Posted: March 1st, 2023

Evidence-Based Practice and Applied Nursing Research – Part A – Quantitative Study

A. Evaluate a primary, quantitative research, peer-reviewed journal article that has healthcare implications by doing the following:

Note: You may select an article focusing on a healthcare topic of your choice or an article focusing on one of the following topics: falls and fall prevention, pain management in children, opioid abuse, hepatitis C, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, or hand hygiene and infections in hospitals.

1. Describe how the researcher addresses the following four areas in the selected journal article:

background or introduction (e.g., the purpose of the study)
review of the literature (e.g., research used to support the study)
data analysis (e.g., how the researcher analyzed the data)
methodology (e.g., research type and sampling methods)
2. Evaluate whether the evidence presented in each of the four areas of the journal article from part A1 supports the outcome of the study and implications for future research.

3. Explain how the protection of human subjects and cultural considerations were addressed by the researcher, using specific information from the journal article from part A.

4. Describe one strength and one limitation of the study.

5. Describe how the evidence from the article in part A informs current nursing practices.

B. Evaluate a primary, qualitative research, peer-reviewed journal article that has healthcare implications by doing the following:

Note: You may select an article focusing on a healthcare topic of your choice or an article focusing on one of the following topics: falls and fall prevention, pain management in children, opioid abuse, hepatitis C, catheter associated urinary tract infections, or hand hygiene and infections in hospitals. You may use the same topic that was used in part A.
1. Describe how the researcher addresses the following four areas in the selected journal article:

background or introduction (e.g., the purpose of the study)
review of the literature (e.g., research used to support the study)
data analysis (e.g., how the researcher analyzed the data)
methodology (e.g., research type and sampling methods)
2. Evaluate whether the evidence presented in each of the four areas of the journal article from part B1 supports the outcome of the study and implications for future research.

3. Explain how the protection of human subjects and cultural considerations were addressed by the researcher, using specific information from the journal article from part B.

4. Identify one strength and one limitation of the study.

5. Describe how the evidence from the article in part B informs current nursing practices.

C. Acknowledge sources, using Help write my thesis – APA-formatted in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.

D. Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission.
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– Sample Answer Solution, Paper Writing Guide, Free Essay Assignment
Evidence-Based Practice and Applied Nursing Research

