The National Survey of Families and Households: a rich data base for nursing research

A summary of the information contained in the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH), a public-domain data base, is provided. The representativeness of the sample with respect to sex and age and the reliability of a subset of the variables that address depression are evaluated. Suggestions for the use of this data base, with emphasis on variables of direct relevance to family health nursing research, are made.

Sample size in qualitative research

A common misconception about sampling in qualitative research is that numbers are unimportant in ensuring the adequacy of a sampling strategy. Yet, simple sizes may be too small to support claims of having achieved either informational redundancy or theoretical saturation, or too large to permit the deep, case-oriented analysis that is the raison-d'être of qualitative inquiry. Determining adequate sample size in qualitative research is ultimately a matter of judgment and experience in evaluating the quality of the information collected against the uses to which it will be put, the particular research method and purposeful sampling strategy employed, and the research product intended.

Conditions, interventions, and outcomes in nursing research: a comparative analysis of North American and European/International journals. (1981-1990)

This study compared the conceptual foci and methodological characteristics of research projects which tested the effects of nursing interventions, published in four general nursing research journals with predominantly North American, and two with predominantly European/International authorship and readership. Dimensions and variables of comparison included: nature of subjects, design issues, statistical methodology, statistical power, and types of interventions and outcomes. Although some differences emerged, the most striking and consistent finding was that there were no statistically significant differences (and thus similarities) in the content foci and methodological parameters of the intervention studies published in both groups of journals. We conclude that European/International and North American nursing intervention studies, as reported in major general nursing research journals, are highly similar in the parameters studied, yet in need of overall improvement. Certainly, there is no empirical support for the common (explicit or implicit) ethnocentric American bias that leadership in nursing intervention research resides with and in the United States of America.

Equal team partners? The roles of principal investigators, co-principal investigators and co-investigators on federally supported research grants

A survey of 188 NLN-accredited graduate nursing programs was done to determine how the research roles of principal investigator (PI), co-principal investigator (Co-PI) and co-investigator (Co-I) are supported and to examine the similarities and differences in benefits for PIs, Co-PIs and Co-Is. Most schools did not provide salary supplementation in addition to the usual salary for any investigators. For other benefits, the PI was more likely than was the Co-PI or Co-I to receive direct access to indirect cost recovery dollars, the use of extra research assistants, and the reduction of teaching time commensurate with the time supported by their grant. If the team approach is truly valued, should not all investigators be rewarded in a like manner?

Data aggregation: criteria for psychometric evaluation

Criteria for the examination of data collected at the individual level and aggregated to the group are proposed. These four empirical criteria relate to content validity, representativeness, reliability, and validity of the aggregated scores as indicators of group phenomena. An example of the use of the criteria is provided using data from a large research project on the implementation of a professional practice model on nine nursing units. The use of the criteria proposed provide a systematic approach to the evaluation of individual data for use at the group level.

Literature search and retrieval in the workplace

Nurses do not adequately access and use information to enhance knowledge-based practice. A computerized literature search and retrieval system was installed on a selected hospital unit to evaluate its utility in a work setting. Thirty-three nurses were taught how to use six CD-ROM bibliographic and full-text databases, electronically request articles from the librarian, and to critique the literature. The training program was evaluated by questionnaire and subsequent use of the system. Qualitative data regarding the perceived impact were collected using focus groups. The Michigan Organizational Assessment Questionnaire was administered before and after the intervention. Following training, nurses used the system to successfully answer questions related to patient care, general health issues, and education courses.

Determining the National Flight Nurses Association's research priorities

INTRODUCTION

Increased federal attention to nursing research has prompted professional nursing organizations to develop research programs identifying areas of scientific knowledge most needed for professional and clinical practice. The study purpose was to identify the National Flight Nurses Association's (NFNA's) research priorities.

METHODS

A two-round Delphi technique was used, with systematic surveys in Round I mailed to 500 NFNA members. Responses from 127 members were coded to form the Round II survey that was completed by members at the NFNA meeting in St. Louis in October 1993.

RESULTS

According to frequency scores, issues of highest priority relate to specialty and nonspecialty team, crew configurations, clinical indications for transport, airway management, educational preparation and continuing education.

CONCLUSION

Identified priorities support development of research studies and programs that lead to increased knowledge, facilitate collaborative studies and also provide a basis for research funding.

