Class 4 Unit 6 Topic 1 Comment 2

1 References, find resources that are 5 years or less

No errors with APA format 6 Edition

To Comment:

  Qualitative research is defined as a form of exploratory research whose results are descriptive rather than predictive. Qualitative research is conducted by evaluating the opinions, beliefs, and attitudes of people. According to Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt (2015), qualitative studies collect data using a nonnumeric method, usually by personal interviews and surveys, to describe a phenomenon. Some qualitative research methods include phenomenology, ethnography, grounded theory, historical method, and case study.

            There are many research studies that use qualitative data as opposed to quantitative data. Regarding my PICOT question about pain management methods post-operatively, I found two articles which used qualitative research. The first article I located was conducted by Patak, Tait, Mirafzali, Morris, Dasgupta, and Brummett (2013), and described the patient’s perceptive of patient-controlled analgesia and methods for improving pain control and patient satisfaction. This study was conducted using the phenomenology method which included a survey with 17 questions about the patient-controlled analgesia device, the patient’s satisfaction, overall experience, ability to control pain, difficulties using the patient-controlled analgesia device, and options for improving the patient-controlled analgesia device (Patak, Tait, Mirafzali, Morris, Dasgupta, & Brummett, 2013). By using a qualitative study design for this research topic, descriptive data can be collected regarding how patients feel about patient-controlled analgesia devices and their effectiveness. Another research article I located that addressed my PICOT question was a study conducted by Thornton and Buggy (2011). In this article, qualitative research was used to determine if local anesthetic wound infusion for acute post-operative pain is a viable option (Thornton & Buggy, 2011). In this study, the grounded theory qualitative research method was used to explore the means of local anesthetic wound infusion and the effects it has on managing pain to generate an explanation for further research.

            There are many research studies that use the qualitative method. A potential qualitative research study that is important to the nursing practice would be: what is the experience of hope in women with advanced breast cancer? For this research, the phenomenology method though the interview process should be used because the study’s results focus on the lived experiences of patients. This topic would be important qualitative research for the nursing practice because it could help nurses assess patients and their reactions to the diagnosis of advanced breast cancer and form interventions based on the results to help other women in the future.

References 

Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2015). Evidence-based practice in nursing and healthcare: a guide to best practice. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams et Wilkins.

Patak, L. S., Tait, A. R., Mirafzali, L., Morris, M., Dasgupta, S., & Brummett, C. M. (2013). Patient Perspectives of Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) and Methods for Improving Pain Control and Patient Satisfaction. Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, 38(4), 326–333. http://doi.org/10.1097/AAP.0b013e318295fd50

Thornton, P. C., & Buggy, D. J. (2011). Local anaesthetic wound infusion for acute postoperative pain: a viable option? British Journal of Anaesthesia, 107(5), 656–8 . doi:10.1093/bja/aer293