Approved by Faculty Senate.

 

University Studies Course Approval

 Department or Program: Department of Nursing
Course Number: N375
Credits: 3
Course Title: Nursing Research, Theory and Technology

Catalog Description: Basic concepts of research are introduced to assist the student to read, interpret, and evaluate nursing research. The significance of research findings to nursing practice is emphasized. This course is a flagged course for University Studies and is designed to meet the requirements in critical analysis.

This is an existing course that has previously been approved by A2C2 X .
OR
This is a new course proposal _____. (If this is a new course proposal, the WSU Curriculum Approval Form must also be completed as in the process prescribed by WSU Regulation 3-4.)

Department Contact Person for this course: Jacqueline Hatlevig Ph.D., RNC

Email: jhatlevig@winona.edu

 The proposed course is designed to satisfy the requirements in (select one area only):

Course Requirements

A. Basic Skills: (October 4, 2000) 

B. Arts & Sciences Core: (November 1, 2000)

______ 1. College Reading and Writing
______ 2. Oral Communication  
______ 3. Mathematics 
______ 4. Physical Development and Wellness 

______ 1. Humanities 
______ 2. Natural Science 
______ 3. Social Science 
______ 4. Fine & Performing Arts

C. Unity and Diversity: (January 17, 2001)

Flagged Courses: (February 14, 2001)

______ 1. Critical Analysis
______ 2. Science and Social Policy
______ 3. a. Global Perspectives 
______     b. Multicultural Perspectives 
______ 4. a. Contemporary Citizenship 
______     b. Democratic Institutions

______ 1. Writing
______ 2. Oral 
______ 3. a. Mathematics/ Statistics
___X__    b. Critical Analysis

 

The purpose of the Critical Analysis Flag Course requirement is to provide an alternative to the M/S Flag requirement for students majoring in field that do not make significant use of mathematics or statistics. C-Flagged courses are intended to provide students with significant practice in rigorous argument comparable to what a student is expected to receive in a Mathematics/Statistics-flagged course.

Critical analysis flag criteria

Related N375 Nursing Research, Theory and Technology Criteria

Related Course Assignments

a. recognize and evaluate appropriate evidence to advance a claim

See course description, course objective 2 and 3

Unit objective III-A, IV-C, V-A, V-B, VI-A

Weekly assignments-Weekly review of research articles

Critique Assignment-Written paper analyzing a nursing research article

b. apply critical analytical skills in making decisions or in advancing a theoretical position

See course description, course objective 1, 2 and 3

Unit objective I, II-A,VI-B, VII-A

Weekly assignments-Weekly review of research articles

Synthesis project-Group project with students synthesizing nursing research on a selected nursing topic and presenting a research proposal

c. evaluate alternative arguments, decision strategies, or theories within a systematic framework

See course description, course objective 2 and 3

Unit objective IV-A, IV-C, V-A, V-B, VI-A, VII-A

Critique assignment and synthesis project

 

.

Submitted with this proposal is the N375 syllabus, which includes the course description, course objectives, unit objectives, teaching strategies, text, and evaluation/assignments.

 

 

 

Approval/Disapproval Recommendations

 

Department Recommendation: Approved_____ Disapproved____ Date:______

Chairperson Signature_______________________  Date______

 

Dean's Recommendation: Approved_____ Disapproved ____* Date:______

Dean's Signature_______________________ Date______

*In the case of a Dean's recommendation to disapprove a proposal a written rationale for the recommendation to disapprove shall be provided to USS

 

USS Recommendation: Approved_____ Disapproved____ Date:______

University Studies Director's Signature_______________________ Date______

 

A2C2 Recommendation: Approved_____ Disapproved_____ Date:______

A2C2 Chairperson Signature_______________________  Date______

 

Faculty Senate Recommendation: Approved_____ Disapproved____ Date:______

FA President's Signature_______________________  Date______

 

Academic Vice President's Recommendation: Approved_____ Disapproved____ Date:______

VP's Signature_______________________  Date______

 

President's Decision: Approved_____ Disapproved____ Date:______

President's Signature_______________________  Date______

 

 

N375 SYLLABUS

 

Course Description:

Basic concepts of research are introduced to assist the student to read, interpret, and evaluate nursing research. The significance of research findings to nursing practice is emphasized. This course is a flagged course for University Studies and is designed to meet the requirements in critical analysis.

