Nurse Researcher最新文献

Background: Interviewing is a vital and common method of collecting data in qualitative research. The interview is usually recorded and a written transcription is created from the recording. The transcription document is then analysed by reading and re-reading to fracture the data and develop initial codes, as in grounded theory methodology. However, this method has disadvantages.

Aim: To report on how the authors used the process of generating initial codes during their analysis in a research study.

Discussion: The authors compare the rigour and efficiency of generating initial codes from reading written transcripts with generating initial codes from listening to recordings. The most notable difference between the two methods is the length of time needed to transcribe the recording before coding can start. The authors discuss the lessons they learned from their pragmatic decision to expedite initial coding by listening to rather than reading the interview data.

Conclusion: Grounded theory requires concurrent data generation and analysis. Audio analysis is efficient in developing initial codes from interview recordings.

Implications for practice: Nurse researchers can use the audio method of analysing interview data.

Background: Questionnaires are perhaps the most widely used measuring tools in nursing research, as many studies conducted by nurses focus on understanding the underlying complex factors that are amenable to questionnaires. However, most questionnaires used in nursing research continue to display inadequate evidence of validity under the traditional methods while ignoring the modern Rasch techniques with better proofs of objective measurement.

Aim: To draw researchers' attention to the recurrent limitations of the classical approach to questionnaire design and to suggest advanced psychometric analysis exemplified in Rasch methodology as a more appropriate alternative.

Discussion: For questionnaire data to be suitable for statistical analysis, transparent demonstration of mathematical assumptions embodied in the questionnaire is compulsory. The failure to engage contemporary measurement models in designing good questionnaires raises concerns about researchers' awareness of the application and usefulness of the evidence generated by the modern approach. This paper illustrates with examples the problems inherent in the traditional or classical test theory and advanced dimensionality and category functioning as requisite psychometric properties of a questionnaire. It also outlines several diagnostic parameters that proponents of Rasch techniques recommend for testing.

Conclusion: Traditional methods of assessing and analysing a questionnaire's psychometric properties are no longer tenable because the modern Rasch approach offers exemplary proofs of questionnaire validity rooted in objective measurement theories.

Implications for practice: Nurse researchers using questionnaires for clinical decisions and education purposes should apply the fundamental principles of objective measurements demonstrated in Rasch theory.

Background: Mobile phones are familiar to most nurses, but the applications available for voice recording and transfer of audio files in research may not be.

Aim: To provide an overview of a pilot study which trialled the use of mobile phones, WhatsApp and phone interviews as a safe and reliable means of collecting data.

Discussion: A pilot study was designed to test the use of: mobile phones as a safe and reliable way to record audio diaries as research data; WhatsApp to transmit the audio files; and phone interviews to explore them. Undertaking the pilot demonstrated that the tools proposed for collecting data were useable and acceptable to the target population and that the researcher's guidance for doing so was satisfactory.

Conclusion: New technologies enable innovation but trialling them for useability is important. Confidentiality and consent need to be carefully managed when using WhatsApp to ensure a study is compliant with data protection regulations.

Implications for practice: Collection of research data digitally and remotely has become increasingly mainstream and relied on during the COVID 19 pandemic. The methods discussed in this article provide solutions for timely data collection that are particularly useful when the researcher is geographically distant from participants. The 'in the moment' reflective nature of the audio diaries could also be applicable to non-research settings - for example, as a method of assisting ongoing professional development and/or collection of reflective accounts.

Background: Societal use of digital technology rapidly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Face-to-face services converted to online provision where possible. This affected many nurse researchers.

Aim: To explore conducting research interviews online with children and young people (CYP) about sensitive topics.

Discussion: This article considers digital inclusion, as well as ethical issues surrounding safety, support and consent, along with choosing tools for collecting data. It also presents a discussion of physical proximity in qualitative interviews with this population and its role in data quality. The authors investigate benefits in the context of researchers' personal experiences. They acknowledge the disadvantages of conducting interviews online and discuss ways to mitigate these.