Achieving statistical power through research design sensitivity

The challenge for nurse researchers is to design their intervention studies with sufficient sensitivity to detect the treatment effects they are investigating. In order to meet this challenge, researchers must understand the factors that influence statistical power. Underpowered studies can result in a majority of null results in a research area when, in fact, the interventions are effective. The sensitivity of a research design is not a function of just one element of the design but of the entire research design: its plan, implementation and statistical analysis. When discussing factors that can increase a research design's statistical power, attention is most often focused on increasing sample size. This paper addresses a variety of factors and techniques, other than increasing sample size, that nurse researchers can use to enhance the sensitivity of a research design so that it can attain adequate power.

An exploratory study of research utilization by nurses in general medical and surgical wards

An exploratory study into research utilization is described. Firstly an agreed definition of research utilization was arrived at through consultation with a range of nurses in both academia and clinical practice. Potential factors that may influence research utilization were identified through a review of current research on research utilization and through a period of fieldwork carried out on two hospital wards in Scotland. The findings indicate that research utilization appears to be a complicated issue and cannot be decontextualized or fractionated in order to lead to an understanding but must address multiple factors simultaneously. This paper refers to research that may be utilized in clinical nursing practice rather than in education or nursing management. The impact of research in clinical practice on education and nursing management is not discounted but the focus of this study is on the influence that research may have on the actual delivery of patient care and, in this sense, education and management developments are encompassed.

Long hours, little thanks: valuing the role of nurse educators

A recently published survey of the use of time by full-time academic and related staff in UK universities (Court, 1994) highlighted concerns about the workload pressures and competing demands faced by staff in academic institutions. Administrative tasks, particularly those associated with the recurrent research and teaching assessment exercises, now constitute an increasingly large proportion of the working week, accounting for a third of all duties.

Reliability and validity issues in phenomenological research

Reliability and validity are two areas where the criteria of logical empiricism appear to be imposed upon phenomenology as a research method. Cross-paradigmatic communication can result in difficulties because the same words may have different meanings. It cannot be assumed that reliability and validity have the same meaning in logical empiricism and phenomenology. Even among the three most frequently used phenomenological methods in nursing research, lack of consensus exists regarding the issues of reliability and validity. In order to help clarify reliability and validity from the phenomenological perspective, Colaizzi, Giorgi, and VanKaam's methodologies are compared and contrasted regarding their stance on these issues. Lincoln and Guba's four major criteria for rigor in qualitative inquiry, truth value, applicability, consistency, and neutrality may offer phenomenologists an appropriate alternative to logical positivists' terminology.

The incidence of reporting consent rates in nursing research articles

The study described the incidence of reporting consent rates (CRs) in nursing research articles, ascertained the mean CR for nursing research articles, ascertained differences between those studies that reported a CR and those that did not report a CR, and compared studies that used clinical populations to studies that used nonclinical populations. Research articles (371) from three nursing research journals were examined. Results showed that: (a) 40.7 percent of articles reported a CR, (b) the mean CR was 71.8 percent, (c) 41.1 percent reported inadequate CRs, (d) studies reporting a CR differed from those that did not on five of nine variables, and (e) studies employing clinical populations reported higher consent rates than did studies that employed nonclinical populations.

Contributions of graduate students to the creation and dissemination of nursing knowledge

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which graduate students' research and scholarly activities, as evidenced by publication, contribute to the creation and dissemination of knowledge in nursing. Authors of articles published in IMAGE: Journal of Nursing Scholarship were surveyed to assess their status as graduate students during the conceptualization, development and publication of research or scholarly papers. The sample consisted of 332 authors of manuscripts published in IMAGE from 1986 through 1990. The study design was descriptive. A survey questionnaire elicited data on graduate student status and factors that influenced the initiation and completion of the published work. Descriptive statistical techniques were employed to analyze the data. The results of this study suggest that graduate education in nursing makes an important contribution to the advancement and dissemination of nursing knowledge.

An analysis and reflections on the quality of nursing research in 1992

This paper explores the quality of nursing research in 1992. A meta-analysis of the nursing literature was conducted using the Journal of Advanced Nursing, the International Journal of Nursing Studies and the Journal of Clinical Nursing. For comparative purposes the British Medical Journal was selected. The survey examined a number of research indicators such as sample size, sample selection, research methods, country of origin of author and types of study populations. The analysis indicates that nursing and medicine have some mutual concerns and that both professional groups could learn from each other in order to extend the effectiveness of their research.