Critical Analysis Flag Courses (CAF) must include requirements and learning activities that promote students' abilities to...

a. recognize and evaluate appropriate evidence to advance a claim;

b. apply critical analytical skills in making decisions or in advancing a theoretical position; and

c. evaluate alternative arguments, decision strategies, or theories within a systematic framework.

 Requirements and learning activities that facilitate these outcomes are highlighted in bold underline script throughout this syllabus.

Implementation of the Organizing Framework:

The course helps students understand the role of theory, research, and technology in nursing. Emphasis is placed on how nursing research can contribute to practice as well as to nursing theory. Students work in groups to further refine their group process skills as they critique research studies and synthesize their knowledge of the research process in the analysis of several studies. These studies focus on nursing process, influences on clients, coping abilities, client education, elements of nursing practice that make a difference to client’s recovery, as well as other factors that influence nursing practice. Research design, statistical analysis, ethical issues in research, the nurse’s role in research and the application of technology are examined. Students will explore the use of computers and technology in nursing for processing and managing data to support the delivery of care.

 

Course Objectives:

  1. Describe the importance of nursing theoretical frameworks as a basis for nursing research and practice. CAF b
  2. Describe the analytical process used in evaluating research. CAF a, b & c
  3. Develop beginning skills to read, critically analyze and critique nursing research. CAF a, b & c
  4. Discuss the nurse’s role in the research process.
  5. Relate potential applications of research findings to own nursing practice.
  6. Describe ethical considerations in research process.
  7. Interpret the nurse’s role in the research process.
  8. Utilize selected software and technological modalities.
  9. Explore the use of computer searches in the research process.

Unit Objectives:

UNIT I: Relationship between theory and research

    1. Contribution of theory to the advancement of the profession of nursing.
    2. Integration of theory and research in clinical practice.

UNIT II: Introduction to scientific research

    1. Nursing and the Role of Research
    1. Describe ways in which research plays an important role in the nursing profession.
    2. Describe the relationship between nursing theory and nursing research.
    3. Discuss why learning about nursing research is important to practicing nurses.
    1. The Scientific Approach
    1. Discuss the characteristics of the scientific approach.
    2. Identify several purposes of scientific research.
    3. Distinguish basic and applied research.
    4. Discuss ethical issues of informed consent, confidentiality, and freedom from harm.
    1. Overview of the Research Process
    1. Describe the major steps in the research process and the function that those steps fulfill.
    2. Distinguish independent and dependent variables.
    3. Describe the form, content, and style of a research report in a journal as compared to a full report.

UNIT III: Preliminary steps in the research process

    1. Contexts for Research Problems
    1. Describe several purposes of a literature review.
    2. Evaluate the adequacy of types of information included in a written literature review.
    3. Explain the difference between a primary and secondary source.
    4. Identify several bibliographic aids for nursing research problems.
    1. Research Problems and Hypotheses
    1. Identify sources and aspects of feasibility of a research problem.
    2. Evaluate a problem in terms of its researchability and feasibility.
    3. Evaluate the clarity, conceptual adequacy, and significance of a research problem.
    4. Describe the function of a research hypothesis.
    5. Distinguish different types of hypotheses (e.g., simple vs. complex, directional vs. non-directional, research vs. statistical).

