Search

The National Institute of Health (NIH) policy, Consideration of Sex as a Biological Variable (SABV) in NIH-funded Research (2015), focuses on the expectation that researchers account for the influence of SABV in vertebrate animal and human studies and provide a strong justification for single-sex investigations. When SABV is considered in the research design, data analyses, and reporting, the rigor and reproducibility of the research are elevated and inform best practices and precision health for all people. Additional recommendations include the appropriate use of terminology, integration into curricula, intersection with social determinants of health, and application of sex and gender equity guidelines when disseminating research. This paper is a "call to action" for nurse researchers to lean into and apply this policy's principles and our recommendations, from the bench to the bedside, to advance the equity and health of all people., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

For the novice nurse researcher, identifying a clinical researchable problem may be simple, but discerning an appropriate research approach may be daunting. What are the differences among quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and triangulation research? Which method is applicable for the study one wants to conduct? This article discusses the two main research traditions (quantitative and qualitative) and the differences and similarities in methods for frontline nurses. It simplifies and clarifies how the reader might enhance the rigor of the research study by using mixed methods or triangulation. The four types of research are described, and examples are provided to support readers to plan projects, use the most appropriate method, and effectively communicate findings. [ J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(7):338-344.] .

Abstract: This article aims to reflect on scientific validation strategies in qualitative research in the light of translational theory in nursing. It is a reflection based on translational theory applied to nursing in strategies for validating qualitative studies. From this angle, validation is recognized as an adaptable construct, capable of eliciting/favoring an understanding of the subjectivity of the target audience in its relationship with the object of interest/study/research. The potential for advancing the science-profession lies in the interdisciplinary confluence of validation mechanisms, qualitative studies, the translational perspective, and nursing research. This confluence has the capacity to extend beyond theoretical and epistemological aspects. However, it is crucial to emphasize its profound, expressive, and relevant impact on the construction of scientific evidence. This impact aims to enhance the rigor and reliability of qualitative research, thereby bolstering its credibility and applicability in clinical practice., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright� by the Universidad de Antioquia.)

Fidelity (consistency of intervention implementation) is essential to rigorous research. Intervention fidelity maintains study internal validity, intervention reproducibility, and transparency in the research conduct. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe intervention fidelity strategies/procedures developed for a pilot study testing a new palliative care nursing intervention (FamPALcare) for families managing advanced lung disease. The procedures described herein are based on the fidelity best practices recommendations from the NIH Consortium. An evidence-based checklist guided observational ratings of the fidelity procedures used and the intervention content implemented in each intervention session. Descriptive data on how participants understood (received), enacted, or used the intervention information were summarized. The fidelity checklist observational scores found ≥93% of the planned intervention content was implemented, and the fidelity strategies were adhered to consistently during each intervention session. The small variation (7%) in implementation was expected and related to participants' varying experiences, input, and/or questions. The helpfulness scale items include participants' ability to use home care resources, to anticipate and manage end-of-life symptoms, and to use Advance Directive forms. The high ratings (M = 4.4) on the 1-5 (very helpful) Likert Helpfulness Scale verified participants utilized the information from the intervention. Furthermore, there was an improvement in patients' breathlessness scores and completion of Advance Directive forms at 3 months after baseline. It is essential to plan intervention fidelity strategies to use throughout a study and to report fidelity results., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: To describe nurses' research knowledge, attitudes, and practices within an academic hospital system., Background: Hospitals are investing in research resources to meet Magnet® goals and advance the science of nursing, but nurses' specific needs for support are not well characterized and may vary by setting., Methods: We conducted an anonymous online survey of RNs at an academic hospital system in 2019-2020 using the validated Nurses' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Research Survey., Results: Respondents (N = 99) indicated high willingness to engage in research-related tasks but low or moderate knowledge of and ability to perform them. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of research increased with level of education, although gaps between willingness to engage versus knowledge and ability persisted even among doctorally prepared nurses., Conclusions: Research support for clinical nurses should leverage enthusiasm for research and focus on developing and applying specific practical skills, even among nurses with advanced degrees., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This study develops a checklist with guidelines for the methods and important factors to consider in research using structural equation modeling (SEM)., Method: The paper discusses the factors to consider in the process across the three stages of 1) model setting, 2) model evaluation and modification, and 3) interpretation and reporting of SEM-based studies., Results: The authors present a checklist for researchers during the stages of model setting, model evaluation and modification, result analysis, and reporting, along with examples of figures and tables with explanations., Conclusion: A checklist will help to improve the reporting quality of SEM-based studies., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declared no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Increasingly, nursing research is considered essential to the achievement of high-quality patient care and outcomes. In this month's Magnet® Perspectives column, we examine the origins of nursing research, its role in creating the Magnet Recognition Program®, and why a culture of clinical inquiry matters for nurses. This column explores how Magnet hospitals have built upon the foundation of seminal research to advance contemporary standards that address some of the challenges faced by healthcare organizations around the world. We offer strategies for nursing leaders to develop robust research-oriented programs in their organizations., Competing Interests: The author declares no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

