al., 2019, p.454). The Nurse Engagement And Wellness Study Assignment
Sample and Descriptive
The authors used a non-probability sampling method. They used a convenient sample drawn from nursing students aged 18 to 55 years old, who had enrolled in the BSN program at Texas University. The researchers used emails, flyers, posters, and newsletters for the recruitment. Based on the sampling, the sample number is appropriate (N=436). It also includes the population the authors planned to investigate, but it might not be representative because they did not select the subjects randomly. The authors described the subjects based on the study variables (Olvera-Alvarez et al., 2019, pp.456-457). The Nurse Engagement And Wellness Study Assignment
Study Results and Understanding
The results were statistically significant. The researchers found significant associations between lifetime stress exposure and health and biomarkers and engagement and performance. They also noted social, environmental, and behavioral factors mediated this relationship. The p-value was p<0.001. The p values obtained for most variables and associations were higher than the set value, meaning the results are statistically significant. The results are also clinically significant, as shown by the odd ratios for the associations and comparisons with the general population (Olvera-Alvarez et al., 2019, pp.458-459).
Conclusions, Limitations, and Existing Knowledge
The conclusion relates to the hypothesis as it restates the research aim and the outcomes. The results are not generalizable to other populations as the sample was unrepresentative. There were few males, and the participants were 90% Hispanic, which may not reflect the realities of diverse communities in the U.S. and abroad. The authors also outlined the limitations, such as sampling issues. They recommended further research on stressors affecting the nursing workforce to maximize their productivity. The results were also consistent with previous studies (Olvera-Alvarez et al., 2019, pp.459-461). The Nurse Engagement And Wellness Study Assignment
References
Olvera-Alvarez, H. A., Provencio-Vasquez, E., Slavich, G. M., Cedeno-Laurent, J. G., Browning, M., McKee-Lopez, G., Robbins, L., & Spengler, J. D. (2019). Stress and health in nursing students: The nurse engagement and wellness study. Nursing Research, 68(6), 453-463. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000383.Schmidt, N., & Brown, J. (2022). Evidence-based practice for nurses (5th end). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Directions are attached in file along with article for research critique. I have included the books below that the class uses if needed.
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (7th ed.). Washington, DC: Author
Schmidt, N., & Brown, J. (2022). Evidence-based practice for nurses (5th ed). Sudbury, MA:
Jones & Bartlett Learning. The Nurse Engagement And Wellness Study Assignment