UNIT IV: Designs for nursing research

    1. Research Design
    1. Describe the characteristics of experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental designs.
    2. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of various research designs.
    3. Describe the relative advantages and disadvantages of retrospective and prospective studies.
    4. Identify and evaluate various methods of controlling extraneous variables.
    5. Describe various threats to the internal and external validity of research studies.
    1. Research for Varying Nursing Problems
    1. Describe the purpose of survey research and types of data collection approaches it uses.
    2. Describe the purposes and method of field studies.
    3. Describe the function and methods of case studies.
    4. Describe the purpose of historical research and its general procedure.
    5. Describe the purpose of methodological research.
    1. Sampling Designs
    1. Describe the rationale for sampling in research studies.
    2. Distinguish between non-probability and probability samples.
    3. Identify several types of non-probability samples and describe their main characteristics.
    4. Identify several types of probability samples and describe their main characteristics.
    5. Describe the characteristics of a good sample based on sample size and sample selection.

UNIT V: Measurement and data collection

    1. Methods of Data Collection
    1. Identify types of information suitable for self-report instruments.
    2. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of interviews to questionnaires.
    3. Describe the major characteristics of Likert and semantic differential scales.
    4. Identify several types of response set biases.
    5. Identify several types of phenomena that lend themselves to observation.
    6. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of observational methods.
    7. Distinguish in vitro and in vivo measurements.
    8. Describe the major features, advantages, and disadvantages of biophysiological measures.
    1. Principles of Measurement
    1. Describe the characteristics of each of the four levels of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, and ration).
    2. Compare the four levels of measurement.
    3. Identify several sources of measurement error.
    4. Identify three different aspects of reliability and specify how each aspect can be assessed.
    5. Describe three different aspects of validity and specify how each aspect can be assessed.
    6. Describe four different aspects of triangulation.

UNIT VI: Analysis of the research process

    1. Quantitative Analysis
    1. Distinguish descriptive and inferential statistics.
    2. Describe the characteristics of frequency distributions.
    3. Describe the concepts of central tendency and variability.
    4. Compare three measures of central tendency.
    5. Compare two measure of variability.
    6. Distinguish positive and negative correlation.
    7. Describe hypothesis-testing procedures.
    8. Distinguish a Type I and Type II error.
    9. Identify the levels of measurement associated with various parametric and non-parametric tests.
    10. Describe the use of computers in analyzing data.
    1. Qualitative Analysis
    1. Identify areas of nursing research where qualitative approaches are likely to be especially fruitful.
    2. Identify five types of applications of qualitative analysis.
    3. Describe the grounded theory approach and analytic induction.
    4. Describe the basic principles of content analysis.

UNIT VII: Critique and utilization of nursing research

    1. Critiquing Research Reports
    1. Describe the purpose and features of a research critique.
    2. Identify the main dimensions along which a reviewer should critique a research report.
    3. Evaluate a research report according to specified guidelines.
    1. Utilization of Nursing Research
    1. Give examples of how research can be used in nursing.
    2. Discuss the current status of research utilization among nurses.
    3. Identify barriers to utilizing nursing research.
    4. Participate in a group project that examines how nursing research can be applied to the practice setting.

UNIT VIII: Technology/computers in nursing

    1. Demonstrate basic computer literacy through the completion of assignments
    2. Explore the field of nursing informatics.

Teaching Strategies:

Lecture, discussion, critique of current research articles, group project, and class presentation

Required Text:

Polit, D.F., & Hungler, B.P. (1997). Essentials of nursing research.  (5th ed.). Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co.

Nursing Journals and selected nursing research articles.

Evaluation and Course Assignments:

Course assignments are designed to meet the critical analysis flagged course criteria

 

Midterm

25%

Final Exam

25%

Computer Assignments

15%

Weekly Assignments

(Weekly review of research articles) CAF a & b

10%

Research Synthesis Project (Group project with students synthesizing nursing research on a selected nursing topic and presenting a research proposal) CAF b & c

15%

Research Critique (Written paper analyzing a nursing research article) CAF a, b & c

10%

Total

100%