True causality is impossible to capture with observational studies. Nevertheless, within the boundaries of observational studies, researchers can follow three steps to answer causal questions in the most optimal way possible. Researchers must: (a) repeatedly assess the same constructs over time in a specific sample; (b) consider the temporal sequence of effects between constructs; and (c) use an analytical strategy that distinguishes within from between-person effects. In this context, it is demonstrated how the random intercepts cross-lagged panel model can be a useful statistical technique. A real-life example of the relationship between loneliness and quality of life in adolescents with congenital heart disease is provided to show how the model can be practically implemented.

Background: It is important for researchers to be open and transparent about the relationship between themselves and the subjects of their enquiry. Reflexivity enables them to do this, but although there is much guidance in the literature about reflexivity in general, there is little guidance for PhD candidates on including it in their theses., Aim: To provide a practical illustration of how researchers can evidence reflexivity in their theses., Discussion: The author presents the reflexive stance and journey she made when completing a PhD study that used constructivist grounded theory. It predominantly depicts the influences on the choices and decisions she made, so the reader can make sense of the journey she undertook. The author depicts how she began her journey as a novice nurse researcher and concluded it as a fully fledged researcher., Conclusion: There has been much debate about how to integrate reflexivity in the context of a particular study. This article highlights the importance of reflexivity in research and uses excerpts from the author's thesis to illustrate how it can be presented in a thesis., Implications for Practice: The article provides a guide and questions for PhD candidates to consider so they can present and think more deeply about reflexivity in their theses., Competing Interests: None declared, (©2020 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.)

Background: Despite the extensive use of mixed methods across health sciences, there has been a limited discussion about the methodological rigour and quality in mixed methods research (MMR). Although the empirical and methodological literature about mixed methods is increasing, there are few practical examples of the implementation of rigour criteria., Aim: To discuss and illustrate the application of 'legitimation criteria' to the design and conduct of a sequential exploratory MMR study of nurse educators' challenges when teaching undergraduate students., Discussion: The legitimation criteria can establish philosophical and methodological validity and rigour in MMR. MMR is complex and daunting, so maintaining rigour is crucial in ensuring the conclusions drawn are plausible and researchers, practitioners and policymakers use them to guide research and practice., Conclusion: The legitimation criteria are specific to MMR and are useful in improving the conduct and execution of studies. They enable researchers to maintain quality throughout their studies, from the development of a research question to the generation of conclusions., Implications for Practice: This illustration of the legitimation criteria for the design and conduct of MMR will guide researchers in establishing rigour and lessen the threats to their studies' validity., Competing Interests: None declared, (©2020 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.)

Background and Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the potential added value of performing a Rasch analysis on a reliable and valid instrument employed in nursing research and educational interventions, using the Students' Attitudes toward Sexual Health (SA-SH) as an example., Methods: This study was performed with a polytomous Rasch model., Results: The Rasch analysis confirmed the reliability and validity of the SA-SH. Rasch analysis presented information about the item's individual response options and gave the opportunity to judge how well different answers alternated in an item. The Rasch analysis also provided information about the proportion of extremes and the possibility of excluding these., Conclusions: The Rasch analysis provides added value regarding information that needs to be considered regarding choices of questionnaire literacy compared to item fit. The SA-SH is also valid and reliable when tested with Rasch analysis., (© Copyright 2020 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.)

