Once you have selected a topic for your capstone project, you will need to examine research articles to explore viable solutions
Topic 2 DQ 1
Once you have selected a topic for your capstone project, you will need to examine research articles to explore viable solutions. The GCU Library has various resources to support students during this process.
Based on the first letter of your first name, you are assigned the following GCU Library resource:
A-F: GCU Library Nursing and Health Sciences Research Guide
G-L: GCU Library: Find Journal Articles
M-S: GCU Library: What Are Empirical/Research Articles?
T-Z: GCU Library: Capstone and Evidence-Based Projects
Please note: each of these links can be found in the topic Resources.
Describe the resource assigned to you including two examples of how this resource will support your successful completion of the capstone project.
Expert Answer and Explanation
The resource from the GCU Library defines empirical research as studies that report outcomes based on the observations or experiments carried out by the author(s). Empirical research can either be qualitative or quantitative, where, qualitative articles present the data collected and analyzed in a non-numerical or contextual format, while quantitative articles are those whose methodology and data presentation are in numerical format (Grand Canyon University Library, n.d.). When evaluating empirical research, one needs to first read the abstract to identify whether the information in the article is relevant to their area of research.
There are various ways in which empirical research can help with a capstone project, one of them being to help gather evidence on the viability of the project. Empirical research is essential in implementing evidence-based projects in that it gives or affirms credibility to the suggested interventions (Lamé et al., 2020). Empirical research can also be used in gap identification, where common problems that occur in a particular setting are used as targets for change implementation.
Empirical research can also be relevant when it comes to evaluating the interventions after implementation. Endings from empirical research can be used as a benchmark to evaluate whether the capstone’s project implementation was successful or not. Therefore, empirical studies are a crucial element when planning, implementing, and evaluating capstone projects.
References
Grand Canyon University Library (n.d.). What are empirical/research articles?. https://libguides.gcu.edu/Nursing/research
Lamé, G., Crowe, S., & Barclay, M. (2020). “What’s the evidence?”-Towards more empirical evaluations of the impact of OR interventions in healthcare. Health Systems, 11(1), 59–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/20476965.2020.1857663
Topic 2 DQ 2
Differentiate between research and EBP. Discuss a peer-reviewed article that you have located that supports the need for a change in nursing practice.
Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format. Responses to peers or faculty should be 100-150 words and include one reference. Refer to “RN-BSN DQ Rubric” and “RN-BSN Participation Rubric,” located in Class Resources, to understand the expectations for initial discussion question posts and participation posts, respectively.
Expert Answer and Explanation
Evidence-based practice and nursing research are two critical components in nursing practice that are interrelated and contribute to enhancing patient care. However, the two terms are often confused to mean the same thing yet they are different. Evidence-based practice is a process that uses the best and updated evidence to inform clinical decision-making that leads to effective and efficient patient care (Li et al., 2019). On the other hand, nursing research is a systematic process of conducting a scientific inquiry to collect evidence into a phenomenon, either known or unknown to support or improve clinical outcomes and support nursing practice.
In a study by Shakibamehr et al. (2019), the researchers wanted to identify the effectiveness of using tragacanth gel cushions compared to foam-filled ones to prevent pressure ulcers in traumatic patients. The researchers identified the negative consequences associated with pressure ulcers in care settings and thus aimed at identifying the most appropriate intervention to prevent them from the two. The researchers employed a triple-blind, randomized, clinical trial methodology on 94 patients, grouped into two categories, the intervention and control groups.
Data was analyzed using Chi-squared test, Fisher’s exact test, and t-test. The results showed that both cushions prevented pressure ulcers. However, tragacanth gel–filled cushions delayed the onset of erythema. tragacanth gel–filled cushions were also cost-effective and natural making them viable and recommended to improve sacral skin health and prevent pressure ulcers (Shakibamehr et al., 2019).
Reference
Li, S., Cao, M., & Zhu, X. (2019). Evidence-based practice: Knowledge, attitudes, implementation, facilitators, and barriers among community nurses-systematic review. Medicine, 98(39), e17209. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.
Shakibamehr, J., Rad, M., Akrami, R., & Rad, M. (2019). Effectiveness of tragacanth gel cushions in prevention of pressure ulcer in traumatic patients: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Caring Sciences, 8(1), 45–49. https://doi.org/10.15171/jcs.
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