Research for Evidence Based Practice

Initial Post

Discussion: Correlational Research

Correlational studies on healthcare might be useful in investigating the link between nurse-patient interaction and patient satisfaction with care (Papastavrou et al., 2014). The proposed research query for the study would be: ‘ What is the correlation between the quality of nurse-patient communication and patient satisfaction?’ To examine this inquiry, the null hypothesis may assert that there is no statistically significant association between nurse-patient interaction and patient satisfaction, whereas the alternative hypothesis could suggest that there is a statistically substantial positive correlation. The dependent variable in the research could be patient satisfaction with care, which is assessed subjectively through patient perspectives and opinions. Contrastingly, the independent variable would be the quality of nurse-patient interactions, which may be quantified using approved communication evaluation tools.

It is expected that there will be a positive relationship between the variables in the research, indicating that there is a direct relationship between the quality of nurse-patient interaction and patient satisfaction. The prediction is based on the assumption that proficient communication enhances a positive patient experience, therefore, enhancing trust, understanding, and general satisfaction with nursing care. When nurses practice active listening, offer concise clarifications, and address patient issues, the patients will have a satisfactory experience (Alasad et al., 2015). However, multiple variables could influence this correlation. Patients' perceptions and responses to communication may be influenced by external factors including patient demographics and healthcare literacy. Patients with inadequate healthcare literacy may experience challenges in understanding medical information, which might significantly impact their level of satisfaction, even if the communication is of excellent quality. Furthermore, organizational variables, such as the number of staff members, may affect the communication between nurses and patients, consequently affecting the level of satisfaction experienced by patients (Findik et al., 2010). Conducting correlational research in this setting may offer useful insights into the underlying dynamics of the link between nurse-patient communication and patient satisfaction without indicating causality. Although causality cannot be determined through correlational research, the results can provide valuable insights for initiatives targeting the improvement of communication techniques to improve the overall patient experience.

In conclusion, correlational studies are an effective approach for investigating the links between variables, especially in clinical settings. The proposed research intends to investigate the link between nurse-patient communication and patient satisfaction by using correlational research and the findings might guide evidence-based practice. The stated hypotheses, dependent and independent variables, and expectations establish the framework for developing research that has the potential to offer valuable insights for improving patient care and patient satisfaction.

References

Alasad, J., Tabar, N. A., & AbuRuz, M. E. (2015). Patient satisfaction with nursing care.  The Journal of nursing administration,  45(11), 563-568.

Findik, U. Y., Unsar, S., & Sut, N. (2010). Patient satisfaction with nursing care and its relationship with patient characteristics.  Nursing & health sciences,  12(2), 162-169.

Papastavrou, E., Andreou, P., Tsangari, H., & Merkouris, A. (2014). Linking patient satisfaction with nursing care: the case of care rationing-a correlational study.  BMC nursing,  13(1), 1-10.

Research for Evidence Based Practice 

Discussion Response: Correlational Research

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses and  respond to  two of your colleagues in one or more of the following ways:

· Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence, or research.

· Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.

· Offer and support an alternative perspective using readings from the classroom or from your own research in the Walden Library.

· Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.

· Suggest an alternative perspective based on additional evidence drawn from readings or after synthesizing multiple postings.

· Expand on your colleagues’ postings by providing additional insights or contrasting perspectives based on readings and evidence.

PEER #1

Penny Pope

MAIN POST

Correlations

A Brief Description of My Selected Problem

The problem I identified for my research is "Factors Associated with Burnout among Nurses." Burnout among nurses is influenced by factors such as heavy workload, staffing shortages, emotional demands, lack of control, organizational culture, insufficient resources, role conflict, and limited professional growth opportunities (Rozo et al., 2017). Addressing these factors is important to prevent and mitigate nurse burnout and stress, ensuring a healthier and more resilient healthcare workforce (Woo & Kim, 2021).

Research Question

What is the relationship between workload and job satisfaction among nurses, and how does this relationship impact the likelihood of experiencing burnout?

Explanation of Hypotheses for My Research

Null Hypothesis (H0): The Null Hypothesis for my research is that "there is no significant relationship between workload and job satisfaction" among nurses, and this lack of relationship does not affect the likelihood of burnout.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): The Alternative Hypothesis for my research is that "there is a significant relationship between workload and job satisfaction" among nurses, and this relationship is associated with an increased likelihood of burnout.

Variables

The Independent Variable for my research is workload (measured by the number of patients assigned, hours worked per week, and additional duties).

The Dependent Variable for my research is Job Satisfaction (measured on a scale based on factors such as fulfilment, contentment, and overall job happiness)

The Outcome Variable will be the Likelihood of Burnout (measured as a binary outcome – experiencing burnout or not)

Prediction for the expected relationship between variables

I predict a negative relationship between workload and job satisfaction, suggesting that as workload increases, job satisfaction decreases. Additionally, I predict this negative relationship will be associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing burnout. Higher workload demands may lead to decreased job satisfaction, contributing to emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment –all factors indicative of burnout.

Rationale

High workload has been consistently linked to lower job satisfaction and increased burnout among healthcare professionals, including nurses. The nature of nursing involves complex tasks, long hours, and emotional labor. "An overwhelming workload can lead to stress, dissatisfaction, and burnout" (Giorgi et al., 2018). This prediction aligns with existing literature suggesting that understanding and addressing the relationship between workload, job satisfaction, and burnout is crucial for improving nurses' well-being and, consequently, patient care (Holland et al.,2019).