Objective: To assess the overall trends in the development and citation impact of high-impact papers in nursing research worldwide to gain insight into the focus areas of nursing research., Background: Bibliometric method is proved to be effective in analysing the papers' characteristics, and it gained considerable interest from the scientific community in recent years. An analysis of the characteristics and intrinsic patterns of high-impact papers in nursing research will provide an objective reflection of the research hot spots. Nursing managers can pointedly increase funding amount and strengthen research cooperation in order to put the scientific results into management practice., Methods: Bibliometric methods and visualization software were used to comprehensively analyse high-impact papers in nursing research in terms of development trends, countries/regions, distribution of subject areas, research institutes, collaborative networks and subject terms., Results: There were 6,886 papers between 2008 and 2018. The number of papers increased from 528 in 2008 to 723 in 2015, and then remained above 600 in 2016 and 2017. These papers were mainly distributed in nursing, oncology, paediatrics, gynaecology, teaching and education, and cardiac and cardiovascular systems and were cited by 128,845 papers that came from 89 Web of Science subject areas. Papers in nursing research accounted for the largest share of these citations. The top five countries in the world in terms of the number of high-impact papers were the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and Sweden. The research institutions with the highest number of high-impact papers worldwide were the University of California System, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of North Carolina, the University of London and the University of Technology Sydney. In this data set, it was shown that research collaborative circles have been formed in the United States, Australia, Canada and Europe; the subject-term analysis indicated that 'women' and 'students' have always been high-interest populations for high-impact papers and that cancer is still one of the greatest threats to human health. Furthermore, the subject terms of high-impact papers in nursing research have gradually evolved from 'disease' and 'therapy' to 'symptoms'., Conclusion: In recent years, the number of high-impact papers published each year in nursing research has grown over time. Nursing has been shown to be a highly specialized subject, and the majority of its high-impact papers have been published by research institutions. Although cross-regional collaborations are beginning to emerge, there is much room for improvement in this regard. Finally, women, students, cancer and symptomatic care are the current focus areas in nursing research., Implications for Nursing Management: This study informs nursing managers within the nursing research field about subject areas, collaborative networks and hot topics. It is beneficial to pay attention to studies, manage scientific outputs, allocate resources, seek cooperation and improve the work efficiency of scientific research management., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Building nursing research data repositories with the goal of comparing and synthesizing results across numerous studies and public sharing of data is still in early stages of development., Objectives: We describe the process of using common data elements (CDEs) to build a data repository for research addressing self-management of chronic conditions. Issues in the development of CDEs, lessons learned in the creation of a combined data set across seven studies of different chronic condition populations, and recommendations for creating and sharing harmonized nursing research data sets are provided., Methods: In 2014, at initiation of a National Institutes of Health-funded Centers of Excellence in Self-Management Research, our center investigators defined a set of CDEs for use in future center-funded pilot studies consisting of populations having different chronic conditions with the intent to combine the study data sets. Over the next 4 years, center investigators were provided with standardized codebooks and data collection protocols for applying the CDEs and data storage. Data from seven pilot studies were subsequently combined., Results: Although each pilot study was small-with sample sizes ranging from 18 to 31 participants-our combined data set of 179 participants provides us with a sample size sufficient to conduct analyses that could not be done with the individual small samples alone. The research data repository addressing self-management of chronic conditions will soon be available for public sharing., Discussion: Our experience demonstrates that, with careful, upfront planning and ongoing vigilant oversight, CDEs can be applied across studies consisting of different chronic condition populations to combine data sets to create research data repositories for public sharing.

Methods to identify multiple trajectories of change over time are of great interest in nursing and in related health research. Latent growth mixture modeling is a data-centered analytic strategy that allows us to study questions about distinct trajectories of change in key measures or outcomes of interest. In this article, a worked example of latent growth mixture modeling is presented to help expose researchers to the use and appeal of this analytic strategy.

Overcoming barriers in hospice and palliative care research is a multifaceted challenge for researchers conducting intervention studies. The complexity and variations of these barriers are abundant and serious in nature and can threaten the success of intervention research for the hospice and palliative care patient population. This article explores how challenges and barriers to intervention research can be mitigated by nurses caring for patients in hospice and palliative care settings.

Non-experimental designs are common in nursing and allied health research wherein study participants often represent more than a single population or interest. Hence, methods used to identify subgroups and explore heterogeneity have become popular. Latent class mixture modeling is a versatile and person-centered analytic strategy that allows us to study questions about subgroups within samples. In this article, a worked example of latent class mixture modeling is presented to help expose researchers to the nuances of this analytic strategy.

The purpose of this essay is to outline two strategies that can be used to increase recognition of nursing excellence-in research, education, and practice. The first strategy is to gain recognition for excellence in nursing in and beyond universities, to collaborate with members of other disciplines, and to publicize what we study and what we teach. The second strategy is to gain recognition for excellence in nursing in and beyond clinical agencies, to publicize what we do when interacting with people who seek our services, and to implement the standards of the Pathway to Excellence Program® and/or the Magnet Recognition Program®.