Use of health records in research: reliability and validity issues

Data extracted from health records are commonly used in studies to address a variety of questions raised by health researchers. However, concern about the reliability and validity of such data generally is limited to an assessment of interrater reliability. Less attention has been paid to the reliability of the health record itself, and to the validity of both the health record and the data extracted from it. This article reviews the distinctions and overlaps among these types of reliability and validity and the factors that influence the validity and reliability of research data obtained from health records. Recommendations to investigators who use health record data in their research projects are offered.

Steps to collaboration

Although collaboration is a much sought-after goal among health care professionals, minimal research has clarified the essential communication elements (behaviors) necessary for collaboration. This series of research studies, grounded in the pragmatic perspective, represents a beginning attempt to identify these behaviors. A total of 270 practicing physicians and nurses responded to open-ended questions and/or a survey assessing the communication elements of content; relationship (aggressive, affirming, and collaborative styles); and opportunity to communicate. Findings suggest elements necessary for collaboration include reliable presentation of relevant data, openness to information presented, and adequate time to communicate. Differences were noted between nurses and physicians as to the relative importance of these behaviors.

[A sample of scientific production in southeastern Brazil from 1987-1991]

The study's goal was to investigate the scientific production in Brazil's southeast region during 1987 to 1991 period. To do thal, letters were sent to 15 nursing schools that we had the address or through personal contact with someone from the institutions, asking a list of their scientific production during the period above stated. In order to be included in the study, the article had to meet some criteria that were established as important for a quantitative evaluation and classification. After that, qualitative classification was done by the article's tile using nine categories. The total of publications found were 2237 articles from which, 1585 were from nursing schools in the state of São Paulo, 222 from hospitals in the city of São Paulo, 296 from Federal University of Minas Gerais' School of Nursing and 134 from nursing schools in Rio de Janeiro.

[Scientific production in nursing in northeastern Brazil (1988-1992)]

Descriptive exploratory study accomplished with the purpose of identifying nurses' scientific productions in the Northeast Region during the period of 1988-1992, checking the rind of papers presented, the predominating theme area and the divulgation used. We observe that there is a sensitive increase in these productions since 1990. Scientific articles and assistentcal area themes predominated, as did the divulgation through national events.

Research trends in the Journal of Nurse-Midwifery 1987-1992

To identify selected research trends, 69 research reports were analyzed from a sample of feature articles that were published in the Journal of Nurse-Midwifery between 1987 and 1992. Systematic appraisal was performed to classify these articles according to topic, design, sampling methodology, sample size, and funding. The largest proportion of studies were conducted on clinical topics (83%). Descriptive study designs were utilized most frequently (67%). Nonprobability sampling (81%) far exceeded probability sampling (19%); however, in 1992, probability sampling increased to 75%. With the exception of 1988, funding steadily increased over the study period. These results suggest that research has primarily focused upon clinical issues and has utilized descriptive designs and nonprobability sampling.

The relationship of nursing theory and research: the state of the art

Recently, the relationship between theory and research has received more attention. It seems that in the past 10 to 15 years more research studies have been published that are more or less conceptualized within (nursing) theories. However, it is not always clear how the theory has been used. The purpose of this study was to analyse the role of theory in nursing practice research. To this end, papers published in six nursing journals between 1986 and 1990 have been studied. It can be concluded that, in comparison with earlier analyses, the use of theories in nursing research studies has increased (from 13% to 21%), but the use of nursing theories has not become more frequent. However, the testing of nursing theories is minimal. On the other hand, research results are being cumulated progressively in regard to theory or to other research.

A call for help: collaborative nursing research

Key issues related to HIV nursing research are the focus of this literature review. Results of two prior literature reviews are combined with the author's current review to serve as a basis for discussion. Findings indicate that further research is needed, particularly in the area of physiological responses to nursing care. Collaboration between clinicians and researchers is viewed as the most effective way to conduct HIV nursing research. Suggestions related to ways of facilitating collaborative research are discussed.

[The scientific production of nurses in São Paulo State in the triennium of 1985-1988]

An exploratory study of the research carried out by nurses belonging to the Brazilian Nursing Association from 1985 to 1988 was conducted with following objectives: to analyze the characteristics of the scientific production of nurses; to identify the forms of dissemination of these studies, and to determine the expectations of nurses with respect to the Center of Nursing Studies and Research "Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas em Enfermagem" (CEPEn). Scientific papers, reports of experience, theses and monographs predominated in the production identified. The forms of dissemination most frequently mentioned were scientific events and publication in Brazilian journals. The suggestions presented to CEPEn point at the need of promoting events, courses, research meetings, research dissemination and consulting on projects.