Other Factors Might Affect the Outcome

While the primary focus is on workload and job satisfaction, it's essential to consider potential confounding factors such as support from colleagues and supervisors, organizational culture, and personal coping mechanisms. These factors could influence "the relationship between workload, job satisfaction, and burnout" and should be controlled for in the analysis.

 References

Giorgi, F., Mattei, A., Notarnicola, I., Petrucci, C., & Lancia, L. (2018). Can sleep quality and burnout affect the job performance of shift‐work nurses? A hospital cross‐sectional study. Journal of advanced nursing, 74(3), 698-708.

Holland, P., Tham, T. L., Sheehan, C., & Cooper, B. (2019). The impact of perceived workload on nurse satisfaction with work-life balance and intention to leave the occupation. Applied nursing research, 49, 70-76.

Rozo, J. A., Olson, D. M., Thu, H., & Stutzman, S. E. (2017). Situational factors associated with burnout among emergency department nurses. Workplace health & safety, 65(6), 262-265.

Woo, M. J., & Kim, D. H. (2021). Factors associated with secondary traumatic stress among nurses in regional trauma centers in South Korea: a descriptive correlational study. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 47(3), 400-411.

PEER #2

Roslyn Stewart

Correlational study question

There is an identified gap in the use of spiritual health promotion to improve quality of life for elderly patients with depression. Van Denend et. al. (2022) echoes this gap in practice by stating that the spiritual domain is the least addressed in the biopsychosocial model. Jadidi et. al. (2021) emphasizes the importance of the spiritual health dimension as it affects other areas of health.

My initial practice question was: for elderly patients with depression who live at skilled care nursing facilities, does spiritual health promotion improve quality of life? However, knowing the difference between causation and correlation, I will need to revise this question in order to fit into a predictive correlation study design.

 

My correlation research question is: For elderly patients with depression who live at skilled care nursing facilities, is there a correlation between spiritual health practices and perceived quality of life?

 

Variables

Spiritual health practices are the independent, predictor variables. Quality of life is a dependent variable. 

Hypotheses

The null hypothesis is there is no relationship between spiritual health practices and quality of life. Quality of life scores will remain the same despite spiritual health scores.

The alternate hypotheses are 1) Positive relationship: those who report high levels of spirituality will also report high quality of life. Those who report low levels of spirituality will report low quality of life. 2) Negative relationship: those who report low levels of spirituality will report high quality of life and vice versa.

I predict a positive relationship. Similar studies have found correlations between patients’ perceived spirituality level and depression (Najafi, 2022; Pourghayoumi et al.,2023).

Najafi (2022) conducted a correlation study between spiritual health with depression, stress, and anxiety. The researchers utilized questionnaires and found an average spiritual health score (80.62) with mean scores of stress (10.58), anxiety (6.7), and depression (7.32). The correlation noted those who scored higher on spiritual health self-assessment scored lower on anxiety, stress, and depression levels.  A similar relationship was noted with Pourghayoumi et al. (2023).  The higher the spiritual health, the lower the depression symptoms and vice versa.

 These studies differ from my proposed study because the researchers compared patients’ current reported spiritual health level to depression instead of well-being. In my proposal, since spiritual health and depression have an inverse relationship, this should theoretically cause spiritual health and quality of life to have a positive relationship.

Factors that Can Affect Outcome

Demographic factors can affect the outcome of the study. These factors include age, gender, and education. The age factor is controlled by setting the age limit to elderly patients 65+ only. A study by Soosova et al. (2021) showed women reported higher spirituality scores than men. Ameneh (2018) found a significant correlation between educational variables with spiritual health (P=0.02) in their cross-sectional study to evaluate spiritual health effect on depression symptoms in type II diabetic patients.

 

 References:

Ameneh, M. (2018). Relationship between spiritual health and quality of life in type II diabetic patients: A cross-sectional study in Yazd. (English). Journal of Diabetes Nursing, 6(4), 641–652.

Heidari, M., Borujeni, M.G., Abyaneh, S.K., & Rezaei, P. (2019). The effect of spiritual care on perceived stress and mental health among the elderlies living in nursing home. Journal of Religion and Health 58, 1328-1339.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00782-1 Links to an external site.

Jadidi, A., Khodaveisi, M., Sadeghian, E., & Fallahi-Khoshknab, M. (2021). Exploring the process of spiritual health of the elderly living in nursing homes: A grounded theory study. Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences, 31(3), 589–598.  https://doi.org/10.4314/ejhs.v31i3.16 Links to an external site.

Najafi, K., Khoshab, H., Rahimi, N., & Jahanara, A. (2022). Relationship between spiritual health with stress, anxiety and depression in patients with chronic diseases. International Journal of African Nursing Sciences, 17(1).

Pourghayoumi, M., Marzban, M., Farhadi, A., Ravanipour, M., & Keshvari, Z. (2023). The relationship of spiritual well-being and aging perceptions with depression in Iranian older adults: A cross-sectional study. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 26(3), 261–275.   https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2023.2180496 Links to an external site.

 Soosova, M.S., Timkova, V., Dimunova, L., & Mauer, B. (2021). Spirituality as a mediator between depressive symptoms and subjective well-being in older adults. Clinical Nursing Research, 30(5), 707-717.

 Van Denend, J., Ford, K., Berg, P., Edens, E. L., & Cooke, J. (2022). The body, the mind, and the spirit: Including the spiritual domain in mental health care. Journal of Religion & Health, 61(5), 3571–3588. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-022-01609-2