Aims and Objectives: To explore the relationship between critical thinking disposition and research competence among clinical nurses., Background: The development of the nursing discipline and evidence-based practice calls for research competence and critical thinking disposition among clinical nurses. The verification of the relationship between critical thinking disposition and research competence could make contributions to promoting related knowledge building and providing practical implications for nurses, nurse educators and nurse managers. However, there is a lack of evidence exploring the relationship between critical thinking disposition and research competence in clinical nurses., Design: A cross-sectional study., Methods: A total of 156 clinical nurses from two tertiary hospitals participated in this study. The Chinese Version of Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory and Research Competence Scale for Clinical Nurses were used to measure critical thinking disposition and nursing research competence, respectively. Data were collected in September 2017. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation and linear regression were used to analyse data. The STROBE checklist was used in reporting this study., Results: The clinical nurses surveyed showed a positive inclination to general critical thinking but reported an overall low level of nursing research competence. A moderate degree of positive correlation was found between critical thinking disposition and research competence among clinical nurses. Educational degree was also found as an influencing factor of nursing research competence of clinical nurses., Conclusion: The critical thinking disposition of clinical nurses is positively related to their research competence., Relevance to Clinical Practice: Nurses with a passion for nursing research should pay attention to improving their critical thinking dispositions. Nurse educators and managers should provide better learning, working and research environments and more supports to cultivate critical thinking disposition and improve nursing research competence in nursing research education and practice., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Priorities for critical care nursing research have evolved with societal trends and values. In the 1980s priorities were the nursing workforce, in 1990s technical nursing, in 2000s evidence-based nursing and in 2010s symptom management and family-centred care., Objectives: To identify current trends and future recommendations for critical care nursing research in the Nordic countries., Methods: We triangulated the results of a literature review and a survey. A review of two selected critical care nursing journals (2016-2017) was conducted using content analysis to identify contemporary published research. A self-administered computerised cross-sectional survey of Nordic critical care nursing researchers (2017) reported current and future areas of research., Results: A review of 156 papers identified research related to the patient (13%), family (12%), nurse (31%), and therapies (44%). Current trends in the survey (n = 76, response rate 65%) included patient and family involvement, nurse performance and education, and evidence-based protocols. The datasets showed similar trends, but aftercare was only present in the survey. Future trends included symptom management, transitions, rehabilitation, and new nursing roles., Conclusion: Critical care nursing research is trending toward increased collaboration with patient and family, delineating a shift toward user values. Recommendations include long-term outcomes and impact of nursing., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: to analyze the technological production of three professional master programs in the area of Nursing., Method: documentary research on primary sources. A total of 100 graduate nurses from three professional master's programs in Nursing in the Southeastern region of Brazil were analyzed, based on the following variables: time of training, typology of products; context of products and technological and educational classification, welfare and management. The study was guided by the question: "How is the technological production of the dissertation of the professional master's degree according to typology, context and technological classification? The analysis of the data was based on the construction of a table that categorized the products according to the typology., Results: development of techniques was the main type of product found, being expressed by flowcharts, protocols, guidelines and training courses. The products were mostly developed in the hospital context, in the educational technology format., Conclusion: the technological production of the analyzed programs is restricted, diffuse and, in its majority, of low social impact and has no relevance in the body of the dissertation. Despite the wide possibility of conclusion work, the dissertation, accompanied by an article and/or technical productions, is the main form of presentation.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe the differences between quality improvement and implementation science, the urgency for nurses and nurse scientists to engage in implementation science, and international educational opportunities and resources for implementation science., Organizing Construct: There is a push for providing safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable health care. Implementation science plays a key role in adoption and integration of evidence-based practices to improve quality of care., Methods: We reviewed implementation science programs, organizations, and literature to analyze the roles of nurses and nurse scientists in translating evidence into routine practice., Findings: Implementation-trained nurses and nurse scientists are needed as part of multidisciplinary teams to advance implementation science because of their unique understanding of contextual barriers within nursing practice. Likewise, nurses are uniquely qualified for recognizing what implementation strategies are needed to improve nursing care across practice settings., Conclusions: Many international clinical and training resources exist and are supplied to aid interested readers in learning more about implementation science., Clinical Relevance: Half of research evidence never reaches the clinical setting, and the other half takes 20 years to translate into clinical practice. Implementation science-trained nurses are in a position to be excellent improvers for meaningful change in practice., (© 2019 Sigma Theta Tau International.)

