Major Phases of Research : Formulating Hypothesis

The hypothesis:

After reviewing the literature, you should be able to predict what you think will happen in your experiment. That educated guess concerning the outcome is your hypothesis You must state your hypothesis in a way that you can measure it readily. A well-thought-out and focused research question leads directly into the hypothesis. Hypotheses are specific predictions about the nature and direction of the relationship between two variables. For example, "Those students who utilize an online tutorial will have higher test scores than those who do not." What predictions would you make about the phenomenon you are examining? Strong hypotheses... Give insight into a research question Are testable and measurable by the proposed research Spring logically from your experience Make sure you... Provide a rationale for your hypotheses where did it come from and why is it strong? Provide alternative possibilities for the hypothesis that could be tested why did you choose the one you did over others?

Questions & Answers : Nursing Research 1. Evidence-based practice has been established to advance nursing practice. The goals for this practice have been to:

reduce health care costs and improve health care. facilitate the highest quality of care and the best client outcomes. encourage increased research utilization in nursing practice. evaluate research findings and scientific evidence to a specific clinical question.

2. What factors are related to research utilization by nurses?

Lack of time to read research. Availability of research findings and nurses' attitudes toward research. Nurses perceived lack of authority to change client care procedures. Lack of support and cooperation from physicians, administrators, and other staff.

3. What are the purposes of scientific research?

Description, exploration, explanation, prediction, and control Discussion, examination, problem solving, and decision making Examination, exploration, prediction, and evaluation Description, explanation, prediction, and control

4. What are the sources of information that nursing practice has relied on for its knowledge
base?

Tradition Authority Experience and trial and error All of the above

5. What is the name of the nursing organization whose mission is to provide leadership and
scholarship in practice, education, and research to enhance the health of all people?

American Nurses Association Sigma Theta Tau International National League for Nursing Association of American Colleges of Nursing

6. What role do nurses in clinical practice play in the research process?

Nurses identify the problems in need of investigation and collaborate with nurse researchers. Nurses recommend appropriate solutions to the problems. Nurses design the studies to address the problems identified. Nurses analyze the data in the research study.

7. Which federal agency is involved in the development of clinical guidelines?

Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration National Institute of Health Agency for Health Care Policy and Research

8. Who was the nurse leader who integrated research into the graduate nursing curriculum?
Virgina Henderson Martha Rogers

Isabel Stewart Florence Nightingale

9. Why have nurses been known to be slow to use research findings in their clinical practice?
Nursing research is fairly new to clinical practice. Nursing service does not require nurse clinicians to apply research findings to clinical practice. There is limited nursing research data from which to practice and many nurse clinicians are not comfortable enough with research to apply it to practice. Nurse researchers and nurses in practice have not been encouraged to collaborate on joint research projects and studies.

10.

Why must nurses learn to conduct a critical appraisal of research reports published in the literature?

Nurses are not required to conduct critiques of research reports. It allows nurses to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the study purpose. It enables nurses to evaluate the scientific merit of the study and decide how the results may be useful in practice. It provides nurses with an understanding of the statistical and clinical significance of the study.