6052 Discussion 3

Selecting a Framework

Selecting a Framework Program Transcript

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Have you ever had that same inexplicable event happen to you over and over again but still never found a way to explain it? Throughout their practice, nurses may encounter phenomena that they cannot fully explain. If nurses want to understand such phenomena, they may decide to conduct research on it.

Take Rachel, for example. Rachel is the manager of a group of nurses in a nursing home, and she has noticed that the stress and fatigue levels of the nurses under her direction vary considerably. She knows that the patients and caseloads of the nurses do not significantly differ, and those who seem most affected by stress include both new and veteran nurses. Rachel considers these phenomena and decides to further investigate them through research. But before she can begin gathering data, she must first select a framework to guide her research.

A framework is the overall conceptual basis or rationale for a study. There are two types of frameworks that can be used to guide research-- theoretical and conceptual. Theoretical frameworks are used for research studies related to a specific theory. A theory is a formalized explanation of how phenomena are interrelated.

Conceptual frameworks, on the other hand, are used for studies that are not rooted in a particular theory. This does not mean that conceptual frameworks are not based on existing knowledge and evidence. In fact, many conceptual frameworks are based on conceptual models, which are abstract methods of thinking about human beings, the environment, health, nursing, and so on.

There are many methods researchers use to identify a suitable framework for the phenomenon they are studying. Conceptualizing or targeting the specific factors related to the phenomena is one such method. In addition, researchers can peruse databases and printed materials for similar studies, search for established

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Selecting a Framework

frameworks that take a position on factors related to the phenomena, and confer with people who are familiar with many theories and models, such as professors, advisers, and supervisors.

For example, in Rachel's study on stress and fatigue in the nursing home setting, the factors include the nurses, their stress levels, and how they respond to or cope with stress. Rachel uses these factors to conduct searches for similar research studies on stress and caregiver burdens. The information presented in these studies allows her to determine that the most appropriate framework for her study is Theory of Stress and Coping, developed by Lazarus and Folkman.

This theory provides an explanation for how different people deal with stress and how they develop and learn coping strategies. This theory gives Rachel a theoretical framework to begin crafting her research questions and plotting how to carry out her research.

It should also be noted that frameworks evolve as more research is conducted. Each new layer of research that uses a particular framework helps inform future studies using that same framework. But with the initial framework selection firmly in place, the stage is set for a successful research project that may benefit patients everywhere.

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