Rough Draft Quantitative Research Critique and Ethical Considerations

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Qualitative Studies

Gad and AbdelAziz (2021) and Murphy et al. (2021) carried out qualitative research that scrutinized the prevalence of UTIs in catheterized patients and the strategies that can be used to prevent them. The findings of the studies contain important content that answers the PICOT question: In catheterized patients, can decreasing patient-nurse ratios compared to making no changes help reduce UTIs in a period of two months? Evidently, reducing the number of patients that nurses have to handle is an evidence-based intervention that should be encapsulated in the nursing practice to lower adverse outcomes such as catheterized patients contracting UTI. The strategy also minimizes the treatment costs that patients incur.

Background of Study

The article Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections in the Adult Patient Group: A Qualitative Systematic Review on the Adopted Preventative and Interventional Protocols From the Literature was written by Gad and AbdelAziz (2021). It is a write-up that explores the prevalence of UTIs among catheterized patients and its impact on their health and wellbeing. The authors identify lapses in nursing care as a significant cause of the condition among hospitalized patients who are immobilized because they are critically ill or have undergone a major surgical procedure. The study is vital to the nursing profession because it studies an issue encountered in the nursing practice from time to time that requires an evidence-based intervention. The authors undertook an investigation that showed that inadequate staffing is a significant cause of the inadequacies that cause UTI among catheterized patients. The purpose of the investigative study is to show that insufficient nursing staffing levels increase the chances of nurses failing to take adequate precautions while handling catheterized patients that may result in their developing UTIs. Its objective is to increase staffing levels as an intervention to reduce UTIs among this patient population (Gad & AbdelAziz, 2021). The article answers a significant research question: What is the influence of understaffing on nursing-sensitive indicators like UTIs?

The article Estimating the economic cost of nurse sensitive adverse events amongst patients in medical and surgical settings is documented by Murphy et al. (2021). It carries out an investigative study exploring how inadequate staffing levels compromise the quality of care that patients receive by increasing the prevalence of nursing-sensitive indicators among hospitalized patients, especially UTIs among the catheterized patients. The article is significant to the nursing career because it analyzes a problem that is often experienced in the nursing practice that negatively impacts the outcomes of the treatment process. The purpose of the study was to investigate how inadequate nurse staffing levels increased nursing-sensitive indicators such as UTIs among patients and their impacts on the cost of treatment. The study's objective was to unveil reducing the number of patients that nurses handled as an evidence-based solution that can aid in reducing cases of UTIs among catheterized patients hence decreasing the cost of treatment (Murphy et al., 2021). It answered a critical research question: Do nursing-sensitive indicators such as UTIs increase the duration that patients stay in hospitals?

Articles' Support of Nursing Practice Issue

Gad and AbdelAziz (2021) support the nursing practice issue by providing comprehensive content that answers the PICOT question formulated to deduce the intervention that can aid in resolving the nursing practice problem. The authors present background research that highlights statistical evidence that indicates that UTIs are an issue that is rampant in the clinical setting. They undertake a study that explores the interventions that can be used to decrease the problem and unearths the fact that increasing staffing levels, an intervention that reduces the number of patients that each nurse handles, effectively controls the prevalence of UTIs in the clinical setting.

Similarly, Murphy et al. (2021) also present information that answers the PICOT question created to investigate how the efficacy of reducing patient-nurse ratios as n intervention that can aid in reducing UTIs in the clinical setting. The authors carry out investigative research that shows that reducing the number of patients that nurses handle minimizes the prevalence of UTIs in the catheterized patients. The evidence that proves the effectiveness of intervention in resolving the nursing practice problems presented in the article includes a reduction in the duration that patients stay in the hospital due to a decrease in incidences of UTIs, which causes a reduction in the cost of treatment.

Methods of Study

Gad and AbdelAziz (2021) undertook a qualitative study that involved taking a meta-analysis of data extracted content from over fifty-eight studies. The authors then used a jadad scale to analyze the content and assign points based on preformed questions. On the other hand, Murphy et al. (2021) carried out a retrospective review of a total of approximately 890 patients who had experienced UTIs during their treatment process. The study's findings were used to deduce the impact of reducing the number of patients that nurses have to handle and computing the cost of failing to do so.

Results of the Study

The study undertaken by Gad and AbdelAziz (2021) showed that increasing the nurse staffing levels in a clinical setting reduced catheter-induced UTIs. Increasing the number of nurses in the clinical setting enhanced the quality of care patients received, hence minimizing their chances of contracting UTIs. On the other hand, the investigative research conducted by Murphy et al. (2021) showed that reducing the number of patients that nurses attended reduced the prevalence of nursing-sensitive indicators such as patients contracting UTIs. Notably, the reduction in UTIs also decreased the cost of receiving treatment.

Ethical Considerations

Gad and AbdelAziz (2021) followed the stipulated tenets for conducting ethical research by upholding the confidentiality of the patients whose content was used in the research process. On the other hand, Murphy et al. (2021) followed the due process required to conduct ethical research by contacting and seeking consent from the ethics committees in healthcare facilities before undertaking the studies.

Conclusion

Analysis of the articles that explore the efficacy of reducing patient to nurse in decreasing the prevalence of UTIs in healthcare facilities shows that it is an effective intervention that enhances patients' quality of care. It is a valuable evidence-based practice that can aid in eliciting positive outcomes in the treatment process and reducing treatment costs.

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