Student’s Name
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Professor’s Name
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Evidence-Based Practice and Applied Nursing Research
Part A – Quantitative Study
Four Areas
The purpose of the study by Quilab et al. (2019) is to examine the effect of education on compliance of handwashing among healthcare workers. High compliance levels are associated with a reduction in hospital-acquired-infections. The study utilizes literature from credible organizations including the Center for Disease Control, World Health Organization, meta-analysis, cohort studies, and other peer-reviewed studies. The literature suggests that hand washing impacts the rate of hospital-acquired infections and thus the need for training to boost compliance. Literature also shows the challenges that healthcare workers experience while attempting to improve adherence to handwashing practices. The data analysis was carried out using the T-test method to establish P values. The methodology was a quantitative observational study design carried out for five weeks. Simple random sampling was used giving every person in the department a chance, although some were unavailable.
Evidence, Outcome, and Implications
The four areas support the outcomes of the study since they contribute to credible results. According to the results, education was important in boosting compliance among 20 percent of physicians, 15 percent of nurses, and 5 percent of technologists. For example, the observational study design was important in identifying the changing patterns of behavior among healthcare workers. Evidence from previous studies also indicates that unit in-service education was essential in other departments in enhancing compliance levels. For example, Mu et al. (2017) carried out a study in China on improving hygiene compliance. The study depicts that healthcare’s adherence level improved after the training.
The implications of the four sections and evidence for future research are critical for the improvement of hygiene compliance. According to the study, only 120 respondents participated in the study. Future studies can thus increase the number of respondents to enhance their quality of results. Another limitation of the study that impacts future studies is that the verbal presentation of the questions was not sufficient and written materials could help improve the response rate. Therefore, future studies focusing on a similar topic can utilize different methods of collecting data such as questionnaires and other survey tools.
Protection of Human Subjects and Cultural Considerations
The researcher was careful to consider the ethical issues for the protection of human subjects and cultural considerations. Before the study was carried out, the researchers officially requested the tertiary hospital in Florida to carry out a study in the Interventional Radiology and Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory department. The personnel working in the department filled a consent form to participate in the research. Consent is essential in research since it enhances compliance with ethical requirements. Human subject protection ensures that all subjects in a study freely participate without any coercion or use of force.
The study was also considerate of the cultural considerations since the personnel working in the tertiary hospital in Florida were from different backgrounds. All the participants consented to the study with no objections since it did not affect their cultural beliefs. The study did not engage the participants regarding their personal lives or cultural beliefs related to hand washing. It was important to respect diversity and cultural beliefs among the personnel to promote ethical research.
Strength and Limitation
The study had various strengths such as using reliable tools such as handwashing tool and hand hygiene audit tool. Different tools are important in recording important data and prepare it for analysis. The research was also guided by environmental theory, which shows that environment has an impact on patient outcomes. Another strength is that the study relied on data from 2013-2018 thus presenting a summary of research within five years.
The study had one major weakness involving a small number of respondents. Only 120 people participated in the study. Therefore, although the findings indicate the success of education, the results cannot be generalized to other contexts. Future research studies should examine the impact of training across departments and healthcare facilities. Another limitation is that the study was only carried out for five weeks. Carrying it for a short term may not fully indicate a complete change of behavior. However, carrying it for a longer time will demonstrate any possibility of relapse and the impact on handwashing behavior. The limitations demonstrate that further studies should be carried out with a high number of participants across various healthcare centers. The purpose is to provide credible and evidence-based information that healthcare workers can embrace in their practice.
Impact on Current Nursing Practices
The evidence from the study informs current practice by encouraging healthcare facilities to carry out training on handwashing. It points out that although it is a standard procedure, some healthcare workers overlook it thus leading to poor health outcomes among patients (Mu et al., 2016). It also points out that hospitals can reduce the spread of infections by washing hands. Presenting the benefits of handwashing and their application in the tertiary hospital in Florida is evidence that healthcare facilities should also implement handwashing training in their departments Mu et al., 2016). The study also has a positive impact on nursing practice since it eliminates myths and misunderstandings about hand washing. It shows that nursing practices should emphasize handwashing after attending to every patient to prevent spreading infections.
Part B – Qualitative Study
Four Areas
The purpose of the study by Ay et al. (2019) is to explore the reasons for poor compliance of handwashing among healthcare workers in intensive care units. It is based on the background that according to previous studies, hand washing is at suboptimal levels. The background of the study states that healthcare workers in intensive care units wash their hands depending on their perception of cleanliness and dirtiness.
The study relies on literature review from the World Health Organization, systematic reviews, cohort, and control studies. Different studies were essential in adding value to the study. It provided comparisons of various interventions that had been made in the past in different healthcare facilities. Additionally, the data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The sampling was carried out using convenience sampling method.
Evidence, Outcome, and Implications
The evidence in the four areas is important in achieving the general objective of the study. For example, the purpose of the study was to explore the reasons behind poor handwashing compliance. Throughout the study, the research was consistent in achieving the objective. Using literature review from previous studies, systematic reviews, and recognized health organizations such as WHO was also a milestone in achieving the objective. Thematic content analysis was also important in analyzing the sources. Convenient sampling was also essential in attaining basic data and trends about hand washing. Therefore, all the parts of the study contributed to the overall success.
Protection of Human Subjects and Cultural Considerations
The study was considerate of the human subjects by seeking approval and consent. It was approved by the institutional clinical research ethics committee of Marmara University, School of Medicine after meeting all the standard requirements. All the interviews were audio tapped after obtaining oral consent from the participants. All participants gave oral consent after receiving sufficient information about the study to avoid cases of misinformation. The purpose of oral consent is to ensure all participants freely provide information without coercion. Researchers were also considerate of the cultural differences among the participants. They had an age bracket between 23 and 45 years. The age bracket contains people with various beliefs, behaviors, and cultural tendencies.
Strength and Limitation
One of the major strengths of the study is that it had four focus discussion groups and six in-depth interviews. A total of 25 personnel were interviewed and 8 medical beds and 16 surgical ICU beds were selected for the study. The diversity of the focus groups and in-depth interviews was important to promote diverse information necessary for research. Another strength is that the study used Qualitative Research Review Guidelines – RATS. It also involved diverse staff with varying experience in the field. For example, professionals with one month to 12 years of experience were sampled for the study.
The study had major limitations since it is a qualitative study and thus the findings cannot be generalized. It had only a few participants including academic staff, physicians, and cleaning staff. Therefore, it is not easy to establish the differences in perception about handwashing among the various professional groups. Additionally, although the participants were assured of confidentiality, some did not express their honest opinions due to social desirability bias. The study was also carried out in one health facility and thus the outcomes cannot be generalized to other hospitals.
Impact on Current Nursing Practices
The findings of the study show that the infection control team should continue carrying out education since it changes the perception of the personnel. Participants indicated that after the training, their perceptions changed and altered their behavior about hand washing. The study has an impact on current practice since it demonstrates that healthcare facilities should carry out continuous training to improve the level of hygiene. It also impacts nursing practice by showing that the handwashing compliance levels are still in suboptimal levels (Hor et al., 2017). Therefore, practitioners in the healthcare sector should increase their efforts to ensure their facilities have high scores.
The study findings also correct old misunderstandings, myths, and perceptions about cleanliness and dirtiness. During the study, the personnel indicated that they only washed their hands based on a perception, but not a standard practice. According to the study, lack of organizational support reduces the level of compliance. It is thus a message to the healthcare facilities’ management teams that they should continuously support adherence to the handwashing practice (Hor et al., 2017). The study also shows that training teams should also address the behavior of the professionals and their perceptions prior to joining the healthcare career. The analysis will improve nursing practice by boosting the adherence to hand washing and preventing negative health outcomes such as hospital-acquired infections.

References
Ay, P., Teker, A. G., Hidiroglu, S., Tepe, P., Surmen, A., Sili, U., … & Karavus, M. (2019). A qualitative study of hand hygiene compliance among health care workers in intensive care units. The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 13(02), 111-117. DOI: 10.3855/jidc.10926
Hor, S. Y., Hooker, C., Iedema, R., Wyer, M., Gilbert, G. L., Jorm, C., & O’Sullivan, M. V. N. (2017). Beyond hand hygiene: a qualitative study of the everyday work of preventing cross-contamination on hospital wards. BMJ Quality & Safety, 26(7), 552-558.
Mu, X., Xu, Y., Yang, T., Zhang, J., Wang, C., Liu, W., … & Yang, H. (2016). Improving hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers: an intervention study in a Hospital in Guizhou Province, China. The Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases, 20(5), 413-418.
Quilab, M. T., Johnson, S., & Schadt, C. (2019). The effect of education on improving hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers. Hos Pal Med Int Jnl, 3(2), 66-71.

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