Background: Research capacity is essential to nursing profession development. Literature about the research capacity of Chinese nurses is scarce, especially regarding self-efficacy., Method: A cross-sectional design with a cluster random sample of 780 clinical nurses was recruited from five tertiary hospitals in China. Self-reported data were collected with a Demographic Data Form, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Self-Rating Scale of Nurses' Research Capacity., Results: The majority (60.9%) of the nurses' research capacity was at a low level. A positive correlation was found between self-efficacy and research capacity among clinical nurses (r = .287, p < .01). Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that educational level, self-efficacy, support level, and position were predictors that explained 31.9% of the variance of research capacity., Conclusion: Chinese nurses' research capacity is insufficient. Educational level, self-efficacy, support level, and position contributed to nurses' research capacity. Nurse administrators should engage in improving Chinese nurses' self-efficacy to facilitate research capacity. It is necessary to develop continuing education to enhance Chinese nurses' research capacity. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2019;50(11):509-516.]., (Copyright 2019, SLACK Incorporated.)

The appropriate use of the data analysis method in a longitudinal design remains controversial in gerontological nursing research. The objective of the current study is to compare statistical approaches between a hierarchical-linear model (HLM) and a latent-growth model (LGM) in random effects, variance explained, growth trajectory, and model fitness. Secondary analysis of longitudinal data was used. Two variables were chosen to demonstrate the comparison between statistical methods. The HLM was superior in addressing unbalanced data in repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate ANOVA because its nested data structure and random effects could be estimated. The LGM had advantages in modeling growth trajectories and model-fit comparisons. Superior to the HLM, the LGM reported more acceptable data fit, reporting a quadratic model, and successfully differentiated between and within components. The current research provides some evidence for applying appropriate statistical methods when addressing longitudinal datasets in gerontological nursing research. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 12(6), 275-283.]., (Copyright 2019, SLACK Incorporated.)

Problem Statement: To describe research mentorship strategies needed to strengthen oncology nursing science and ensure that a cadre of nurse scientists are available to carry out the research mission of the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS)., Design: Multimethod consensus-building approach by content experts of the ONS Research Mentorship Task Force and approval by the ONS Board of Directors was employed., Data Sources: Expert opinion, surveys, notes from an all-day research mentorship retreat, and literature review were used., Analysis: Content analysis was used to synthesize notes from the research mentorship retreat., Findings: Various strategies were identified to strengthen the pipeline of oncology nurse scientists and promote development across the career trajectory., Implications for Practice: Mentorship is essential to advance the growth and impact of oncology nursing science and requires support throughout the career trajectory.

Peter Draper has offered a critique of concept analysis in nursing, suggesting that many concept analysis studies can be regarded as low-grade literature reviews. Although I will argue en passant that he was right, defending Draper is not my main concern in this paper. Instead, I undertake a close reading of a single study, and identify a series of puzzles about what it says. The puzzles pertain to the distinction between concept and phenomenon; the function of definition; discriminating between the concept of interest and other concepts; how defining attributes are derived; in what sense concept analysis clarifies the concept; whether concept analysis can adjudicate current debates; the role of model cases. The point is to show how a precise and detailed interrogation of this kind sets an agenda of questions which can be asked about other examples of the same genre. The approach gives rise to concerns about the politics of reading in the current academic environment, and I refer to these concerns briefly at the end., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Delirium is an acute disorder affecting up to 80% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. It is associated with a 10-fold increase in cognitive impairment, triples the rate of in-hospital mortality, and costs $164 billion annually. Delirium acutely affects attention and global cognitive function with fluctuating symptoms caused by underlying organic etiologies. Early detection is crucial because the longer a patient experiences delirium the worse it becomes and the harder it is to treat. Currently, identification is through intermittent clinical assessment using standardized tools, like the Confusion Assessment Method for ICU. Such tools work well in clinical research but do not translate well into clinical practice because they are subjective, intermittent and have low sensitivity. As such, healthcare providers using these tools fail to recognize delirium symptoms as much as 80% of the time. Delirium-related biochemical derangement leads to electrical changes in electroencephalographic (EEG) patterns followed by behavioral signs and symptoms. However, continuous EEG monitoring is not feasible due to cost and need for skilled interpretation. Studies using limited-lead EEG show large differences between patients with and without delirium while discriminating delirium from other causes. The Ceribell is a limited-lead device that analyzes EEG. If it is capable of detecting delirium, it would provide an objective physiological monitor to identify delirium before symptom onset. This pilot study was designed to explore relationships between Ceribell and delirium status. Completion of this study will provide a foundation for further research regarding delirium status using the Ceribell data., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)