Conclusion: The advantages for researchers include cost-effectiveness, time-efficiency and greater geographical reach of participants. However, CYP's perspectives are unknown and the specific ethical issues of using this method with CYP need careful consideration.

Implications for practice: More research is needed to examine virtual interviews from the perspectives of CYP as participants. Virtual acquisition of consent and assent should be investigated to standardise good research practices.

Background: Using a structured process to develop a self-administered questionnaire provides a robust tool for collecting data that enhances the credibility of the results. Describing this process mitigates any complexity and confusion for the nurse researcher which can be generated by many sources of information that either lack detail or have complex statistical approaches.

Aim: To discuss the development of a self-administered questionnaire with a focus on face, content, construct validity and reliability testing.

Discussion: Adopting a well-established, sequential, five-step approach ensures that important concepts of questionnaire development are addressed: assessing existing tools and qualitative data, if available; drafting of the questionnaire with consideration for question styles, comprehension, acquiescent bias and face validity; expert panel review to establish content validity and inter-rater reliability; pilot testing to assess construct validity; and exploratory factor analysis to establish reliability testing. This approach results in a robust and credible tool for collecting data.

Conclusion: This article provides nurse researchers with a structured process for developing self-administered questionnaires.

Implications for practice: Investing time and effort to assess a newly developed questionnaire for validity and reliability and consider question styles, comprehension and acquiescent bias results in an improved and strengthened tool for collecting data. This in turn enhances the quality and credibility of a study's findings.

Background: COVID-19 raised the profile of nursing globally, with widespread recognition of nurses' valuable roles during the pandemic. There is a unique opportunity to capitalise on this momentum to support nurses to become more engaged in and disseminate their research widely. One way to enable this is to develop academic writing retreats for nurses.

Aim: To report on the development of academic writing retreats to engage nurses in research.

Discussion: Four writing retreats were set up in the south of England between September 2019 and April 2021. Two were delivered face to face on hospital premises and two online. The retreats provided uninterrupted time for writing an academic publication, mentorship, peer support networks, and question and answer sessions. The retreats were attended by 42 health professionals, with more than 25 papers published in peer-reviewed journals. The retreats have enabled learning communities to develop, fostering long-term networking opportunities.

Conclusion: Academic writing retreats for nurses have widespread benefits, providing nurses with uninterrupted time and space to focus on writing high-quality publications and creating networking opportunities through peer support and mentorship channels.

Implications for practice: Academic writing retreats are a simple, yet effective way to get nurses to engage in research by writing about their own spheres of practice.

Background: Self-administered questionnaires are efficient and low-cost ways of collecting data with wide cohorts. Nonetheless, their use in studies can result in a high occurrence of missing data, which can affect the statistical power, representativeness and generalisability of the findings. Imputation methods have been considered efficient statistical techniques for managing missing data. However, they have also been associated with limits, such as the risk of under-estimation of the effect, lower statistical power and decrease of correlation among variables. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of using prevention strategies to avoid missing data before the data are analysed.

Aim: To identify strategies for preventing the occurrence of missing data and to discuss their effects, as well as their methodological and statistical considerations.

Discussion: The article discusses prevention strategies related to the administration format and follow-up and reminders. Strategies such as the use of electronic tablets, email and telephone reminders are associated with lower rates of missing data in self-administered questionnaires. However, methodological and statistical limits, including the absence of a comparison group and statistical validation of the reported results, limits the capacity to establish robust consensus.

Conclusion: Prevention strategies represent relevant and feasible avenues for handling missing data in a wide range of clinical, nursing and epidemiological research. More projects based on robust design are needed to ensure accurate and reliable data are collected from patients, families, communities and clinicians.

Implications for practice: It is important for clinicians and nurses to understand the phenomenon of missing data and the strategies available to prevent missing data, to collect data representing the patients' and families' perspectives and experiences.