Honors Program Participation and Performance Postgraduation

Four groups of students were surveyed four to six years postgraduation regarding enrollment in graduate studies, research involvement, and occupancy of leadership positions in professional organizations. Group 1 (n = 20) consisted of honors graduates, Group 2 (n = 52) were high GPA non-honors graduates, Group 3 (n = 39) were low GPA graduates, and Group 4 (n = 16) were RN-to-BSN graduates with high GPAs but not in the honors program. Enrollment in graduate studies was the strongest outcome indicator of participation in the honors program. Honors graduates also held leadership roles in professional organizations significantly more than Groups 2 and 3, but were quite comparable to Group 4. Follow-up at 10 years postgraduation and replication of the study in other settings are recommended.

[Knowledge about communication in nursing in the international literature]

The author tried to identify the producer of knowledge; the vehicle used; the addressed, based on the presentation the nurse's functions; the processes of elaboration, divulgation and utilization of the knowledge; the theoretical and methodological approaches used in the studies of communication in nursing 1725 quotations in this subject were identified on the table of contents of INI, CINAHL and IMLA. 640 were available in Brazil and 98.1% of them were analysed. The greatest amount of publications were concerned to caring, (46.7%) followed by the educational (25.2%) and administrative (14.1%) areas. Most of the authors are centralized on the process of the production of Knowledge (79.4%). The most expressive theoretical embasement is related to interpersonal context. The most frequent methodological procedures show the initial state of the knowledge in this area, and the studies are predominantly descriptive.

Rethinking the environment as a domain of nursing knowledge

Nurses frequently care for individuals whose problems originate from the environment. Yet the environmental paradigm in nursing is client-oriented and psychosocial and does not adequately explain these conditions. Nursing theory and research in the environmental domain are explored in this article and found to be focused within this limited paradigm. Models and theories from other disciplines and upstream nursing approaches that address multidimensional environmental characteristics are discussed in terms of providing direction for making a paradigm shift leading to a revolution in nursing's environmental consciousness.

[Nursing and research in Brazil]

The brazilian nursing in relation to research presented an important development in the last few years, with a quantitative improvement in the last decade. The brazilian researchers are concentrated in its majority among the faculty members and in the Southeast of Brazil. There are eight graduate university centers with several knowledge areas of concentration at master level. The doctoral level programs are all in the Southeast. There are resources available in research financial agencies for nursing, however the demand is still incipient. The Brazilian Nursing Association has tried to implement procedures which aim the development of researchers in nursing.

An update on nursing research and HIV infection

More than 16,000 citations related to AIDS and HIV infection between May 1987 and June 1990 (38 months) were surveyed to summarize nursing research related to HIV infection; 731 nonresearch and 54 research articles, averaging about 20/month, were found. However, only 20 of the research articles addressed the five topic areas set as priority by the National Center for Nursing Research Priority Expert Panel (physiological and psychosocial aspects of care, prevention of transmission, care delivery systems, and applied ethics). There is a continued gap in the research literature related to the care aspects of HIV infection. This gap needs to be filled by nursing investigation.

Occupational health nursing research. June 1984 to June 1989

Nurses have multiple research reports related to occupational health published in a variety of scientific journals. Studies by occupational health nurses that adhere to the rigors of the research process are needed in all areas of occupational health. Use of nursing models by occupational health nurse researchers would contribute to a definite body of scientific knowledge to guide occupational health nursing practice.

Statistical power in nursing research

A power analysis was performed on 62 articles that were published in Nursing Research and Research in Nursing and Health during 1989. The analysis revealed that when effects were small, the mean power of the statistical tests being performed to test research hypotheses was .26, indicating a very high risk of committing a Type II error. When effects were moderate, the mean power increased to .71, which is still below the conventionally acceptable power of .80. Only when a study involved large effects was the power adequate (mean of .95). Of the 583 power estimates calculated, 53% were for small effects. These analyses indicate that a substantial number of published nursing studies, and presumably even more of unpublished studies, have insufficient power to detect real effects, primarily because the samples used are too small.

Further assessment of a method to estimate reliability and validity of qualitative research findings

The reliability and validity of qualitative research findings are viewed with scepticism by some scientists. This scepticism is derived from the belief that qualitative researchers give insufficient attention to estimating reliability and validity of data, and the differences between quantitative and qualitative methods in assessing data. The danger of this scepticism is that relevant and applicable research findings will not be used. Our purpose is to describe an evaluative strategy for use with qualitative data, a strategy that is a synthesis of quantitative and qualitative assessment methods. Results of the strategy and factors that influence its use are also described.