The Research Article Critique Assignment
A research critique demonstrates your ability to critically evaluate an investigative study. For this assignment, choose an original or primary research study related to nursing or medicine. The purpose of this assignment is to review a research study in-depth and to decide whether or not it is a valid research study that can be used in practice. It is your written evaluation of the study, not just a summary of the study. The Research Article Critique Assignment
Research Problem/Purpose
The development and prevalence of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers remain a significant nursing issue affecting many healthcare facilities globally. Many healthcare providers overlook the issue at some point, which has been a significant burden to patients and their families besides the severity of pain associated with pressure ulcers (Tallier et al., 2017). Patients who develop pressure ulcers are also at risk of developing other nosocomial infections, which may increase their duration of hospital stay, increase the cost of medication, and reduce their chances of recovery (Tallier et al., 2017)The Research Article Critique Assignment. With stringent laws enforced by insurance firms to prevent nosocomial infections, including pressure ulcers, there is no reimbursement of funds to cater for hospital-acquired infections, which has immensely affected healthcare. The research problem on hospital-acquired pressure ulcers is the basis of a research article titled Barriers and facilitators to preventing pressure ulcers in nursing home residents: A qualitative analysis informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework, which was published in 2018 and written by Lavallee, Gray, Dumville, and Cullum.
The article’s purpose was to gain a better understanding of the various factors that can help prevent pressure ulcers in nursing homes and the possible barriers that affect the same. The research problem was framed in the context of the existing gap in nursing that prevents effective prevention of pressure ulcers which has negative implications on patient outcomes. Given the high prevalence of pressure ulcers in healthcare, the issues outlined in the article remains relevant in nursing care.
Review of the Literature
The study explored several concepts related to pressure ulcers. This aspect has made it easier to understand the prevalence of pressure ulcers in healthcare and the facilitators and barriers to preventing them. The first and foremost concept was the definition of pressure ulcers. Also, the study made a comprehensive discussion of how pressure ulcers can be prevented while highlighting that the elderly patients were the most vulnerable to pressure ulcers (Lavallée et al., 2018)The Research Article Critique Assignment. The study also highlighted a knowledge gap in healthcare that is a barrier to implementing appropriate interventions to alleviate the burden of pressure ulcers. Another concept highlighted by the article is how positive working relationships were essential in pressure ulcer prevention.
The authors utilized 75 references, with a majority being published within the last five years of its publication; however, there was a reference that was published in the year 1977, and this was purposely meant to offer a better conceptual framework to the study and almost all the articles were peer-reviewed, making the literature review credible and of good quality. Besides, the quality of the study can be attributed to the fact that all references used were relevant to the article’s topic and were among the most recent related to that topic.
Theoretical Framework
Several theoretical concepts were discussed, including but not limited to the definition of pressure ulcers and relevant interventions to help prevent their occurrence in a nursing home (Lavallée et al., 2018). The article used a theoretical domains framework which employs behavioral theory and highlights the use of behavior change to enhance organizational change. The theoretical domains framework has been instrumental in enhancing the application of psychological theory in nursing research by using concepts associated with behavior modification. Other concepts discussed in the article include cognitive and physical skills, which helped enrich the article and expand the knowledge conveyed towards the research topic and research question (Lavallée et al., 2018)The Research Article Critique Assignment.
The research question posed by the article is on the various barriers and facilitators to the prevention of pressure ulcers in a nursing home alongside possible evidence-based practices that can be utilized to improve patient outcomes by preventing the development of pressure ulcers (Lavallée et al., 2018). The research question also helped identify the research gap in nursing: the barriers to preventing pressure ulcers in healthcare. This critical and timely gap must be addressed to help overcome the challenge of pressure ulcers. The study based on a nursing theory can be formulated to identify evidence-based interventions that guide nursing practices in healthcare. For instance, the study’s findings can be used as a guide to developing organizational policies aimed at preventing pressure ulcers within healthcare facilities.
Methodology
The study involved a qualitative study design, and it was appropriate for the specific research question, given that the main objective was to establish the experiences and beliefs of nurses about pressure ulcers. Inductive reasoning was applied in the study, given that it used raw data and developed it into a concise summary depicting the relationship between the research objectives and the findings from the study. Also, the findings were used to enhance the understanding of the occurrence of pressure ulcers in healthcare, making the research adopt an inductive reasoning approach.
The study participants included nursing home nurses, wound specialist nurses, healthcare assistants, nurse managers and healthcare managers from the North West of England, totalling 25 participants who participated in the semi-structured interviews (Lavallée et al., 2018)The Research Article Critique Assignment. The researchers used a purpose sample where the participants were expected to meet a defined criterion for inclusion in the study; therefore, a non-probability sample. The inclusion criteria included having experience with pressure ulcers and one’s occupation. Also, the data collection method applied by the researcher was the use of semi-structured. I interviews are ideal because they have open-ended questions that give room for a flowing conversation.
Several ethical considerations were addressed, including informed consent by the participants. The participants were allowed to withdraw at any given point during the study while protecting the right to privacy, participant autonomy and protection from harm (Lavallée et al., 2018)The Research Article Critique Assignment.
Data Analysis
Data was presented in tables, and the data management tool employed in the study is the NVivo 10 (Lavallée et al., 2018). Also, a result section was included in the study. The semi-structured interviews were carried out in nursing homes in the North West of England, with the involved facilities providing nursing, palliative and residential care to a minimum of 70 residents (Lavallée et al., 2018). One key finding of the study was that there exist different perceptions regarding barriers and facilitators to pressure ulcer prevention among tissue viability nurses and nursing home workers. Also, most healthcare providers were not in a position to mention even a single method that can be used to prevent pressure ulcers that the tissue viability nurses had highlighted. Another critical finding from the study is that almost all the participants expressed their satisfaction that education was one of the critical facilitators to preventing pressure ulcers in nursing homes.
Summary/Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations
One of the strengths of the study Is that the study focused on a nursing home and employees, which offered the ability of data to be linked to nursing homes than having a generalization in the entire nursing fraternity. Also, the study employed a theory-based explanation of the various behaviors and circumstances employed in pressure ulcer prevention among patients in nursing homes. Strength of the study is that it included different perspectives based on the diversity of participants, including those outside a nursing home which gives an avenue for a thorough analysis of the concept of pressure ulcers.
The diversity of participants used in the study makes the study viable for findings to be generalized to a larger population within nursing. The inclusion criteria for participants in the study included nursing home nurses, wound specialist nurses, healthcare assistants, nurse managers and healthcare managers.
The significance of the findings and conclusion to my nursing practice is that I can advocate for training and educational programs to help prevent hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, which is a significant issue in nursing. Besides, the findings can guide policy formulation and resource allocation in healthcare programs to prevent pressure ulcers because the research has highlighted the burden of pressure ulcers in nursing The Research Article Critique Assignment.
References
Lavallée, J. F., Gray, T. A., Dumville, J., & Cullum, N. (2018). Barriers and facilitators to preventing pressure ulcers in nursing home residents: A qualitative analysis informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 82, 79– 89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2017.12.015
Tallier, P. C., Reineke, P. R., Asadoorian, K., Choonoo, J. G., Campo, M., & Malmgreen-Wallen, C. (2017). Perioperative registered nurses knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and barriers regarding pressure ulcer prevention in perioperative patients. Applied Nursing Research, 36, 106-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2017.06.009 The Research Article Critique Assignment