NUR443 Evidence Based Nursing Research- Alongside Mortality

Answer

Synopsis

The title of the study is a good one and succinctly suggesting key variables (patient hand hygiene protocol, hospital acquired infections, improve hand washing among nurses) and study population. The abstract clearly and concisely summarize the major features of report including background, problem, objective, methods, results, and conclusion. The introduction has easily identifiable, clear and unambiguous statement of the problem as critically ill patients being at a high risk of hospital-acquired infections thereby increasing their morbidity alongside mortality.

And this problem statement clearly builds a cogent and persuasive argument for new study and has significance for nursing as it recognizes RN as the main healthcare providers of physical care like hygiene to decrease and bar hospital-acquired infections for critically hospitalized ill patients. Nurses will benefit from the new hygiene protocol which will enhance nurses’ hand-washing compliance in the ICU.

The paradigm and methods used (pre-experimental study design) effectively matched the research problem it helped solve the problem. The quantitative approach remained suitable as it enabled test the explicitly stated and appropriately worded hypothesis and answer the research questions effectively. The hypothesis builds from the up-to-date literature and conceptual framework mainly from primary sources.

Literature review has provided a state-of-the-art synthesis of evidence on research problem supported by efficient in-text citation and referencing thus providing a sound basis for novel study. The researcher has adequately defined key concepts conceptually with theoretical framework and rationale. The researchers used right method to protect rights of participants based on suitable procedures that safeguarded the subjects’ rights though never subjected to external review by an institutional review board/ethics review board.  

The research was designed to minimize risks and maximize benefits to participants with most rigorous design commensurate with research purpose based on suitable comparisons that greatly enhanced the findings’ interpretability though not blinded. Appropriate number of data collection points was guaranteed with design minimizing bias and threats to internal, construct, alongside external study validity study

The researcher identified and described the population in sufficient details based on best conceivable sampling design that enhanced representativeness of the sample as sample biases stood greatly minimized. Adequate sample was used. Congruency in operational and conceptual definition was guaranteed with key variables operationalized based on best feasible method as interviews with adequate justification. The scholars described good choices instruments suitable to purpose and population. There is enough evidence that the data collection methods generated high reliability and validity data (Allegranzi & Pittet, 2009)).    

The intervention (new protocol) is described adequately with proper implementation with most subjects being allocated to and received the intervention buttressed by intervention fidelity. Data collection minimized biased based on trained staff. Efficient analysis was assumed thus fully addressing each question based on suitable statistical methods acknowledging variables measurement level and quantity of groups being compared. The confounding variables was controlled because of most powerful analytical method used permitting the avoidance of both type I and II errors.  

The authors presented information about statistical significance alongside information on effect size and estimates’ precision of like confidence intervals via adequately summarized findings using figures and tables. The result reporting manner facilitates meta-analysis coupled with adequate info required for EBP. Major findings have been interpreted and discussed within the context of previous study’s conceptual framework with justified causal inferences and consistent with findings and limitations of study. Issues of findings’ generalizability well covered. Reusable and complete study implications for clinical practice and future researcher are well covered based on well- written, organized and adequately comprehensive for critical analysis. A CONSORT flow chart was provided clearly showing participants’ flow with report being written in a way that made results accessible to practicing RN.  

The researchers’ clinical, substantive and methodologic qualifications alongside experience enhanced confidence in results and corresponding interpretation. Albeit the identified limitations, the results seemed valid and the result values are truthful (Lam,  Lee & Lau, 2004). This study provides meaningful evidence useful for nursing practice/nursing discipline.

References

Allegranzi, B., & Pittet, D. (2009). Role of hand hygiene in healthcare-associated infection prevention. Journal of Hospital Infection, 73(4), 305-315.

Lam, B. C., Lee, J., & Lau, Y. L. (2004). Hand hygiene practices in a neonatal intensive care unit: a multimodal intervention and impact on nosocomial infection. Pediatrics, 114(5), e565-e571.